<HEAD>
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV>Hello All, The issues surrounding wildharvest of wild plants are for sure complex and diverse. I do believe largely wildharvesters are tageted disproportionately as a cause of the decimation of species. Yes, there are unethical, uncaring, and uneducated people in any profession. Even MDs carry malpractice insurance for a reason.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I would like to echo Ed's sentiment. At least here in my part of the world, acre, after acre, after acre is being gobbled up by development and a burgeoning population. To me tageting wilharvesters as a cause for the decline of wild species is analogous to targeting Afganistan and Iraq for the actions of a few.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Here in southern Appalachia, an area with a rich history of botanical production from the wild, wild harvesting is more likely to be something someone's grandfather did. That said the destruction of critical habitat from wealthy Americans seeking an oasis from urban life is a real and present danger. The production of wild plants whether collected or cultivated is the only economic tool we have to keep our lands in traditional use, IF done correctly.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks to all of you for caring!</DIV>
<DIV>Robin</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Unless" - The Lorax<BR><BR><BR>-----Original Message----- <BR>From: Cafesombra@aol.com <BR>Sent: Mar 28, 2006 12:58 PM <BR>To: MPWG@lists.plantconservation.org <BR>Subject: Re: [MPWG] Public input requested by March 26, 2006: Initiation of 5-Year Rev... <BR><BR></DIV><ZZZHTML><ZZZHEAD><ZZZMETA content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" http-equiv="Content-Type"><ZZZMETA content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name="GENERATOR"></ZZZHEAD><ZZZBODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" rightMargin="7" topMargin="7" leftMargin="7" bottomMargin="7"><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>
<DIV>Hello,</DIV>
<DIV>I'd just like to chime in, not all wildcrafters are doing so for market. Some (an undocumented amount) are doing so for medicine. </DIV>
<DIV>Also, though Robyn makes some good points, I am wondering if it's true that "uncommon species may not look familiar to the wildcrafter, who is used to more common related species."</DIV>
<DIV>Actually, every wildcrafter I know has a good knowledge of botany and local plant identification. The wildcrafters I know are plant nuts and they are very familiar with the rare and unique plants of their locales. I suppose it's all dependent on local circumstances. For example, here there is no problem locating Lobelia inflata, it self-seeds and scatters excellently. Here, the wildcrafters are the members of the native plant society and sierra club and rare plant forum and so on. People who don't know the plants just aren't out there gathering them. People who don't have that certain affinity for the plants don't know their value, at market or as medicine. This is a rather affluent area, though, so perhaps it's unique.</DIV>
<DIV>An additional point I'd like to make is that each plant has specific use/s and a specific energetic. If you need coptis, you need coptis. If you need goldenseal, you need goldenseal. There are of course some applications where barberry might suffice in the stead of either but, generally speaking the "law of specifics" counts for something, and at times (frequently) it is the rule and not the exception. </DIV>
<DIV>Additionally, though of course this varies as well, but in many cases, the wildcrafters are working to help the plant community sustain itself. Steven Foster has a marvelous example of gentian collectors in Montenegro replanting and attending to the resource BECAUSE OF their collection activities. </DIV>
<DIV>Here where I live -- and this too is perhaps because of the area's relative affluence -- it's not traditional wildcrafters but the nursery / landscapers who are out there taking plants away seemingly without concern for replanting / reseeding. We have (had) a wonderful wild azalea in the woods here, all but gone now to nursery scavengers. One giant stand of hepatica I used to visit frequently around this time of year as the ephemerals come into blossom is gone completely, the slope where they were growing is now eroding badly right into the creek. A good sized stand of rare bottle gentian nearby also disappeared in the same week. Sorry but, that had to be a landscaper. </DIV>
<DIV>At any rate, I don't think it's fair to assume that wildcrafters are unfamiliar with their local flora, or that they are all commercial gatherers, or that they are not engaged in stewardship. Also, it might be unwise to assume that just because sundew is hard to find there are not commercial wildcrafters out there seeking it specifically BECAUSE it is rare and might therefore bring a better price.</DIV>
