For Your Information. Please read carefully, especially for future reference. Jim Shields >From: Joyce Fingerut <alpinegarden@comcast.net> >To: Dave Richards <dorichards@mango.zw>, > Ian Plenderleith <plen@portal.ca>, > Edward Buyarski <amprimsoc@hotmail.com>, > Ian Bainbridge <bainbridi@aol.com>, > Greg Bourke <sydneycarnivorous@iinet.net.au>, > Daryl Geoghegan <plants_man@bigpond.com>, > Carol Quinn <caroleq@bigpond.com>, > Mike Brown <clematiscorner@supanet.com>, > Anne Wright <barry.wright@onetel.net>, > Sue Haffner <sueh@zimmer.csufresno.edu>, > Philip Downs <panda.downs@actrix.co.nz>, > Leo Smit <elsumpn@chebucto.ns.ca>, > Jody Haynes <jhay@montgomerybotanical.org>, > Lars Høpfner <hoepfner@privat.dk>, > Morgan Smith <desertplantsocietyvan@hotmail.com>, > Tony Palmer <adpal@ihug.co.nz>, > Faye Brawner <fbrawnerwv@aol.com>, > Joyce Fingerut <alpinegarden@comcast.net>, > Gregg Miller <gregg@millergarden.org>, > Pat Lorenz <p.lorenz@sympatico.ca>, > Vojtech Holubec <holubec@vurv.cz>, > Jude & Michael Fanton <michel@seedsavers.net>, > Ghan Chee <davidghan@eol.ca>, > Marc Colombel <Marc.Colombel@wanadoo.fr>, > Will Plotner <gardens@molalla.net>, > Dell Sherk <dells@voicenet.com>, > Deborah Cole <dcthree@juno.com>, > Jim Shields <jshields@indy.net>, > Larry Diehl <ldiehl@wideopenwest.com>, > John van der Linde <vandal@iafrica.com>, > Chris Vlok <vlokac@wol.co.za>, > Malcolm McGregor <mmcg@mmcg.karoo.co.uk>, > Bob McFarlane <Denvrbob@aol.com>, > Alan Hill <alan.hill6@virgin.net>, > tommyhayes@esatclear.ie, > Ray Stephenson <ray@sedumray.ndo.co.uk>, > Leslie Milde <meribush@aol.com>, > "Berit K. Ostby / Eivind Damsleth" <edamsleth@sensewave.com>, > Scott Cook <gardener272000@yahoo.co.uk>, > e.j.gouda@bio.uu.nl, > Ron Lance <ronl@chimneyrockpark.com>, > Tim Marshall <plantsman@tiscali.co.uk>, > Maureen Janson <herblady_63090@yahoo.com>, > Murray McCallister <muznbev@aol.com.au>, > Richard Laurie <allison.laurie@sympatico.ca>, > matilija@verizon.net, > Pat Toolan <pattoolan1@bigpond.com>, > Clive Lane <clive_lane_cgs@hotmail.com>, > Peter Shalit <gezprez@gmail.com>, > Tom Cox <coxarb@bellsouth.net>, > Dorothy Minors <dot@pilgrimsrest.demon.co.uk>, > Fleur Pavlidis <mgssec@hol.gr>, > Pat Toolan <pattoolan2@bigpond.com>, > Jeremy Spon <jeremyspon@waitrose.com>, > Diane Clement <diane@mdclement.orangehome.co.uk> >Subject: Establishing taxa as "present" >Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:20:37 -0400 > > >To the members of IHSEA - > >Once the latest standard from NAPPO (RSPM No. 32) is published in October, >it will require that the participating countries of Canada, Mexico, and >the United States establish a screening process for all new plant taxa, >which will effectively act as an import barrier into those countries. >Eventually, this RSPM will be the basis of a similar international >standard, under the IPPC and will affect all countries (or at least those >that are signatories to the IPPC, close to 200 nations). >The standard demands that countries enact new regulations/legislation >requiring screening on all future introductions for potential >invasiveness. The screening process would be a form of Weed Risk >Assessment which would have to be completed on any taxon that is not >already present in the country before it will be permitted to enter (be >imported). > >If horticultural societies are to continue to operate seed exchanges, they >must be capable of importing seeds from donors in other countries, as well >as distributing their seeds to members in other countries. Therefore, it >is crucial that we make certain that each country has the largest possible >database of plants as already existing within its borders. Every >specialist plant society must work to see that all its taxa are considered >to be "already present" in its own, and possibly other, >countries. National governmental plant protection organizations (like >APHIS in the US, DEFRA in the UK, CFIA in Canada.....) must be persuaded >that although these plants are not present in commercial Big Box >quantities, they are being grown in both private and public gardens and >offered by the endless array of small specialist nurseries. >(Handling the proposed screening of new items will be another problem, for >another day) > >In the United States, a new project to write a comprehensive "Flora of >Cultivated Plants" is beginning, headed by Dr. Tom Elias, Director of the >National Arboretum. Fortunately, he sees the point of including plants >listed in seed exchanges. He is interested in the seed database that NARGS >currently operates, and my guess is that he would also include the taxa >from other organizations' databases, so that as many genera could be >covered in as great a depth as possible. >-> If other US-based societies would be interested in having the plants in >their seed exchange databases included in the Flora, please contact me. > >My personal feeling is also that, since so many societies based in other >countries have US members, there is a fair chance that the taxa listed in >their exchanges have made their way into US gardens and nurseries. >Therefore, taxa listed on almost any seedlist should be considered as >being cultivated in the US. >-> If I can move the Flora's committee to this way of thinking about the >globalness of horticulture, would other societies, in other countries >(especially Canada and the UK), be interested in having their databases >included? > >I am on the contact list for this project and will attend its next meeting >(not yet scheduled). It would ultimately be helpful to everyone if I can >take a complete record of ALL the plants that we assume are being grown >in the US.....from all sources. Let me hear your thoughts on this >issue. Please contact me with questions - and, especially offers - either >through this list or privately. > >Thank you - >Joyce > > >Joyce Fingerut > >Government Liaison, > >North American Rock Garden Society > ><http://www.nargs.org/>http://www.nargs.org/ > >Member organization: > >International Horticultural Seed Exchange Advocacy (IHSEA) ************************************************* Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd. P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/ Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA