Ginseng in Ohio

DIGGING 'SANG ?

If you are a ginseng harvester or thinking about going digging, be sure to follow the basic rules and regulations, especially if you are harvesting on private land.

Rules and Regulations

Since ginseng is protected as an endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES, which also regulates trade in rare animals), harvesters need to understand some simple rules. While federal policies guide state ginseng management programs, each state tends to have different guidelines that are reflective of their different contexts (dates of open harvest season, minimum age of plants at harvest, replanting of seeds, etc.).

In Ohio, the Division of Wildlife provides a list of basic rules and regulations related to harvesting and selling ginseng:

1. Ginseng harvest season is from September 1st to December 31st annually.
2. The ginseng plant must have at least 3 prongs (stems) to be harvested.
3. A ginseng collector/digger must have landowner permission to hunt and harvest on private and public lands.
4. Collectors/diggers must keep accurate harvest records by county and collection date.
5. Collectors/diggers must immediately plant the seeds from collected plants at the place where the plants were collected.
6. Dealers and buyers shall obtain certification from a state inspector of the Division of Wildlife that the ginseng was legally collected before it can be exported from Ohio.
7. Your certification document must state the exact, correct weight of the ginseng root being certified.
8. The fee for ginseng certification is $3 per pound.
9. You may not buy dry, uncertified ginseng between April 1st and August 31st.
10. You cannot buy or sell wild green ginseng that was collected between April 1st and August 31st.
11. Dealers must get a state dealer's registration permit that expires August 31st annually.
12. When you buy ginseng root, make sure you obtain: the seller's name and address, the dealer's state registration permit number if applicable and ginseng certification number, the weight of ginseng root collected by county, and the date of the transaction.
13. You must provide all of the above information when selling ginseng root.
14. Dealers and buyers must display educational materials provided by the Division of Wildlife.
15. Dealers and buyers shall show proof of certification to any out-of-state purchaser.
16. You must keep accurate records on all ginseng sold and purchased. These records are open to inspection by authorized Division of Wildlife employees.
17. Dealers and buyers must submit for weighing all uncertified ginseng on hand as of March 31 to the Division of Wildlife and they will receive a receipt for it.
18. A person may only possess ginseng from a state that has a ginseng management program that has been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
19. You cannot export uncertified ginseng out of Ohio.

(from: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/Resources/Ginseng/ginsenglaws.htm)