I propose changes to the ESA…

I propose changes to the ESA involving the cultivation of endangered vascular plants. Currently it is legal to grow American ginseng under a shade-cloth in a field, but it is illegal to grow ginseng beneath a forest canopy. While I understand the rationale for this, the reality is that there is a market for wild and wild-simulated ginseng that field-cultivated ginseng cannot meet. What I suggest is that the ESA permit landowners to grow ginseng beneath a forest canopy, but to grow it without tillage, which could seriously damage woodlands. This practice, called wild-simulated, is practiced in the United States rather successfully, and it results in a product virtually indistinguishable from wild ginseng. This would ultimately reduce the demand for wild ginseng by filling the market demand for it, thereby not making poaching a worthwhile risk. I know of many landowners who would benefit from this, as they can make additional income from their woodlots, and it doesn't involve cutting down the forest! I, and many others in the United States, call this practice 'productive conservation'. This should also apply to goldenseal, black cohosh, and any other plants that may soon be on the endangered species list, such as wild leek. I realize that it may seem difficult to be in compliance with CITES, but many US states do it and are fully compliant with CITES - we should study them. It is worth noting that the ginseng poaching pressure is lower in NY state then Ontario, and in part I think this is due to the practice of wild-simulated ginseng cultivation.

Ultimately, I think my suggestion will improve the plight of American ginseng across Ontario by providing a suitable, sustainable substitute for wild ginseng. It is an expensive proposition to try and guard all the remaining wild ginseng populations in Ontario, but if we can lower the price by growing a nearly identical product, we will give American ginseng a chance.