[at-l] Speaking of wildflowers...

[pmags@yahoo.com (Paul Magnanti)]

Interesting article (with links to other articles)
about the poaching of wildflowers in the Applachians.
According to one article, ginseng poaching is becoming
a big business. The Smokies are esp. starting to get a
lot of people who are poaching ginseng (which can go
up to $600 a pound!).

Anyway, here is the article:


**********************
Galax Stem Arrest Near Mount Mitchell
August 13 2001 at 10:46 AM roger  
 

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This was on this morning's NPS Report:
01-440 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - Galax Theft
Convictions

Jesus Navarro Grimaldo and his brother Reynaldo
Navarro Grimaldo (both 
undocumented aliens) were arrested on July 31st near
Milepost 350. At 
the time of apprehension, they had about 7,500 galax
stems in their 
possession. They were found guilty in magistrate's
court on August 1st 
and ordered to pay $1,200 in fines and restitution.
One was also given 
a 30-day prison term. The two men had criminal
histories that included 
driving under the influence, possession of controlled
substances, hit 
and run, and giving false information to officers.
Rangers Larry 
Johnson and John Anthony were the case rangers. On
August 3rd, Gabriel 
Gutierez-Reyes of Burnsville, North Carolina, was
arrested for taking 
native plants for commercial uses. He had several
thousand galax 
stems in his possession. He was sentenced to two
months in jail on 
August 6th. Gurierez-Reyes has two prior convictions
for galax 
possession in the park. Supervisory ranger Terry
Morris and ranger 
Brian Stackowicz were the case rangers. [John
Garrison, Protection 
Specialist, BLRI, 8/9]
http://www.nps.gov/morningreport/msg00939.html

[Mount Mitchell is Mile Post 355 on the Blue Ridge]


I wasn't sure what Galax Stems were and did a search
and found this expanded article on plant poaching on
the Blue Ridge including a list of Appalachia's Most
Wanted Plants (Ginseng is the big draw with a pound
worth more than a week's wages in some countries).

http://www.nwf.org/natlwild/2001/ginseng.html

So at a penny a stem the galax stem theft was worth
about $75 and they got into all that trouble.
 
*******

The last link is esp. interesting. 

Mags


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The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
--Thoreau

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