Re: "Time for the return of the native"
- Subject: Re: [SG] "Time for the return of the native"
- From: P* H*
- Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 17:46:37 EST
In a message dated 3/26/2002 10:04:33 AM Central Standard Time,
ritaxis@CRUZIO.COM writes:
> Some people on this list
> have been talking as if there were nothing to protect, and that surprises
> me.
>
> There are some special considerations for my state, I will admit.
I find it a bit disigenous to make such a haste conclusion, no one is against
protection, what we are against is the misguided policy that sees to be
proposed by those that think that only native plants should be used in a
landscape.
I am in strong favor of restrictive lists of plants and animals that are
demonstrated to be hazardous but this legislation is too much too late.
Will it do any good-no.
All it will do is make it more expensive and difficult for those that love
plants to get them and grow them, it's a good way for the government to make
more money and for large agribusiness to control a larger share of the
market.
Weedy plants are weedy already in there native locations and the number of
destructive plants resulting for horticulture can be counted on ones fingers,
the blanket whole sale exclusion of pants will not make the existing problems
go away-all those plants were imported 100 or more years ago.
What I see driving this legislation is not science but a native only
propaganda machine with the scare tactics of "destructive invasive plants" as
the vehicle.
We should all be good stewards of our environs. But it's overkill and
misguided.
95 percent of the noxious weeds listed are agriculture weeds and did not
come from the horticulture side of plant interests it is vastly unfair to
make our side of the fence suffer when the legislation will do no good.
If I could see any good from it, then I would be more supportive-these
considerations should be done at the state level because they know there
ecology, but the blanket bane of plants is not justified.
The only new plants likely to come into this country at this late date are
those that are rare and more difficult to grow and lest likely to be of any
concern, but they will be the ones most affected.
The weeds are already here.
Paul
