[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 249 (Thursday, December 29, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77177-77178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-8014]


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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 
[email protected] (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 [email protected] (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

[[Page 77178]]

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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