The Medicinal Plant by Julie Lyke Working Group

The market for medicinal herbs in the United States is worth over $3 billion and is growing at a rate of about 20 percent per year (Nutrition Business Journal 1998). At least 175 species of plants native to North America are offered for sale in the non-prescription medicinal market in the United States. More than 140 medicinal herbs native to North America have been documented in herbal products and phytomedicines in foreign countries, and dozens and possibly hun-

Ginseng root dreds of these are collected in large quantities from Illustration by Regina O. Hughes/U.S. Department of Agriculture the wild in the United States (Robbins 1999).

20 ENDANGERED SPECIES BULLETIN JANUARY/APRIL 2000 VOLUME XXV NO. 1-2 Recognizing that commercial de- Service, the U.S. Department of De- mands may pose threats to native plants fense, the U.S. Botanic Gardens, the in the United States, representatives University of Maryland, Wilcox Natural from industry, government, academia, Products, Ticonderoga Farms, and tribes, and environmental organizations TRAFFIC North America. A “core group” joined together to form the Medicinal of members, including the Committee Plant Working Group (PCA-MPWG) Chairs and interested others, meets under the umbrella of the Plant Conser- regularly by conference call to discuss vation Alliance (PCA). The PCA is a progress. The PCA-MPWG is completing consortium of 10 Federal agency its strategic plan and each committee is members and over 145 non-Federal beginning to take steps to achieve its cooperators representing various objectives. For example, the Conserva- disciplines in the field of plant conser- tion Committee is selecting specific vation. The PCA serves as the North “species of concern” for each region of American Plant Specialist Group of the the country and will plan appropriate IUCN Species Survival Commission. conservation measures. The Participa- The PCA-MPWG’s primary focus is to tion Committee is developing a list of facilitate action on behalf of medicinal things the public can do to help plants native to the United States that conserve medicinal plants, such as to are of particular conservation concern in buy products derived from cultivated order to balance biological and com- sources. The entire PCA-MPWG shares mercial needs and, in the long term, information and keeps in touch on minimize regulatory intervention. To this significant issues via a listserver. end, the objectives of the group include: • generating and sharing information Julie Lyke is the PCA-MPWG Chair. If Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is regarding species of medicinal and you would like to participate in this one of the world’s top selling economic importance and conserva- effort, contact her at: U.S. Fish and medicinal herbs. About 125 million tion concern; Wildlife Service, Office of Scientific plants were taken from the wild in • promoting appropriate conservation Authority, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, the U.S. for export to Southeast Asia measures for native medicinal plants; Arlington, VA 22203; 703/358-1708; in 1996. USFWS photo • promoting sustainable production of [email protected]. For further informa- native medicinal plants; tion, visit the PCA-MPWG web site at • increasing participation in native http://www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal. medicinal plant conservation; • encouraging active participation by References tribes and other holders of traditional Nutrition Business Journal. 1998. ecological knowledge pertaining to “Annual Industry Overview,” 3(9), p.5.

native medicinal plants; and Robbins, C. 1999. Medicine from U.S. Opposite page, top: In recent years, • generating financial support for Wildlands: An Assessment of Native wild ginseng roots have sold for over native medicinal plant projects. Plant Species Harvested in the United $500 per pound. The oldest roots are The PCA-MPWG’s strategic plan is States for Medicinal Use and Trade and the ones most highly prized and can available on the Internet at Evaluation of the Conservation and be several decades old. http://www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal/strategy.htm. Management Implications. The Nature Opposite page, bottom: Poaching of Since its inception in June 1999, Conservancy: Washington, DC, 28 pp. ginseng and other medicinal plants membership in the PCA-MPWG has is such a problem that high-tech grown to over 179 individuals from at systems have been developed to least 39 States and tribes and eight track plants stolen from public lands. Corel Corp. photo foreign countries. Participants have established committees to address each of the six main areas of emphasis identified above. Committee Chairs include representatives from Paracelsian (a biotech company), the U.S. Forest

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