Re: conservation ethic

Michael.Chamberland (23274MJC@MSU.EDU)
Wed, 06 Mar 96 23:13 EST

> As far as relying on state or private organizations to protect
> these plants. What makes anyone think they can? I am far more

They can't. Not if you and others don't support them or even
trust them.

> pessemistic then Tom. I have in the past offered several hundred
> seedling S. oreophila "sand mtn." and S. r. jonesii "maclure bog" to the
> nature conservancy as well as the wildlife folks of Ga. N.C and S.C. They
> were refused flat out and not for any legal reason. They were refused
> because to paraphrase what the folks said repeatedly 'we are not
> interested in putting plants back'. They are interested in keeping
> frozen in time what they have and that is it. I resigned my membership

You offered the plants to the wrong agency. I'm not an expert on the
Nature Conservancy, but I think what they told you is true. They don't
work on reintroduction programs. The CPC (Center for Plant Conservation)
works on reintroduction projects, and there are most likely others that
also do. It's too bad the Nature Conservancy people didn't refer you
to another group who might take your plants. But to tell you the truth,
I doubt the CPC would take them either. Why? Because they can't be
sure these plants are free from hybridization, can't be sure of the
data offered with these plants... not from a stranger who hasn't
interacted with them before. These Sarracenia are not so rare that the
availability of plants to the CPC is a limiting factor. They can
obtain plants by legally collecting them from private lands scheduled
for destruction by the landowners. They can also get permits to do
"low impact" seed collection on public lands. There is no need to
take risks by accepting any questionable material into the CPC
collection.
I think the best thing you could do with your plants is to keep
them in cultivation and offer some to other growers.

Michael Chamberland