[2006/08/28] [American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)]
(August 28, 2006, Silver Spring, MD) -- The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) submitted comments to the US Forest Service (USFS) last Friday, specifically to request that the term "native plant" be defined in language that is consistent with other federal definitions of the term, and to suggest greater clarity in a newly proposed policy statement.
On May 26, 2006, the Federal Register published a USFS proposal to establish a new directive in Forest Service Manual 2070 for native plant materials. This proposal was described as "provid[ing] direction for the use, growth, development, and storage of native plant materials," and as "address[ing] the uses of native plant materials in the revegetation, restoration, and rehabilitation of National Forest Service lands in order to achieve the Agency’s goal of providing for the diversity of plant and animal communities."
"AHPA is supportive of the overall aims of this policy, which will prioritize the use of native plants in any revegetation, restoration, or rehabilitation activities that are undertaken on the extensive Forest Service lands," said AHPA President Michael McGuffin. "Nevertheless, attention is needed to the details addressed in our comments to provide better clarity,' he added. Also, the Forest Service will recognize that AHPA represents a constituency that they may not have been aware of, and that cares about the forests."
The May 26 Federal Register notice is online at: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-8136.pdf
AHPA’s comments are also online at: http://www.ahpa.org/Portals/0/pdfs/06_0825_AHPAcomments_ForestService.pdf
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The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) represents the core of the botanical trade -- comprised of the finest growers, processors, manufacturers and marketers of herbal products -- AHPA’s mission is to promote the responsible commerce of herbal products. AHPA committees generate self-regulations to ensure the highest level of quality with respect to the way herbs are manufactured, labeled, and sold. Website: www.ahpa.org.
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