HerbalEGram: Volume 3

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced on June 8 that it will permit exports of wild American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) that is 5 years old.¹ The new export requirement has replaced last year’s 10-year age limit for wild American ginseng.² According to an FWS press release, FWS reinstated the 5-year age limit due to recent research findings and feedback received from growers, harvesters, and other industry representatives during public meetings held earlier this year.³

FWS had previously announced a 10-year age requirement for exported wild American ginseng in August of 2005.² Although the FWS is not required to consult with members of the wild American ginseng industry, the new requirement surprised many people within the industry, who were not consulted by FWS before it was enacted. The 5-year age limit had previously been in effect since 1999. A group of articles in HerbalGram 70 examined both the rationale of FWS for establishing the 2005 rule and arguments by industry spokespersons against the age increase, which included reservations about the export requirement’s potential impact on the conservation and biology of American ginseng, as well as complaints of FWS’ closed-door procedures.^4,5,6

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) was one organization that had expressed complaints about the changed age requirement. “Our concerns with the 10-year rule were centered on errors in some of the calculations used by FWS, and on the absence of any meaningful consideration of the positive impact that can come from harvesters who are also acting as ginseng stewards by replanting mature seeds,” said AHPA President Michael McGuffin in a press release.⁷ “The 2006 findings are founded on more accurate information, and we are pleased that FWS was willing to solicit comment and put it to good use.”

Public outcry following the 2005 ruling led the FWS to hold 4 public meetings to gather new information on the status, production, and trade of American ginseng, as well as share information on the role of the FWS in the export of American ginseng.³ Over 200 people from 15 states attended the public meetings, including numerous experts and professionals.³ Ed Fletcher, a widely recognized expert on the biology, sustainability and cultivation of native American medicinal plants, wrote that the reinstatement of the 5-year age requirement demonstrates that FWS listened to the concerns of these industry and public representatives and that the agency has formulated educated rules based on science and traditional knowledge (E. Fletcher e-mail to M. Blumenthal, June 11, 2006). “In my opinion, the 2006 FWS findings reflect effective guidelines for sustainability of both the plant, Panax quinquefolius L., and the industry,” Fletcher wrote.

The 5-year age export requirement will be effective for the harvest seasons of 2006 through 2008, although this could be modified on the basis of new information.¹ FWS has pledged to work closely with growers, state officials, and industry representatives to continue to improve the conservation and management of wild American ginseng including efforts to monitor and assess wild populations and ensure that harvest levels are sustainable. FWS is also working with AHPA to develop brochures about good stewardship harvest practices to inform harvesters and growers of wild American ginseng of the state and federal  requirements in place and to encourage sustainable harvesting practices.⁷

American ginseng has been listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1975, requiring that exported wild American ginseng is legally harvested in a way that is not detrimental to the survival of the species. FWS has approved the export of American ginseng on a state-by-state basis since 1978. Currently, 19 states are approved by the FWS for the export of wild American ginseng.³

The full 40-page report of the 2006 FWS findings on wild American ginseng can be viewed online at http://www.fws.gov/international/pdf/2006ginsengfinding.pdf.

-Courtney Cavaliere

References

1. Fish and Wildlife Service announces 5-year age limit on ginseng exports [press release]. Washington DC: US Fish and Wildlife Service; June 8, 2006.
2.    USFWS. Convention permit application for American wild ginseng harvested in 2005. Washington, DC: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Aug. 3, 2005. Available at: http://www.fws.gov/. Accessed Aug 13, 2005.
3. U.S. FWS Non-detriment finding on CITES export permit applications for wild and wild-simulated American ginseng harvested in 2006-2008.  Accessed at:  http://www.fws.gov/international/pdf/2006ginsengfinding.pdf. June 21, 2006.
4. Blumenthal M. Government increases restrictions on wild American ginseng export. HerbalGram. 2006;70:52-57.
5. McGraw J. Threats to wild ginseng. HerbalGram. 2006;70:55.
6. Fletcher E. Ginseng ruling: how it will affect the wild ginseng industry. HerbalGram. 2006;70:54.
7. FWS restores 5-year minimum age for exported American ginseng [press release]. Silver Spring, MD: American Herbal Products Association; June 9, 2006.