<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 10.00.9200.16750"></HEAD>
<BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #000000"
bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 rightMargin=7 topMargin=7><FONT id=role_document
color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV>MPWG:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>A new program had its debut on History Channel yesterday 01/09/14
called "Appalachian Outlaws.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The program appears to be more about the being a ginseng poacher than
almost anything else and I am uncertain how it could impact ginseng
growers...beyond making theft a thrill game. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>One concern I have as a long time grower of black Cohosh in a forest
setting is that one of the poachers already has identified "dolls eye",
Actaea pachypoda, as black Cohosh, a very incorrect ID. They made a
point of showing the fruit and the foliage. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As a grower of the medicinal black Cohosh plant I think that in 2014
black Cohosh root buyers might have to be more vigilant in vetting their
purchases to make sure they aren't getting poison.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I would appreciate other peoples' thoughts or comments on the program
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sincerely,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Russ Richardson, Certified Forester</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>