Chatty bunch last night weren't ya.
Is anyone even aware that the current administration (at least in Ohio and I suspect other states) has considered banning green sales? I know that the guys who sold green to me this year did better so far with a $200 top green price.
Here is some information from Ohio...
Income 2013
Fines $8,278.00
Certification $16,737.00
Sale $23,551.75
Total $48,566.75
Expenses 2013 2014
Personnel Costs $50,432.81 $147,714.06
Forms/Brochures $1,500.00 $1,500.00
Equipment (scales) $246.00 $246.00
Totals $52,178.81 $149,460.06
--> Edit Note: This is still messed up, but at least the numbers are now in order. the key things to see are that the income last year 2013 was $48,566 as compared to the expenses of $52,178 This year, the expenses are nearly $150,000 as of the middle of October, with nearly a tripling of personnel costs from $50,432 in 2013 to $147,714 at that point this year.
Notice the increase in personnel costs? From what I understand, there are a lot of new ginseng related arrests this year. Most of them oddly enough related to the TV shows we all dislike so much. Seems people who watch the show understand what's going on now and call it in when they see a truck sitting on a back road near the woodlot in early August.
THIS is how to stop illegal digging...catching them in the act. Nothing short of this is going to work folks. I don't want to see green only sales any more than I want to see no green sales. Ginseng dealers are not cops. It is not wise to expect us to police the diggers. Partly because there are dishonest buyers and partly because it is counterproductive for us to do so.
Now, it is not only costly but exceedingly difficult to catch early diggers in the act. The only way to catch them otherwise is to load down everyone with regulations and jamb them up with technical paperwork violations. I'm here to tell you that some fish cops are thinking that's the way to go. Make regulations which require paperwork on EVERYthing and then bust guys for not doing the paperwork correctly. After all, if we can't get them digging early we get them some how right? I don't think that will work either and am completely opposed to jambing anyone up for technicalities. Hell, I don't even stop speeders for less than 15mph over.
I think most early diggers are selling early too. Few of them can handle the concept of delayed gratification. They are selling to someone in August is my bet. I think the answer is to shape digger behavior through regulations on the dealers. If a dealer is afraid to buy early, the early diggers have no where to sell. Right now, if they pull your license, you can still finance ginseng purchases. That is why we have guys sitting around nodding when their family members 'buy' ginseng. The penalties on the diggers need to be stiff for early digging, which means the penalties for holding ginseng over will be stiff also. Bet you all didn't see that coming did you? You all talk about dealers skinning the poor diggers, but don't realize it is a bigger picture out here. You cannot bust someone for early digging if it is ok to hold uncertified ginseng during the closed season. Period.
I'm not trying to piss anyone off, just point out that no matter what anyone says or anyone does, there is going to be someone else negatively affected and who won't like it. This is a hugely complex problem. We are battling to a large part human nature here. There will always be a way to cheat the system, so no one solution or position will solve the problem. The key is to make small moves which negatively affect as few people as possible, but which cumulatively will affect the behavior we want to see changed. The trick is to do that without getting people buried in regulations and jambing them up unless they clearly have intentionally violated the laws.
