NASC Distribution Policies and Procedures - 2008

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The following Distribution Committee Policies and Procedures feature new and updated NASC seed bank policies. NASC members are now able to request location specific Sarracenia seeds from the seed bank for their personal collection. It is important to note that the seed bank will never deplete any Sarracenia population so that the Distribution Committee can distribute seeds to the Growing Committee as necessary for further propagation and growing for eventual reintroduction into the natural habitat. (Note: I think I got the formatting correct, but my apologies if it is a little off).

NORTH AMERICAN SARRACENIA CONSERVANCY
DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE POLICY AND PROCEDURES

I. POLICY - It is the policy of the North American Sarracenia Conservancy (NASC) Distribution Committee to distribute seeds and plants to NASC growers, members and other parties, as directed by the Board of Directors, and to ensure the continued cultivation of each Sarracenia variety/cultivar in the NASC Collection.

II. PURPOSE - To ensure that the distribution of all Sarracenia plants/seeds for the NASC follows set guidelines, and that accurate records are kept for all plant/seed distributions. To maintain a seed bank of Sarracenia seeds, which are distributed as directed by the Board of Directors.

III. PROCEDURE - Sarracenia seeds and plants shall be distributed/maintained under the following conditions:

1. NASC Collection: All plant material formally included in the NASC Collection shall be:

a. Maintained by NASC growers or other persons/entities authorized by the Board of Directors.
b. Well labeled, using the guidelines set forth in the Grower Committee Policies and Procedures.
c. Included in the records of the Head of Distribution.

2. Seeds:

a. Seed Bank:

i. Sarracenia seeds that are sent/donated to the NASC shall be sent to the Head of Distribution, unless otherwise directed by the Board of Directors.

1. All seed donated to the NASC become the property of NASC; no removal of plant material for personal use, trade or sale is permitted.

ii. The Distribution Committee shall maintain a seed bank containing stock seed packets of NASC Collection plants.
iii. The Head of Distribution is responsible for maintaining the NASC seed bank.
iv. Seeds shall be packaged in packets containing approximately 40 seeds each.
v. Seeds shall be stored under refrigeration at all times, to afford the greatest longevity to the seed stock.
vi. Each seed packet shall be labeled with:

1. name of collector
2. species/subspecies/cultivar
3. date collected
4. NASC population code
5. seed origin (cultivated plants vs. natural population)

vii. The Head of Distribution may assign other Distribution Committee members to maintain additional seed bank stock, as needed.

b. Seed Distribution:

i. General Seed Distribution policies:

1. A minimum of five packets of each Sarracenia population shall be kept in reserve at all times.
2. NASC seeds shall be distributed by age, distributing the oldest seeds per population first.
3. All seed packets shall be sent in padded envelopes to minimize the risk of damage.
4. NASC seed bank packets shall also be distributed to other entities, including other nonprofit organizations, as directed by the Board of Directors.

ii. General Membership seed distribution:

1. Seed shall be requested by either emailing the Head of Distribution or by submitting the online Seed Request Form available at the NASC website.
2. Requests will be prioritized based on availability, Grower Committee needs, and educational purposes.
3. Once the request for seed is made, the Head of Distribution will confirm or deny the request. If confirmed, the requestor will send $2.00 (shipping and handling) per order plus $1.00 per packet requested to the Head of Distribution along with the associated paperwork.
4. Seed requests will be processed in the order they are received.
5. Upon receipt of paperwork and fees, the Head of Distribution will mail seed as described in 2.1.i.3.
6. NASC members shall receive at most ten packets per membership year.
7. NASC members shall receive at most two packets of any specific population per membership year.

iii. Grower Committee seed distribution:

1. NASC seed bank packets shall be distributed for grow-out as directed by the Head Grower.
2. Seeds may be shipped directly to NASC growers.
3. Seeds may be shipped to the Head Grower for further distribution as needed.

iv. Nonprofit and Educational Programming seed requests

1. Nonprofit organizations and entities requesting seed for educational purposes may complete the Nonprofit and Educational Programming Seed Request Form and submit it to the Head of Distribution.
2. Documentation and intended goals/outcomes shall be included.
3. The Head of Distribution will review the request with the Board of Directors at the next NASC meeting.
4. If approved, the nonprofit organization or entity requesting seed for educational purposes will be contacted with a notification of approval or denial of requested seed.
5. Packaging materials and shipping costs will be calculated based upon amount of seed requested.

3. Plants:

a. When possible, each NASC-coded location, cultivar or variety should be maintained by at least three growers, with each grower having at least three mature plants.
b. Plant Distribution.

i. Plants shall be distributed as directed by the Head Grower or the Board of Directors.
ii. Plants for shipment should be packed with roots and rhizomes wrapped in damp Sphagnum when available, or alternatively in damp paper towels/newspapers, and then placed in plastic bags to prevent leakage of moisture in transit.
iii. Each plant shipped shall be well labeled, using the guidelines set forth in the Grower Committee Policies and Procedures, to prevent mislabeling by the grower. Yellow NASC plant tags shall accompany each plant, when feasible.
iv. Shipping costs may be submitted to the NASC Treasurer for reimbursement.
v. NASC plants may be distributed to other entities, including other nonprofit organizations, as directed by the Board of Directors.

4. Protected species:

a. All plant material distributed and/or maintained by the NASC and/or its members shall only be distributed in accordance with state, federal and international law.
b. It is the responsibility of the person shipping plant material to be aware of these laws, and to ensure that these laws are being followed.
c. The NASC assumes no liability for the shipment of plant material which is prohibited from interstate shipment by any individual, member or other entity.

5. Excess plant material: Excess plants/seeds of any individual NASC code which are deemed to be sufficiently represented in the NASC Collection may be distributed to other entities and/or individuals as directed by the Board of Directors, provided the following guidelines are followed:

a. Priority shall be given to distributing excess plant material to other nonprofit entities, especially to educational institutions, botanical gardens, and other nonprofit carnivorous plant groups.
b. If excess plant material is not able to be distributed to the groups listed in 5(a), then this material may be removed from the NASC Collection and Distribution databases, and distributed to other entities and persons, as dictated by the Board of Directors. However, plant material removed from the databases shall no longer be coded for NASC purposes, and no NASC plant tags shall remain with this plant material.
c. A reasonable effort shall be made to have the plant material distributed to non-NASC entities listed in 5(a) maintained with NASC codes intact, and included in the distribution database, as a secondary source of NASC-coded material if necessary.

6. Records:

a. The Head of Distribution shall maintain:

i. A database of seed packets maintained in the NASC Seed Bank.
ii. A database of NASC-coded plants and the grower/location of said plants, in conjunction with the Head Grower.

b. These records shall be forwarded to the NASC Secretary:

i. Twice annually, in May and November, and more frequently if possible.
ii. In the manner agreed upon (electronically, fax or postal service) by the NASC Secretary and Head of Distribution at that time.

These Distribution Committee Policies and Procedures were unanimously approved during the May 15, 2008 Board Meeting.

J.C. Stoner, NASC Head of Distribution