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Post by pinhead on Jul 10, 2017 12:31:14 GMT -5
Found this article when looking at the ICPS facebook page. Make sure you read the comments. I knew about this group and even considered going to one of their meetings last time I was in Portland but the days didn't match up. www.portlandmercury.com/feature/2017/07/05/19140283/plantedThere was also an announcement that the 2018 ICPS conference will be in the Bay Area next August. Very few details yet but it will be in Santa Rosa near California Carnivores.
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Post by Ray on Jul 10, 2017 17:25:35 GMT -5
I read the article and the comments, sad stuff... they really did make it sound like this was a drug grow op. well it hard to make growing hundreds of exotic plants in your house sound less "drug like" to the public. Also what agent spends YEARS investigating someone who grows CPs doesnt seem like it would take that long if you know he has ordered the plant and received them (if i read that correctly) poaching sucks thats all I could say.
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Post by nimbulan on Jul 11, 2017 10:17:13 GMT -5
Yep we're all hardened criminals here in Portland. Everyone here is quite upset about the article painting us in such a negative light. The author seems to be intentionally sensationalizing the story to draw more attention. He did succeed to some extent, securing an interview on the local public ratio station yesterday. Just what we needed, more negative exposure...
I've gotten the impression from that article and what I've been told previously about the matter that the agent may have been expecting to find a big organized smuggling ring. Since he didn't, the FWS is using the "multiple ongoing investigations" excuse to explain why it took so long. I think they're just covering their asses over how many resources they needlessly expended for what could have been wrapped up in a couple months.
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Post by Ray on Jul 11, 2017 10:34:00 GMT -5
A part of me wants to think the agent wanted to spend a long time "investigating" how to grow Carnivorous plants
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Post by ep31 on Jul 12, 2017 11:03:30 GMT -5
What a terrible article. Yes, plant poaching and smuggling is a very serious problem and yes, people who actively partake in that kind of activity should be punished, but that article made no effort to explain there are tons and tons of carnivorous plants that you can own legally. Putting a nep in the window isn't illegal nor is it a sign of flaunting your supposed illegal activities. This does a huge disservice to the many, many responsible growers :/
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Post by Apoplast on Jul 12, 2017 20:09:39 GMT -5
This article is a horrific piece of sensationalism! Not knowing the story about this case at all, it sounds like the author is trying to turn a stupid mistake by a kid (emphasis on the fact this guy was in his 20's at the time) into the Orchid Thief. What a load! Did he screw up? Totally! Should anyone ever violate CITES and further endanger imperiled plants? Absolutely not!!! That said, as others have pointed out this poor excuse for journalism makes it sound like owing an Neps is illegal (he gave the agent a N. miranda - so he was kind an generous by gifting this guy a cultivar?!). Worse than that, from the article it make it sound like USFWS are completely incompetent and waste very limited resources chasing down and harassing stupid kids! I know folks at FWS who will be appalled that this is how their agency has been portrayed. My hope, is that this kid actually did something more deserving of prosecution than what the article suggests to justify the actions of the agency to spend the amount of time a resources on this. And that FWS knows a lot better than to collect "evidence" of someone growing legal plants and swapping them with friends. Also, why is the first priority not stopping the jerk pulling these plants from the ground in the first place?! This article is all kinds of upsetting. I still believe there must have been something to make this guy stand out as worthy of investigation, as opposed to one illegal shipment of plants ( though 1 is too many!). I'm not sure what to believe in this, largely because of the juvenile "I just turned in my first 'investigative' piece teach" writing in the article. Don't they employ editors anymore? Who fact checks these articles? Maybe it is true what they say - journalism is dead. Edit: Thanks pinhead for sharing the link! I'm not on Facebook, so I'd have missed it otherwise.
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Post by lloyd on Jul 12, 2017 21:18:32 GMT -5
Talk about nerds! The investigator could have just asked him which plants were illegal, confiscated them and got him to sign a guilty plea for a fine and probation. Would have taken half an hour. What a moron. The article made the Star look like Pullitzer prize material.
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Post by nimbulan on Jul 13, 2017 12:01:08 GMT -5
Talk about nerds! The investigator could have just asked him which plants were illegal, confiscated them and got him to sign a guilty plea for a fine and probation. Would have taken half an hour. What a moron. The article made the Star look like Pullitzer prize material. Yeah that's why I think they were expecting to uncover an organized smuggling ring operated by our group of CP enthusiasts. They didn't find any evidence of that of course, but the article still casts a negative light on our group. It's especially distressing because the majority of people attending now haven't been around long enough to have even met Mat, since he stopped attending for obvious reasons after his apartment got raided.
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Post by Apoplast on Jul 15, 2017 19:55:29 GMT -5
Hi Nimbulan - Step one: Stop meeting at that pub listed like 8 times in the article! Seriously, they make it sound like the pub is just a front for money laundering from all of you extensive plant smuggling operations (plus probably prostitution, racketeering, and gambling - I mean why stop at plants?! Also, I don't actually know what racketeering is, and looking it up didn't help.)
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Post by kiwipete on Jul 15, 2017 22:43:56 GMT -5
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Post by nimbulan on Jul 16, 2017 10:08:08 GMT -5
Hi Nimbulan - Step one: Stop meeting at that pub listed like 8 times in the article! Seriously, they make it sound like the pub is just a front for money laundering from all of you extensive plant smuggling operations (plus probably prostitution, racketeering, and gambling - I mean why stop at plants?! Also, I don't actually know what racketeering is, and looking it up didn't help.) Unfortunately, there are still a number of people who only attend occasionally that nobody really has a way to contact. Attempts have been made to do something as simple as change the time in the past and have failed due to this particular problem. I'm sure it would be easier now but we'd hate to lose touch with those who aren't aware of the changes.
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