TOPIC: Destruction Of Ginseng

We know that one of the main and leading problems of seng becoming harder to find in the wild is simply because of poachers - diggers who are digging out of season before the fruit is ripe.You have some that are just greedy,and some who are on drugs so bad that they would sell there parents for a fix,so the ones that know how to seng will dig any and everything and as soon as they can,whats even worse is the fact that dealers buy it out of season,those dealers are as greedy as the worst theives.

But something else is causeing an even worse amount of destruction to seng in the blue grass state of Kentucky where I am from and it is completly legal.It is the strip mines they are destroying all the tops of the Mountians in Ky 100`s of 1000`s of acres the old big seng we used to find is getting harder to find all the time,but not just because of bad diggers,it is also because of mining,dont get me wrong im not putting down any one who mines for a living I have family that make there living that way,im just stating the fact,they kill more seng every year than a thousand bad diggers can steal out of season,its just a loosing fact for the mountian people.

If we support the end of strip mines then many,1000`s of familys husbands would not have a job a way to provide.If we do support the ending of strip mines,they have already destroyed so much that it can not be repaired by the end of it.

I know a man that is one of the best Mountian men that I ever met,and with a tear in his eyes said,they are about to strip the best mountian tops for seng that I have ever dug in,and now when I go I must dig everything because there is no chance for survival of anything that is left there this year,and all the small stuff i will have to transplant,and hope it makes it and lives,and also for the first time I will have to dig these mountian top hollers that im speaking of before season opens,because the mines will start striping before the season opens,that was as sad a thing as I ever herd a good man say and with tears in his eyes it sure tore me up I havent quit thinking about that,and im serious do not judge that man he is honest and good......

I mean this is the way it is,some of the older diggers have hung up there diggers with tears,thats the truth of it.

Most people could never understand this,but it breaks my heart for that man,also for me and my sons.The goverment should enforce that 100`s of thousands of seeds should be brought and added back to the mountians below the mountian tops under the strips and they should also declare at least a 3 year no digging season to let the Mountians reproduce,and keep our heritage in Ky alive for the children and make a very strict set of penalty`s and fines and strictly enforce them for any one caught in that time period digging.

They worry about planting grass back and many other things such as as some trees and they fuss about the reclaiming,but they never say anything about the thousands of pounds of seng,cohosh,blood root,stone root,yam and many other things like,morrels,ramps etc every year often times diggers are talked about by goverment,that there wiping out a natural resource,but legaly by surface mining more seng,etc is wiped out every year,year after year,than 50 years of out of season diggers digging and dont get me wrong bad diggers do hurt us,but they are by far a less thret in my area as far as the destruction of seng and many other roots.

How do you win ? You just cant do anything.There is no way to win.I could never vote people out of a job,neither can I not be greived for such losses.

.....No wonder the Indians cried so many tears.....Just the truth of it.

Sad in Ky :o(

Billy.

I agree 100% with you billy it's sad to think about all that seng destroyed by mountain top mining I also think they should have to replant seed along with the grass and trees.
and for the thieves they should be shot!!!!

What a mess. The bad thing is the man trying to save the seng by transplanting it would get in trouble if caught. Sometimes the diggers have better judgement than the ones enforcing the laws. I think it is a shame they are destroying the mountains and all that is in the mountains- all the seng and other roots,wildlife and also the clean water downstream. Theres got to be a better way.

Thanks Terry

Lenno you are right he would be in a mess if he got caught doing the transplant and what a shame to be in trouble for doing the right thing,its a bad situwation.

danged if ya do danged if ya dont't

The transplant went well,and he thinks it will do good,and I hope it does for him,that had to be alot of work.They are moving equipment up on the mountian as at this time and he only got to about half the hollers so the rest will be destroyed most likely,unless they just dont get started right away,hopefuly untill Aug: 15 then he will be able to do alot more,but that will depend on the mining,and the operator in charge,some of them will let you go out ahead of them and some will not just depends on the bosses way of seeing it when he is asked,but they do have to blast,so you never know.From this point i`ll just cross my fingers for a good friend.

Billy, that's a sad situation. I have seen similar situations around here where the woods have been clear cut. I hate seeing old hardwoods clear cut. It just wipes out so many things. To me, your friend is doing the right thing. Probably what I'd do anyways.

Billy
Same thing is happening just down the road in the next Town (CODRINGTON).The gravel co.s in the city have found lots of gravel there enough for twenty years worth of work.So they bought the hill,we did'nt know it was for sale!!
Word has it you need a environmental study done before it's a done deal,and to get that done you need the ok and papers from our mayer. So she sold us out plenty of us would have bought the hill but. They found the relicks of an old cabin with some pots an axe and a pair of shoes, it turns out this was from the early 1800's one of the first settlers. This cabin area is off limits so the co. has to dig around this site. I can just see this tower of dirt in the next ten years wobblin as the trucks roll by. The land has some \"old growth\" on it, how can they replace centuries of forest. It will be a Walmart some day, and sad to say but I'll probably be a greeter.

Guy

Guy I feel you there is simply no win situwatuions in life its a delima for sure.

Hi all

I'm new to the Wild Grown forum. I'm based in California and am researching a documentary on Wild Ginseng. If possible, I'd like to hear more about the destruction of ginseng people are talking about on this thread. Where are mountains getting mined or the forest cleared? How badly is the environment destroyed?

Billy, Guy and 5Prong, please share any info as I think this could be a powerful story to tell.

thanks,
Tom