Hey all, I wanted to post this reply I received from a person who bought some stuff from me. This person claimed to work for USDA (the address I shipped to was a USDA office) and although not in APHIS proper, he asked around and wrote to me regarding plants on the noxious weed list and hobbyists selling them.
"Hi Bill,
I have an answer for you on the weeds. It is illegal to import any plant on the Federal Noxious Weed list. It is illegal to propagate, grow out and sell them within or across state borders. If the plants (weeds) were shipped to warm climate states like Florida, Louisiana, and California there are more problems and stiffer penalties. Many southern states have their own laws and law enforcement teams that investigate this type of trade on top of the Federal agencies....
There is a branch of APHIS called SITC (Smuggling Interdiction & Trade Compliance) which investigates these types of crimes. They take their job very seriously. Currently they have a team checking internet websites like Aquabid, Ebay etc ... Often these sites are monitored for some time before they act (case building) on the offenders, fines can be high. Hobbyist can be the worst offenders; they are not under the radar anymore. Some law enforcement officers are "making" their careers by stopping all types of hobbyist and collectors who trade in illegal commodities and animals (CITES plants and animals, exotic pets too).
That is all I know. Again, I suggest that this person does not offer any Federal Noxious Weed plants for sale any more. They should also destroy what plants they themselves currently have. They never will know if there past activity will bring a future knock on the door from law enforcement.
I hope that helps."
This person wrote this so it should NOT be construed as the law by any means! It certainly may as well be true. Anyone selling/trading plants should do a quick search for noxious weeds in the U.S. and the state they're shipping to as well I would think.
Here is a link that should prove helpful...
http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxiousDriver#federal
-Bill
"Hi Bill,
I have an answer for you on the weeds. It is illegal to import any plant on the Federal Noxious Weed list. It is illegal to propagate, grow out and sell them within or across state borders. If the plants (weeds) were shipped to warm climate states like Florida, Louisiana, and California there are more problems and stiffer penalties. Many southern states have their own laws and law enforcement teams that investigate this type of trade on top of the Federal agencies....
There is a branch of APHIS called SITC (Smuggling Interdiction & Trade Compliance) which investigates these types of crimes. They take their job very seriously. Currently they have a team checking internet websites like Aquabid, Ebay etc ... Often these sites are monitored for some time before they act (case building) on the offenders, fines can be high. Hobbyist can be the worst offenders; they are not under the radar anymore. Some law enforcement officers are "making" their careers by stopping all types of hobbyist and collectors who trade in illegal commodities and animals (CITES plants and animals, exotic pets too).
That is all I know. Again, I suggest that this person does not offer any Federal Noxious Weed plants for sale any more. They should also destroy what plants they themselves currently have. They never will know if there past activity will bring a future knock on the door from law enforcement.
I hope that helps."
This person wrote this so it should NOT be construed as the law by any means! It certainly may as well be true. Anyone selling/trading plants should do a quick search for noxious weeds in the U.S. and the state they're shipping to as well I would think.
Here is a link that should prove helpful...
http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxiousDriver#federal
-Bill