E The Environmental Magazine • September 23, 2022
Ginseng grows from Maine to Georgia. This year, the Federal Government will issue no permits to harvest ginseng in North Carolina’s Pisgah and Nantahala national forests. The harvest suspension on public lands appears to be indefinite. Government experts think the population of Wild American ginseng cannot be sustained without a complete ban. Families in rural mountainous communities have counted on foraging Wild ginseng to earn extra money, heal, or recreate for centuries. If that doesn’t move you, ginseng is an indicator species. When ginseng populations are declining, it’s an indication that the health of the entire ecosystem is declining as well. The current approach leads to a patchwork of confusing and ineffective laws. A better approach is to restrict digging on public land and encourage planting and growing on private land