STOP THE WHITE LIST!

The National Invasive Species Council has claimed that we are distributing "misinformation" about the white list.

Five years ago we challenged them to identify ANY error or inaccuracy on this site.

We are still waiting to hear from them.

We STILL challenge the Invasive Species Council (or anyone) to document ANY errors on this site!

We stand by the information we present here, and we absolutely will correct any errors of fact.

Although the April 11th, 2005 deadline for comments opposing proposed new "white list" regulations has passed, we still encourage everyone to continue to write the USDA and your representatives opposing these regulations. These regulations will greatly restrict access to biological diversity, and harm many conservation efforts.

"All taxa of plants for planting that are not currently being imported in significant amounts would then be excluded pending risk evaluation and approval."

(page 71741 of the Federal Register: December 10, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 237)

Click here for selected portions of the proposed regulations, with commentary and interpretation. Click here for the full text, directly copied from the US Federal Register, with problem areas highlighted.

Please let us know of any inaccuracies you find on our pages so that we may correct them. Email dt@dtheo.org

Please read the comments of a concerned conservation biologist.

"It is noteworthy that at the Invasive Species Council's inaugural meeting in Washington, Interior Secretary Babbitt advocated the use of a white list, wherein exotic species are presumed guilty until proven innocent."--Natural Areas News, Vol.3, No.4, Autumn l999.
The National Invasive Species Council has posted its Management Plan on the NISC web site. They say that they intend to prohibit "Introduction of non-native propagative plants or seeds for any purpose (e.g., horticulture or botanical gardens) within the continental United States." They are now calling it "comprehensive screening" or "risk analysis". However the effect will be the same: all species not approved by the government "screening" will be prohibited.
The Plant Protection and Quarantine Safeguarding Review recommends that the United States Department of Agriculture "Consider adopting a modified 'clean list' approach for propagative material, specifying what is permissible subsequent to risk assessment, rather than the current 'dirty list' that prohibits or restricts specific articles only."
	Please check out the recommendation yourself. Do comment on the recommendation. (If you have trouble seeing this, go to our links page.)
	"It's going to be difficult. You're talking about restructuring everything this country does, both public entities and private entities, starting with imports and going to what you plant in your garden."
	--Faith Campbell, White List proponent

What is this "White List?"