possible change in importation rules (NAPPRA) now Kudzu

Gordon Hogenson gordonhogenson@yahoo.com
Mon, 23 May 2016 18:54:52 PDT
I would urge folks to pay attention to the USDA comment periods on proposed regulation changes and be sure that the USDA understands the impact of the proposed restrictions on regular gardeners and hobbyists, who are also playing a significant role in plant conservation.  Most plants are perfectly safe to import and any move to a whitelist where only approved plants are allowed is going to mean that conservation of rare and difficult plants, the very plants that collector gardeners are most keen to locate and grow, will become much more difficult.
Kudzu and similarly destructive plants are really a small minority of plant taxa. Using them as examples is focusing on worst-case scenarios to a point where it is misleading and dishonest when applied to the vast majority of plants.  Many plants labeled invasive really are just adding to the biodiversity rather than detracting from it. The current system of focusing on taxa that are known to be truly destructive is the least restrictive method and the least likely to interfere with the trade of plants which is absolutely critical in preserving rare types.
Gordon, PNW, zone 7, where L. dauricum is starting the lily season, and many native plants flourish harmoniously alongside garden plants from other locales.

      From: Tim Eck <teck11@embarqmail.com>
 To: 'Pacific Bulb Society' <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> 
 Sent: Monday, May 23, 2016 4:07 PM
 Subject: Re: [pbs] possible change in importation rules (NAPPRA) now Kudzu
   
In my area, invasiveness is largely defined by whether deer will eat them.
When I took a walk through my back forty, bemoaning the numerous invasives
that are degrading the habitat, the common denominator is unpalatability for
deer.  In Pennsylvania, a forest will generally not regenerate with native
trees when lumbered due to deer damage.  Only invasives will regrow.  When
you look at a nursery/bulb catalog, just look at all the imports touted as
'deer-proof'.

Tim Eck
When a philosopher says something that is true, then it is trivial. When he
says something that is not trivial, then it is false.
Gauss



> -----Original Message-----
> From: pbs [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Tim Harvey
> Sent: Monday, May 23, 2016 2:36 AM
> To: Pacific Bulb Society
> Subject: Re: [pbs] possible change in importation rules (NAPPRA) now Kudzu
> 
> NAPPRA doesn't have a credibility profile. What should we do?
> 
> PRA doesn't "establish" anything. As has been discussed many times on this
> forum, the invasiveness question is highly subjective and dependent on
> locale. Furthermore, the USDA lacks the fundamental knowledge to make
> any informed decision and ignores advice given even when requested. Their
> funding would be better spent subsidizing informed pest control at a local
> level.
> 
>  T
> 
> > On May 22, 2016, at 11:01 PM, William Aley <aley_wd@icloud.com> wrote:
> >
> > The issue from the developer of NAPPRA is that few plants have a 'Pest
> > profile' that a PRA establishes.  Best also from the early days of
> > unbridled plant imports
> > http://maxshores.com/the-amazing-story-of-kudzu/
> >
> >
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
> >> On May 22, 2016, at 21:33, aaron floden <aaron_floden@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> Kudzu was not wanted by gardeners and its current pest status is due to
> the US government using it as a soil stabilizer. They spent millions
planting it
> directly or paying farmers to plant it by the acre. The Smithsonian had
great
> article that discussed most of the history with a few things left out.
This is not
> one that can be blamed on gardeners. The same can be said for Morus alba,
> Microstegium which came in through Oak Ridge as packing material, and
> probably numerous others. A few I see regularly are various Eleagnus
> promoted as a mining recovery plant, Lespedeza was planted in these sites
> as well.
> >> So now the question is how much will an assessment cost for an
> unintroduced to cultivation species so that it is NAPPRA allowable?
> >>
> >> Aaron
> >>
> >>    From: William Aley <aley_wd@icloud.com>
> >> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> >> Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2016 4:12 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [pbs] possible change in importation rules (NAPPRA)
> >>
> >> Unfortunately NAPPRA is now the rule of the import system. There are
> >> USDA staff busy placing taxa on the NAPPRA in conjunction with
> >> university scientists to compile the background documents. The
> >> problem is USDA does not know uf a taxa is a host to a disease that
> >> could become established or if the taxa is a potential plant lest
> >> ie:///weed/. No one will have an understanding of the potential until a
> >> Pest Risk Analysis is completed. Once upon a time USDA was chided by
> >> the American horticultural Association because a popular plant was
> >> not allowed to be imported into the USA. It was viewed at the worlds
> >> fair to be the most adaptive , tough and disease resistant taxa and
> >> it would not only stabilise the soil it would also add nitrogen to
> >> the soul. So USDA  allowed unregulated import of the plant to satisfy
> >> not only horticulturalist but soil conservationists.  The result is a
> >> plant know as kudzu. The rest is history. So is unregulated import of
> >> unknown plants a good idea until somethi
>  n
> > g
> >> goes wrong? Then try to clean up the environment after?  Who pays for
> the clean up of plants tossed from a private garden into the hedge row
that
> eventually naturalise and begin invading the environment and other peoples
> gardens?
> >>
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