Thanks Jane for the additional info. I'm beginning to think a few seeds may not be worth all the hassle the USDA is making it.. Karl On Feb 22, 2013 2:56 PM, "Jane McGary" <janemcgary@earthlink.net> wrote: > Gastil's description of acquiring import permits from the USDA is > very helpful. However, I found that at one point fairly far along in > the procedure, one of their pages froze my computer. I called their > telephone help line and was told how to reconfigure my browser > temporarily to alleviate this. > > Also, after going through the initial series of steps you can do > online, you have to physically go to a USDA extension office near > your home (fortunately there are plenty of them near mine) and > identify the staff member who is authorized to verify your identity > by looking at your photo ID, and then that person will input the > verification into their system (which, the helpful local staff person > told me, does not always work the way it should). Then you have to > get back online with USDA to complete the process and order the > stickers Gastil mentioned. > > In addition to getting a permit for the Small Lots of Seed Program > (originally an initiative by Joyce Fingerut of NARGS, by the way), > you may as well get a permit to import other plant materials at the > same time, so that you can import bulbs. I did this recently and it > was no more time-consuming and confusing than just getting the seed > permit alone. > > The USDA has about twice as many layers of security as my online > banking, which apparently was put in place because (a) many people > try to hack all US government websites, (b) there is a high level of > paranoia as a result, and (c) they did it because they could. > > Once you have sent your seed order with the requisite paperwork and > address stickers, the seeds will be sent to the specified inspection > office (some are more efficient than others; ours, Seattle, is pretty > good), and some but not all packages will be opened for inspection. > The delay can be as much as 5 weeks, and who knows what will happen > if the "sequester" goes into effect and federal employees' work time > is reduced. > > No doubt it is worth it to prevent the USA from being overrun by > species tulips, as dangerous as kudzu. > > Jane McGary > Portland, Oregon, USA > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ >