| Diggers and dealers of ginseng have less than one month to have all the roots in their possession weight receipted, according to the West Virginia Division of Forestry.
It is illegal to have any ginseng roots that have not been properly weight receipted by Division of Forestry personnel after Wednesday, March 31. Failing to meet the deadline can result in a fine or even jail time.
All ginseng roots must be attached to a weight receipt from April 1 through Aug. 31. In 2008, conservation officers with the Division of Natural Resources arrested five people in Summers and Wyoming counties for harvesting ginseng out of season and selling it on eBay.
In West Virginia, ginseng can be legally dug from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30 each year.
Diggers and dealers should call their local Division of Forestry office as soon as possible to make an appointment to have their ginseng weight receipted.
A list of dealers is available through the Division of Forestry's Web site www.wvforestry.com or by calling Robin Black at 304-558-2788 or e-mailing her at Robin.S.Black@wv.gov
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