Effective April 30, 2006, the Island’s ground hemlock industry must comply with new regulations designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the raw material and the industry which depends upon it. The new regulations will require everyone involved in the commercial harvest, purchase, or export of Taxus canadensis to be licensed and complete courses on sustainable harvest practices. The only exception is for landowners who harvest ground hemlock on their own lands.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly today, Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry Jamie Ballem said the Ground Hemlock Regulations are based on recommendations of the Public Forest Council and consultations with industry.
“The ground hemlock industry has acknowledged the need for industry standards, and indeed several companies indicated that their workers are already using similar measures,” Minister Ballem said. “These regulations are intended to provide landowners with a measure of protection from theft and site damage and help harvesters and buyers to ensure the long-term sustainability of the resource – and thus their livelihood.”
Over the last decade, interest in ground hemlock for pharmaceutical manufacturing has grown to become a multimillion dollar business in North America. Taxus bark and foliage contain chemical compounds called taxanes which are used in a variety of cancer fighting drugs. The interest in ground hemlock arose when the original source, the western yew which grows in the Pacific northwest, was almost wiped out by unsustainable harvesting practices. Ground hemlock is a much smaller plant than its western cousin, but it does contain enough of the active compounds to make commercial harvesting practical.
In 2003 and 2004, complaints began to come in about theft, trespass and unsustainable ground hemlock harvest practices on private and public lands across the Island. Landowners reported that people were damaging their lands and cutting ground hemlock without permission or payment. Government asked the Public Forest Council to look into this issue. The council determined that there was merit in many of the complaints and recommended that government enact regulations to create mandatory standards for the industry.
When the new regulations come into effect, commercial harvesters and buyers will be required to meet a number of compulsory training and licensing standards. They must report information such as the harvest location, property number, date, and volume harvested as well as provide a signed contract to prove they have the right to harvest on the lands in question. These components will also apply to ground hemlock buyers and buying stations. However, landowners who harvest on their own lands can sell their own material by simply providing the buying station with proper identification, such as their driver’s licence, and proof of ownership such as a recent property tax bill.
The Ground Hemlock Regulations state that plant material must be cut to specifications. Cuttings from the last three year’s growth will be the only material accepted at buying stations. This will ensure that the plant recovers quickly, allowing it to be clipped again in a few years time.
The province is also creating an annual harvest season for ground hemlock. Research indicates that the active compounds are at their lowest levels from late April to mid August, and this period is also critical for many ground nesting forest birds and flowering plants. This means that ground hemlock harvest operations will only be allowed from August 16 to April 30. Buying stations will not accept material from May 1 to August 15.
The first Ground Hemlock Buyers’ Course was piloted in Charlottetown in December 2005. Courses will be offered across the Island this summer to bring harvesters and buying companies into compliance with the new regulations. To register for an upcoming course, contact the Forests, Fish and Wildlife Division at (902) 368-4700. For a copy of the Ground Hemlock Regulations go to www.gov.pe.ca/go/GHregulations