What's wrong here?
I was warned by the
preserve manager that I might see
this. Yep, notice the two flower stalks in this photograph? They
have been CUT this season. No one had been given permission to
collect seed this year from this site, so these fruiting flower
stalked had been poached.
Let's think about this for a moment. I am not a lawyer, but I am
guessing that the person(s) involved were guilty of
(1)Trespassing
(remember those posted signs?),
(2)Since Sarracenia oreophila is
listed in North Carolina as a "Species of Special Concern",
removing those seeds was in violation of two related state laws
(see details in the
CP FAQ.),
(3)Removing
seeds of this federally endangered, listed species is a violation of
the Endangered Species Act.
So this is what, at least four laws broken--one of which is a federal
offense. Stupid twits. Also, seed poaching at small
sites like this makes the land managers responsible
for this site all the more resistant to letting carnivorous plant
enthusiasts on the property (can you blame them?). ALSO, by taking
seeds like this, it decreases the reproductive potential and long
term viability of the site. If I were responsible for managing the
site, this would make me just a little less interested in putting my
stewardship money into caring for the area. Hell, let it get run over
by encroaching trees--the site is already screwed with because of all
the poachers!
