_____ From: Joyce Fingerut [mailto:alpinegarden@comcast.net] Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2007 9:25 AM To: 'larry'; meribush@aol.com; 'John van der Linde'; dcthree@juno.com; Joyce Fingerut; dmahr@plantpath.wisc.edu; 'Doreen & Dave Richards'; Marc.Colombel@wanadoo.fr; Berit K. Ostby / Eivind Damsleth; John Saxton; Ian Plenderleith; Morgan Smith; sueh@zimmer.csufresno.edu; Jody Haynes; Denvrbob@aol.com; 'Alan Hill'; Holubec; 'The Seed Savers' Network'; Scott Cook; Malcolm McGregor; 'clematiscorner'; 'Ghan Chee'; J.E. Shields; 'Ray Stephenson'; plants_man@bigpond.com; 'Leo Smit'; 'The Chandlers'; 'Chris Vlok'; 'Edward Buyarski'; Ron Lance; fbrawnerwv@aol.com; Dell Sherk; 'Allison Laurie'; Chris Moore; 'P & A Downs'; sydneycarnivorous@iinet.net.au; gardens@molalla.net; 'Barry Wright'; 'plorenz'; 'Tony Palmer'; Eric Gouda; schultz; caroleq@bigpond.com; Ian Bainbridge; gregg@millergarden.org Subject: Green & yellow shipping labels to the US Hello everyone - We in the US found an interesting glitch in those green & yellow shipping labels that we supply to overseas organizations (and private seedsmen) for shipping seeds to their US members. All international addresses should have the country name as the last line, but APHIS did not print "United States" (or even "U.S.A.") on the labels. In general, this was not a problem. But the inspection station at JFK airport - which receives all the seeds from Europe - is in Jamaica, New York (printed "Jamaica, NY"). So, you can imagine the problem! NARGS found that over two dozen of its donors' shipments spent a month in Jamaica last Fall, before being forwarded to the US. That detour held up the collating and printing of the seed list. And I don't know how many US members of overseas organizations have seen a delay this Spring in receiving their requested seeds. Although this issue had been pointed out to (and acknowledged by) APHIS a year ago, nothing was done. However, conversations with APHIS staff last week have produced results. New labels have been printed and will be used in the future. But, in the meantime, those organizations and seedsmen who receive the old labels for shipping should print "U.S.A." on the shipping envelope beneath the green&yellow label (nothing should be written on the label). I know that this is an extra step in the already tedious process of distributing/shipping seeds, but US seed-lovers will be grateful for the timely receipt of their seeds. It would be appreciated if you could also pass this information to private seedsmen and other shippers that you know, who would not be on this list. Thank you all very much. With best regards - Joyce Joyce Fingerut Government Liaison, North American Rock Garden Society http://www.nargs.org/