Interesting discussion. I could be wrong but I doubt that buyers are able to completely keep track of how old the ginseng is. My uncle usually sells 7lbs or more seng each year. Do you know how long it would take a buyer to visually inspect each root? It would be extremely time consuming for a buyer who buys volume amounts to inspect each and every root. If I had to guess, this law is intended to bring in revenue from dealer fines for missed roots or eventually ban the digging of ginseng altogether. I hope it's not the case but banning seems to be the most logical. You don't hear the government howling at the coal companies, loggers or even housing or other developments that destroy more ginseng than any hunter could. I will not be favored for stating that the government crying about ginseng becoming extinct is overrated. My uncle Sam and uncle Russell as well as most if not all of the fine hunters/diggers on this forum will tell you as good a seng hunter they are, they will still miss some. Some years it doesn't even come up. The tops get eaten off and can't even be seen by a digger. Years like last year where some places seng died off because of drought and in my case the poplar blight that killed it off. There are so many scenarios out there. I agree we should be diligent and do our part, I just think the danger of extinction has been way over stated.
