[Federal Register: December 29, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 249)]
[Notices]
[Page 77177-77178]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29de05-68]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Harvest and Export of American Ginseng
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice: request for information from the public; announcement
of public meetings.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce
public meetings on American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). These
meetings will help us gather information from the public in preparation
of our 2006 findings on the export of American ginseng roots, for the
issuance of permits under the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
DATES: The meeting dates are:
1. January 31, 2006, 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., Moon Township
(Pittsburgh), PA.
2. February 10, 2006, 8 a.m. to 12 noon, Asheville, NC.
3. February 15, 2006, 8 a.m. to 12 noon, Indianapolis, IN.
ADDRESSES: The meeting locations are:
1. Moon Township (Pittsburgh)--DoubleTree Hotel, 8402 University
Blvd., Moon Township, PA 15108; telephone number (412) 329-1400.
2. Asheville--Holiday Inn, 1450 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC 28805;
telephone number (828) 298-5611.
3. Indianapolis--Hampton Inn, Indianapolis Airport, 5601 Fortune
Circle West, Indianapolis, IN 46241; telephone number (317) 244-1221.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, or directions
to meetings contact Ms. Pat Ford, Division of Scientific Authority,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 750,
Arlington, VA 22203; 703-358-1708 (telephone), 703-358-2276 (fax), or
patricia_ford@fws.gov (e-mail); or Ms. Anne St. John, Division of
Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax
Drive, Room 700, Arlington, VA 22203; 703-358-2095 (telephone), 703-
358-2298 (fax), or anne_stjohn@fws.gov (e-mail).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES, or Convention) is an international treaty
designed to control and regulate international trade in certain animal
and plant species that are now or potentially may be threatened with
extinction by international trade. Currently, 169 countries, including
the United States, are Parties to CITES. The species for which trade is
controlled are listed in Appendix I, II, or III of the Convention.
Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction that are or may
be affected by international trade. Commercial trade in Appendix-I
species is prohibited. Appendix II includes species that, although not
necessarily threatened with extinction at the present time, may become
so unless their trade is strictly controlled through a system of export
permits. Appendix II also includes species that CITES must regulate so
that trade in other listed species may be brought under effective
control (i.e., because of similarity of appearance between listed
species and other species). Appendix III comprises species subject to
regulation within the jurisdiction of any CITES Party country that has
requested the cooperation of the other Parties in regulating
international trade in the species.
American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) was listed in Appendix II of
CITES on July 1, 1975. The Division of Scientific Authority and the
Division of Management Authority of the Service regulate the export of
American ginseng, including whole plants, whole roots, and root parts.
To meet CITES requirements for export of American ginseng from the
United States, the
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Division of Scientific Authority must determine that the export will
not be detrimental to the survival of the species, and the Division of
Management Authority must be satisfied that the American ginseng roots
to be exported were legally acquired.
Since the inclusion of American ginseng in CITES Appendix II, the
Divisions of Scientific Authority and Management Authority have issued
findings on a State by State basis. To determine whether or not to
approve exports of American ginseng, the Division of Scientific
Authority has annually reviewed available information from various
sources (other Federal agencies, State regulatory agencies, industry
and associations, nongovernmental organizations, and academic
researchers) on the biology and trade status of the species. After a
thorough review, the Division of Scientific Authority makes a non-
detriment finding and the Division of Management Authority makes a
legal acquisition finding on the export of American ginseng to be
harvested during the year in question. From 1999 through 2004, the
Division of Scientific Authority included in its non-detriment finding
for the export of wild (including wild-simulated and woodsgrown)
American ginseng roots an age-based restriction (i.e., plants must be
at least 5 years old). In 2005, the Division of Scientific Authority
included in its non-detriment findings for the export of wild American
ginseng roots an age-based restriction that plants must be at least 10
years old, and for the export of wild-simulated and woodsgrown American
ginseng roots that plants must be at least 5 years old.
States with harvest programs for wild and/or artificially
propagated American ginseng are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West
Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The Divisions of Scientific Authority and Management Authority will
host an American ginseng workshop from January 31 through February 2,
2006, in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, with representatives of State and
Federal agencies that regulate the species, to discuss the status and
management of American ginseng and the CITES export program for the
species. This workshop will provide an important opportunity for
representatives of the States and Federal agencies to discuss and
consider improvements to the CITES export program for this species.
Except for sessions on January 31 at this location, and the two public
meetings on other dates in other locations (see Public Meetings), this
meeting will be closed to the public.
Information from the 2006 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's American
ginseng workshop will be available in April 2006 upon request from the
Division of Scientific Authority or the Division of Management
Authority (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT); a copy of the workshop
report will also be available from our Web site at: http://www.fws.gov/international/animals/ginindx/.html
.
Public Meetings
At the January 31, 2006, Moon Township (Pittsburgh) meeting, we
invite the public to listen to academic and federal researchers present
their current research on American ginseng from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.;
representatives of the American ginseng industry and other stakeholders
will speak from 1:30 to 2:30. This will be the only meeting and
location at which the public can hear these presentations. After the
morning's presentations, from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., we will hold an open
public meeting (a listening session) to hear from people involved or
interested in American ginseng harvest and trade. We are particularly
interested in obtaining any current information on the status of
American ginseng in the wild, or other pertinent information that would
contribute to improve the CITES export program for this species. We
will discuss the Federal regulatory framework for the export of
American ginseng and how these regulations control the international
trade of this species. We will also discuss the different CITES
definitions as they are applied to American ginseng grown under
different production systems and how these systems affect the export of
American ginseng roots.
The two open public meetings that follow the January meeting, on
February 10 and February 15, 2006 (in Asheville and Indianapolis,
respectively--see DATES and ADDRESSES), will also be open public
meetings to hear from people involved or interested in American ginseng
harvest and trade.
You may get directions to the meeting locations from the Division
of Scientific Authority or the Division of Management Authority (see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or ADDRESSES). Persons planning to
attend the January 31, 2006 meeting who require interpretation for the
hearing impaired must notify the Division of Scientific Authority by
January 23, 2006; for the other two meetings, please notify the
Division of Scientific Authority as soon as possible (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT).
Author
The primary author of this notice is Patricia Ford, the Division of
Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Dated: December 20, 2005.
Marshall P. Jones, Jr.,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E5-8014 Filed 12-28-05; 8:45 am]
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