This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

[GWL]: White List

>I am grateful for how much the list has blossomed and how
> many issues and areas have been/are being explored.  I get the feeling that
> many of them never got proper coverage before and they are getting aired for
> the first time.
> -Lon Rombough

Lon and list members,

Despite the recent discussion of the value of controversy, there are very
momentous decisions being made in Washington and elsewhere that may, very
soon, limit the range of plants available to American gardeners, put plant
society seed exchanges out of business, and make it difficult if not
impossible for seed banks to obtain propagation material of endangered plant
species.  Yet I have seen almost no coverage in either the general or the
horticultural media.

Salvia specialist and aromatic chemist Richard Dufresne posted the following
information a couple of days ago on the Salvia@yahoogroups.com list:

-------------------------------

Tony Avent just got back from participating in a work group where a wide
spectrum of stakeholders worked out some more gentle, mutually acceptable
work rules to be included in the protocol.  I hope this is not going to
prove to be a feelgood exercise to exorcise the emotional drive of the
participants.  In other words, the workgroup results will wind up ignored,
and a draconian protocol will wind up getting established.

As to the USDA action:

This has been prompted by a confluence of pressures, one of which is the
need to control the spread of invasive species.  The actual driving force
seems to be the regulations required by the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), you may be
aware of the development of standards like Good Manufacturing Practices
(cGMP) and Good Laboratory Practices (cGLP).  All corporations are complying
with these regulations, especially if they intend to do international
business and to minimize liability.  I know this personally, since many of
the drug discovery group leader jobs I am applying for claim that cGLP and
cGMP experience is a valuable plus for consideration.  I know that every
scientist in the tobacco industry, where I worked for 15.5 years, is
actively setting up protocols to comply with ISO and cGLP standards.  Since
the tobacco industry tends to resist legal action, their acceptance indiates
how immovable an object the WTO is.

One of the most troubling parts of all the actions being taken is the lack
of attention being paid to stakeholders that were not included or consulted
by the National Invasive Species Council (NISC) and the National Plant Board
(NPB).  Most members of the North American Rock Garden Society (NARGS) are
concerned in particular about the efforts of Faith Campbell (formerly of the
American Lands Alliance), who is drawing on the efforts of Danid Pimentel of
Cornell.

The way actions are going, it will become impossible to import plants.  The
recently released Federal Register (see attachments) basically shuts off the
importing of plant propagules.  The actions were supposed to start in 2007,
and this appears to be a stopgap effort.  The White Paper holds that all
plants are guilty until proved innocent.  This effectively closes off import
of seed from sources like Silverhill of South Africa, seed exchanges by
NARGS and other societies, the work of NGOs like Native Seed/Search, who
raise operating money by selling vegetable seeds of native Americans from
both the United States and Mexico.  It foils the collection efforts of new
perennials by Yucca-Do (from whom I learned of the problem several weeks
ago),   The action was delayed from September 21, 2001 to January 1, 2002.

The issue is complicated by some of the more radical Native Plant Society
members.  I feel that reclamaition of disturbed sites is acceptable, since
that is where most of the damage is being done.

A complication for everyone concerned is the lack of funding for USDA.
Databases can be constructed that will allow sufficiently trained employees
to do their job properly.

Another is the way the organizations especially the NISC's advisory council,
Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC), has been set up. 

Once the regs are written, it will be very hard to change them.  The best
way to make ourselves heard is apparently a letter writing campaign to
congressmen and USDA officials.


WTO/ISO/SPS sites:

Nat'l Academy Press:
Incorporating Science, Economics, and Sociology in Developing Sanitary and
Phytosanitary Standards in International Trade: Proceedings of a Conference
(2000)  ---> Sanitary and Phytosanitary Risk Management in the Post-Uruguay
Round Era: An Economic Perspective
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309070902/html/33.html

Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and the World Trade Organization
http://www.fas.usda.gov/info/factsheets/sps.html

WTO | Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures - gateway
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/sps_e/sps_e.htm
WTO | Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures - text of the agreement
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/sps_e/spsagr_e.htm

ISO - International Organization for Standardization
http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/ISOOnline.frontpage
ISO - International Organization for Standardization - The WTO Agreement on
the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)
http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/comms-markets/wto/iso+wto-07.html

USDA/APHIS/PPQ sites:

Analysis of the World Trade Organization SPS Agreement  by Faith Thompson
Campbell  -->
http://www.hear.org/AlienSpeciesInHawaii/articles/990624wtosps.htm

American Lands Alliance http://www.americanlands.org/

ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH NON-INDIGENOUS SPECIES IN
THE UNITED STATES
David Pimentel, Lori Lach, Rodolfo Zuniga, and Doug Morrison College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14850-0901 June
12, 1999
http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Jan99/species_costs.html

National Invasive Species Council
http://www.eswr.com/i1020.txt
National Invasive Species Council - National Management Plan (NMP)
http://www.invasivespecies.gov/council/nisc/main.html
National Plant Board Home Page http://www.aphis.usda.gov/npb/

Invasive Species Advisory Committee
http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/aquanic/news/comite.htm

FHWA Vegetation Management - Invasive Species Executive Order 
Executive Order 13112 -  February 3, 1999
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/020399em.htm
http://www.invasivespecies.gov/laws/execorder.shtml

USDA/APHIS/PPQ Safeguarding Recommendations and Responses
http://www.safeguarding.org/getallcomments.cfm?ActionTeamCode=AU

Invasive Species: The Nation's Invasive Species Information System
http://www.invasivespecies.gov/

Organized action against NISC sites:

The No White List               http://www.geocities.com/nowhitelist/
No White List               http://www.geocities.com/nowhitelist/who.html
Comments to the NISC http://www.geocities.com/nowhitelist/nisc.html
No White List: FAQ http://www.geocities.com/nowhitelist/faq.html
No White List - Links http://www.geocities.com/nowhitelist/links.html

ASTA Final Position Statement on Invasive Species
http://www.amseed.com/documents/invasive102899_1.html

Risk Assesment sites:

Center for Urban Horticulture Faculty, Staff, & Programs - Reichard, Sarah -
reichard@u.washington.edu - Curator, Otis D. Hyde Herbarium Director, Rare
Care & Conservation Program  --->
http://depts.washington.edu/urbhort/html/People/people.htm

Richard F. Dufresne
313 Spur Road
Greensboro, North Carolina  27406 USA
336-674-3105
World of Salvias:  http://www.eclectasy.com/gallery_of_salvias/index.htm
Salvia email list:   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Salvia

----------------------

It takes some time to explore the complexities of this (these) issue(s), but
it seems to me that these restrictions will directly affect the interests of
many on this list.

John MacGregor
South Pasadena, CA 91030
USDA zone 9   Sunset zones 21/23
jonivy@earthlink.net
 

============================================================
Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements. 
Easily create professional-quality images 
with this affordable digital imaging software! 
Click here to download your free tryout now. 
http://click.topica.com/caaaeTabUrGSSbVSZwBf/AdobePhotoshop
============================================================

Pass the word to garden writers, editors publishers, horticultural businesses about our list.

==^================================================================
This email was sent to: topica.com@spamfodder.com

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bUrGSS.bVSZwB
Or send an email to: Gardenwriters-unsubscribe@topica.com

T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register
==^================================================================
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index