[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 7, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 725-726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-31471]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-IA-2008-N0350; 96100-1671-000-P5]


Harvest and Export of American Ginseng

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice: announcement of public meeting; request for information 
from the public.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 
public meeting on American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). This meeting 
will help us gather information from the public in preparation of our 
2009 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 date is February 24, 2009. An information session 
will occur at 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a public meeting at 2 p.m. 
to 5:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting location is: Bristol, VA--Holiday Inn Hotel and 
Suites, Bristol Convention Center, 3005 Linden Drive, Bristol, VA 
24202; telephone number: (276) 466-4100.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, or directions 
to the meeting, contact Ms. Pat Ford, Division of Scientific Authority, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 110, 
Arlington, VA 22203; 703-358-1708 (telephone), 703-358-2276 (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, 174 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 generally 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 (e.g., 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 to enlist 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 live or dead plants, whole and sliced 
roots, and parts of roots. To meet CITES requirements for export of 
American ginseng from the United States, the 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.
    The Divisions of Scientific Authority and Management Authority make 
the required findings on a State-by-State basis. To determine whether 
or not to approve exports of American ginseng, the Division of 
Scientific Authority reviews 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(s) in question. With the exception of 2005, from 1999 
through 2008, the Division of Scientific Authority included in its non-
detriment findings for the export of wild and wild-simulated American 
ginseng roots an age-based restriction (i.e., plants must be at least 5 
years old).
    States with harvest programs for wild and artificially propagated 
American ginseng are: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, 
Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North 
Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West 
Virginia, and Wisconsin. States with harvest programs for only 
artificially propagated American ginseng are: Idaho, Maine, Michigan, 
North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington.
    The Divisions of Scientific Authority and Management Authority will 
host an American ginseng workshop from February 24 through 26, 2009, in 
Bristol, Virginia, 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 the session on 
February 24, 2009, this meeting will be closed to the public.
    Information from the 2009 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's American 
ginseng workshop will be available from our Web site at: http://www.fws.gov/international/DMA_DSA/CITES/plants/ginseng.html; 
information will also be available upon request from the Division of 
Scientific Authority (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Public Meeting

    We invite the public to listen to academic and Federal government 
researchers, who will present their most recent research findings on 
American ginseng, and other invited speakers on February 24, 2009, in 
Bristol, VA., from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (with a lunch break at attendees' 
expense). After these presentations, from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., we will 
hold an open public meeting (a

[[Page 726]]

listening session) to hear from anyone involved or interested in 
American ginseng conservation, harvest, and trade. We are particularly 
interested in obtaining any current information on the status of 
American ginseng in the wild, and other pertinent information on the 
conservation and management of the species that would contribute to 
making the required CITES findings and improve the CITES export program 
for American ginseng. We will discuss the Federal regulatory framework 
for the export of American ginseng and the regulations that 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 we approach these different 
systems in regulating the export of American ginseng roots.
    Persons planning to attend the February 24, 2009, meeting who 
require interpretation for the hearing impaired must notify the 
Division of Scientific Authority by January 23, 2009 (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 22, 2008.
Kenneth Stansell,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E8-31471 Filed 1-6-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P