Ginseng regs200

WILD GINSENG: Regulations and Guidelines for Sustainable Harvest
Wild Ginseng Harvesting
and selling it may obtain a free license. Licenses for Wildlife Refuges and Federal Waterfowl Production digging on others’ land, with the owners’ permission, Areas are also closed to ginseng harvest. Rules for Recognizing that commercial demands may cause cost $15.75 per harvest season for Wisconsin resi- collecting on county or municipal lands will vary.
overharvesting of ginseng, Wisconsin law regulates dents and $30.75 for non-residents. Tribal members Check with the managers of these areas. Ginseng the harvest, sale and purchase of wild ginseng in the do not need a state harvester’s license to harvest gin- may only be harvested on Indian Reservations by state. In order to promote the most sustainable har- tribal members under that tribe’s conservation rules.
vesting practices, international trade agreements per-mit U.S. export of wild ginseng only from those states Harvesters must have a valid harvester’s license in How to Harvest Wild Ginseng
that can annually show that harvest and export are their possession at the time of harvest and sale, and not harming the wild ginseng resource. This brochure must show the license to conservation wardens upon Before digging wild ginseng, look over the area to covers the main points of Wisconsin wild ginseng request and to wild ginseng dealers when selling the see how much is present. Leave all young plants regulations (s. 29.611 Wisconsin statutes and Ad- ginseng. Harvester’s licenses and wild ginseng regu- and several of the mature plants, as they are needed ministrative Rules Chapter NR 28) and provides to produce seeds for future years. Harvest only guidelines for harvesting and replanting ginseng to mature plants with at least three, preferably more, The License Section, Wisconsin Department of ‘prongs’or leaves (each usually having 5 leaflets) Natural Resources, 101 Webster St., P.O. Box 7921, and a flowering/fruiting stalk. It is recommended Madison, WI 53707 (608-266-2621) and at most What is Wild Ginseng?
that only four-prong individuals be harvested in DNR field stations and service centers.
order to protect the ginseng population from over- Wild ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) is defined as harvesting. It is prohibited to dig plants with only ginseng that is not grown or nurtured by a person.
When and Where to Harvest
two leaves, or plants that have not produced a This includes all wild simulated ginseng, from wild The wild ginseng harvest season is September 1 flowering/fruiting stalk. Their roots are generally or cultivated seeds, planted in a wild forest habitat through November 1. Ginseng may not be legally smaller and of lesser value. It usually takes six to and not tended in any way prior to harvest.
dug, nor green roots sold, outside of this period. This ten years for a wild ginseng plant to produce mar- The regulations do not apply to cultivated or woods- season is set to maximize the chances that seed will ketable roots and seeds. Federal regulations pro- grown ginseng that has been watered, weeded, fer- be ripe when harvested statewide. Early harvest may hibit exporting roots under five years old. Most tilized or cared for in some way. They are both regu- also result in lower quality dried roots. Wild gin- dealers will refuse to buy young roots.
lated by the Department of Agriculture under seng legally harvested within the harvest season may The age of a plant may be determined by count- s.94.50. Registration for growers & certificates of be sold to licensed dealers from September 1 to ing the stem scars on the ‘neck’ of the root. Plants origin for exporters of cultivated and woods-grown under ten years or with roots smaller than your ginseng from Wisconsin are available from the Wis- If you want to dig ginseng on land you do not own, thumb can be replanted nearby. Such roots may consin Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer be sure to obtain permission from the owner. Per- double in size in only a few years. When harvest- Protection, 2811 Agriculture Dr. Box 8911, Madi- sons hunting ginseng on private land without per- ing you must keep the stems with the roots until mission are violating trespassing laws, which can re- you return home to provide proof of at least three sult in their arrest and prosecution. It is no longer Who May Harvest Wild Ginseng
leaves and a fruiting stalk. (Note -it is not neces- necessary for landowners to post their land to pre- sary that the stems stay attached to the roots.) Ginseng harvest licenses are required for anyone sell- Seeds must be planted in the area of the parent ing their harvest or digging on land they do not own.
plant. Squeeze the seeds from the red berries and It is prohibited to harvest wild ginseng on any lands Landowners who dig wild ginseng on their own land plant at least 12 inches from where the plant was owned or administered by the State of Wisconsin.
and do not sell it are exempt from needing a harvested, six inches apart and 1 1/2 inches deep The National Forests, National Parks, National harvester’s license. Those digging on their own land in loosely mulched soil. Cover with leaf litter.
Wild Ginseng Dealers
Any person who buys at least 8 ounces of wild gin-seng in Wisconsin for the purpose of resale is con- sidered a dealer and is required to have a WisconsinDealer’s License. Paid employees or family membersof a licensed dealer who are working at the primary place of business for that dealer will be covered by For more information contact:
Regulations and Guidelines
for Sustainable Harvest
All dealer’s licenses are valid July 1 to June 30. Threeclasses of resident dealer’s licenses allow dealers to choose the license that best fits their needs: Class A ($100)—for transactions up to 100 pounds
Class B ($500)—for transactions up to 1000 pounds
Class C ($1000)—for unlimited amounts of trans-
actions
Non-residents may purchase a non-residentdealer’s license ($1000) for unlimited amounts oftransactions.
Dealer’s licenses are available from the DNR Licens-ing Section, 101 S. Webster St., P.O. Box 7921,Madison, WI 53707 (608-266-2621).
Dealers may purchase Wisconsin wild ginseng onlyfrom licensed harvesters or licensed dealers andshould record the seller’s name, address and licensenumber on purchase receipts issued by the Depart- ment of Natural Resources. Records must be kept The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provides equal opportu- of each transaction (purchase and sales) by the deal- nity in its employment, programs, services and functions under an Affirma-tive Action Plan. If you have any questions, please write to Equal Opportu- ers who report them annually on forms provided by nity Office, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240.
the Department. State certification by the DNR is This publication is available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio required for all of the wild ginseng leaving the state.
tape, etc.) upon request. Call 608-266-7012 for more information.
Dealers are responsible for arranging for certifica-tion with DNR staff. Dealers are also responsiblefor ensuring that all roots sold for export as wildginseng are indeed wild, are five years or older and Practice selective, sustainable harvesting
were legally harvested. Shipments with underage or by leaving many intact plants behind,
cultivated roots will be refused at the port of export and planting the seeds of the plants
and returned to the dealer for removal of roots thatcannot be legally exported.
you do remove. This will help insure
that there will be valuable wild ginseng
PUB-ER-005 2001
to harvest in the years ahead.

Source: http://wildgrown.com/laws/WisconsinGinsengLaw1.pdf