<DIV>Best regards everyone, Jennifer Chesworth</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 3/28/2006 12:25:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, Efletcher@skybest.com writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>Hello Patricia, Robin and all,</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>Robin brings up a good point of the wildcrafter's logic about digging 'rare' and </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>endangered plants. They are 'rare' because there are not abundant, which</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>makes them less desirable for a wildcrafter to spend his/her time </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>searching for and digging for medicinal products. </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>Medicinal products are formulated with a certain amount of an herb in them</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>but if the companies can not obtain a consistent supply </FONT></STRONG><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>in the quantity needed,</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>they will either drop the product or if a multi herb blend </FONT></STRONG><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>they will reformulate</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>and take the 'rare'(hard to get herb) out. Thus no demand for the 'rare' plants.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>So now the 'rare' plants are left alone to fend for themselves. So <EM>all</EM> we</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>have to do is protect them from the ever growing human expansion that </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>destroys their habitats. </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>Once there homes are gone there is no chance for them to </FONT></STRONG><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>propagate and grow on their own!</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>Rare plants need our help with Preservation of their native habitats and if necessary cultivating them</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2>to have them for generations to come.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2><BR>Genuinely,<BR>Edward J. Fletcher<BR>Strategic Sourcing, Inc.<BR>Botanical Division, C.O.O.<BR>115 Snow Ridge Rd.<BR>Banner Elk, NC 28604 USA<BR>828.898.7642<BR>Fax.898.7647<BR><A title=mailto:Efletcher@StrategicSourcingInc.net href="mailto:Efletcher@StrategicSourcingInc.net">Efletcher@StrategicSourcingInc.net</A><BR><A title=http://www.strategicsourcinginc.net/ href="http://www.strategicsourcinginc.net/">www.StrategicSourcingInc.net</A></FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face="Lucida Bright" color=#008000 size=2></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From: </B>rrr@montana.com<BR><B>Sent: </B>3/28/2006 6:13 AM<BR><B>To: </B>mpwg@lists.plantconservation.org<BR><B>Subject: </B>Re: [MPWG] Public input requested by March 26, 2006: Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 56 Species in California and Nevada<BR><BR><BR>Hello Patricia and all,<BR><BR>In my experience, most Endangered and Rare plant species are not likely<BR>sought by wildcrafters for use in producing medicinal products. It could<BR>be that even if these species have medicinal uses, they are too hard to<BR>find because they are not common. If a population is found, there may not<BR>be enough to make it worth the collection.<BR><BR>These uncommon species may not look familiar to the wildcrafter, who is<BR>used to more common related species.<BR><BR>In any case, some years ago I perused the Plant Species of Concern in<BR>Montana (via the Montana Natural Heritage Program) and did not find any<BR>species that might be pressured by harvesters.<BR><BR>Lobelia, for example, or Drosera are both difficult to locate, as well as<BR>too sparse (in Montana) to catch the attention of wildcrafters.<BR><BR>However, wildcrafters have been known to dig Endangered or Rare species of<BR>Echinacea during the Echinacea boom in the 80s and 90s. I don't know of<BR>any other examples.<BR><BR>I suspect it is not the experienced wildcrafter that is a threat. Rather<BR>the inexperienced ones who don't realize they are losing money by going<BR>after small populations, if they can even key them out or recognize them.<BR><BR>Best Regards,<BR>Robyn Klein, Montana<BR><BR></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT></ZZZBODY></ZZZHTML></BODY><PRE>
Robin Suggs
MoonBranch Botanicals
5294 Yellow Creek Road
Robbinsville, North Carolina 28771
USA
Telephone: 828.479.2788
moonbranch@earthlink.net
www.moonbranch.com
Member:
American Herbalist Guild
Co-op America
Green Products Alliance
National Network of Forest Practitioners
North Carolina Consortium on Natural Medicines
North Carolina Goodness Grows/NCDA&CS
North Carolina Natural Products Association
Southwestern North Carolina RC&D Council
United Plant Savers
It is well for people who think to change their minds occasionally
in order to keep them clean.
For those who do not think, it is best at least to rearrange their
prejudices once in a while.
-Luther Burbank (1849-1926) born on Mar 7</PRE>