I was wondering If someone established a non-profit, The Orchid
Presevation Society, paying for Orchid Genome Project, got afew
million if funding to provide grants to afew universites and pay for
collecting endagered orchids could it bring them in under CITES, If
the orchids went to a research facility to get sequenced. One of the
requirements for the research facility would be to create mericlone
flask, the Society would get flasks, the Orchid Hunter would get one.

Clones of the new species would be avalible to members of the Society
would be able to bid at semi-annual fund-raiser auctions.

As these are clones of the wild plant which is still in a non profit
research collection, they should be able to go plublic.

If there are any holes in this please tell me,

If not anyone know a good Tax and Incorperation lawyer and CPA

Jack
PS this hopefully would also esblish a genetic libary so everyone else
bringing new plants would have less of trouble with customs

Jack,

That is a terrific idea. One step that could be taken is for those here who
are part of one or more orchid societies lobby their societies to take part.
Another would be for orchid vendors here to consider the potential benefits
for their businesses, in order to encourage their peers to participate;
similarly with breeders. If small to medium size businesses, especially,
can see a benefit for their bottom line from such a venture, many would
eagerly participate.

Are you going to lead such an initiative?

Cheers,

Ted

The problem would be what every society sees, The main one is
fundraising, as the "collectors" would have to be funded ( i am sure
that most would be happy with a $1000 grant) and credidentialed, with
full coridnation of dept of Ag, and Customs. Plus we would have to
found and fund a "Speciemen Garden", Also included is the academic
side of classification and genitic research. That could be helped by
founding a Grant Counsel which would be a panel of "experts" (growers
and acidemics) to review grant appications and projects. The orchid
hunters would not get to keep the specimins that they found, but would
instead get part of the first clones.

The biggest problem I can see would be organizing such an originazation
and getting funding, past that It would just be working with
universities and the govermental units to ensure the goal of perserving
endagered orchid.

After all who ever heard of an orchid on the endagered species list
when you can buy one for $19.95 at the local greenhouse, this would of
course be after it became widely avaible, which would have to be after
the first flask matured and could be progated...... say 5 or 6 years,
should be some encouragement for the orchid hunters to find new guys,
not a monopoly, just a limited supply

Jack
P.S still looking for a good lawyer.