The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recently auctioned off more than $50,000 worth of poached plants that they recovered from illegal possession, including close to 60 pounds of wild ginseng root. The roots sold in the auction were from ODNR Ohio Division of Wildlife criminal cases that happened in 20 Ohio counties since February 2021 — including cases in Adams, Clermont, Highland, and Pike counties. The Division of Wildlife regulates ginseng harvest and sale in Ohio.
Ginseng is an herb that is foraged from small, scattered populations and is highly valued for its medicinal properties. The plant's root has been used by Ohio tribes like the Delaware and Potawatomi and their ancestors for millennia. American ginseng is protected in over 20 states due to heavy pressures from international trade and is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
It can only be legally harvested annually in Ohio between September 1 and December 31 — the plants must have at least three leaves to be picked as well (a sign they are mature). Regulations also state that harvesters are required to re-plant the seeds from the collected plants where they were found. Ginseng diggers must have written permission to collect ginseng on private and public lands, and digging ginseng is prohibited on state-owned lands and national park property.
The funds from the auction will go into Ohio's Wildlife Diversity Fund, which supports projects for species of greatest conservation need such as sandhill cranes, trumpeter swans, and lake sturgeon.
Chris Welter is a reporter and corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms.
