A poacher who stole 970 venus flytraps in N.C. is sentenced to prison

[Beaudreaux]

A poacher who stole 970 venus flytraps in N.C. is sentenced to prison

When Paul Simmons Jr. and three accomplices poached 970 Venus flytraps from eastern North Carolina early last year, they uprooted almost 3 percent of the entire naturally grown population.

Venus flytraps can be cultivated anywhere, but the small carnivorous plants only naturally grow in one spot in the whole world: a 75-mile radius around Wilmington, N.C. To preserve this flytrap sanctuary, North Carolina upped the ante for stealing them. In 2014, Gov. Pat McCrory signed a law making it a felony.

[...]

WaPo didn't show the guy's picture - here it is:

Here's the report/article from the local Wilmington paper: Brunswick County man receives months-long sentence for Flytrap theft

Such a young guy. It's sad, for him, and for the environment.

This guy dug up about 3% of the total world population of this plant. 3%!!! For a little scope of scale, there are 7.125 Billion people on this world - this equates to rounding up 213,750,000 people (3% of the world population). I don't get why people would do something like this? Before anyone asks, it isn't a secret down here that the Flytrap is both listed as endangered and protected by the government. It also isn't a secret that it's now a felony to dig them up, or to even harm them in any way such as just walking on them. We're pretty damned proud that we as a state are doing everything we can to preserve these amazing plants from extinction.

 

[Captain Adverse]

A poacher who stole 970 venus flytraps in N.C. is sentenced to prison



WaPo didn't show the guy's picture - here it is:

Here's the report/article from the local Wilmington paper: Brunswick County man receives months-long sentence for Flytrap theft

Such a young guy. It's sad, for him, and for the environment.

This guy dug up about 3% of the total world population of this plant. 3%!!! For a little scope of scale, there are 7.125 Billion people on this world - this equates to rounding up 213,750,000 people (3% of the world population). I don't get why people would do something like this? Before anyone asks, it isn't a secret down here that the Flytrap is both listed as endangered and protected by the government. It also isn't a secret that it's now a felony to dig them up, or to even harm them in any way such as just walking on them. We're pretty damned proud that we as a state are doing everything we can to preserve these amazing plants from extinction.

I remember back when I was a kid and you could mail-order them from the ads in the back of comic books.

 

[Celebrity]

Ok, we can fix this:

The Carnivorous Plant FAQ: How do I sexually propagate my Venus flytrap?

 

[X Factor]

Sounds like an open and shut case.

 

[Beaudreaux]

Ok, we can fix this:

The Carnivorous Plant FAQ: How do I sexually propagate my Venus flytrap?

We're trying to fix this. But, there's still only a very small area in the entire world where they grow naturally.

 

[Celebrity]

We're trying to fix this. But, there's still only a very small area in the entire world where they grow naturally.

Small and surprisingly fertile, thanks to

 

[jmotivator]

WaPo didn't show the guy's picture - here it is:

 

[Deuce]

Sounds like an open and shut case.

If this is part of a larger crime ring, hopefully the police can root it out.

 

[Threegoofs]

We're pretty damned proud that we as a state are doing everything we can to preserve these amazing plants from extinction.

Except for electing politicians in Washington who pretend anthropogenic climate change doesn't exist. Its pretty well documented that warming is moving USDA hardiness zones farther north and at to higher altitudes, threatenig many species, especially those who are highly specialized and live in a narrow ecological niche, like Venus Flytraps.

 

[Lutherf]

I remember back when I was a kid and you could mail-order them from the ads in the back of comic books.

I used to have one. They're neat plants but much more impressive in the movies.

 

[Beaudreaux]

Except for electing politicians in Washington who pretend anthropogenic climate change doesn't exist. Its pretty well documented that warming is moving USDA hardiness zones farther north and at to higher altitudes, threatenig many species, especially those who are highly specialized and live in a narrow ecological niche, like Venus Flytraps.

The left arrow and the line trajectory that it is on, is where this thread was moving, until you posted. The arrow on the right is where you're post is trying to take the thread. There's a word for posts like that.

 

[Lutherf]

 

[eohrnberger]

A poacher who stole 970 venus flytraps in N.C. is sentenced to prison



WaPo didn't show the guy's picture - here it is:

Here's the report/article from the local Wilmington paper: Brunswick County man receives months-long sentence for Flytrap theft

Such a young guy. It's sad, for him, and for the environment.

This guy dug up about 3% of the total world population of this plant. 3%!!! For a little scope of scale, there are 7.125 Billion people on this world - this equates to rounding up 213,750,000 people (3% of the world population). I don't get why people would do something like this? Before anyone asks, it isn't a secret down here that the Flytrap is both listed as endangered and protected by the government. It also isn't a secret that it's now a felony to dig them up, or to even harm them in any way such as just walking on them. We're pretty damned proud that we as a state are doing everything we can to preserve these amazing plants from extinction.

Can't imagine that there's much money to be made on Fly Traps. :confused

I remember back when I was a kid and you could mail-order them from the ads in the back of comic books.

Yeah, I had one. It lasted about 6 weeks, but I don't think we had enough flies around the house. I was a young kid and kept touching it so that it would close.

 

[eohrnberger]

:lamo

 

[Goshin]

A poacher who stole 970 venus flytraps in N.C. is sentenced to prison



WaPo didn't show the guy's picture - here it is:

Here's the report/article from the local Wilmington paper: Brunswick County man receives months-long sentence for Flytrap theft

Such a young guy. It's sad, for him, and for the environment.

This guy dug up about 3% of the total world population of this plant. 3%!!! For a little scope of scale, there are 7.125 Billion people on this world - this equates to rounding up 213,750,000 people (3% of the world population). I don't get why people would do something like this? Before anyone asks, it isn't a secret down here that the Flytrap is both listed as endangered and protected by the government. It also isn't a secret that it's now a felony to dig them up, or to even harm them in any way such as just walking on them. We're pretty damned proud that we as a state are doing everything we can to preserve these amazing plants from extinction.

If I was on the jury I could not convict. I would not be responsible for putting a man in prison over digging up plants that are growing wild, even if they are relatively rare.


It's a frigging plant. It doesn't contain the cure for cancer, it just eats flies sometimes.

 

[Anagram]

If I was on the jury I could not convict. I would not be responsible for putting a man in prison over digging up plants that are growing wild, even if they are relatively rare.


It's a frigging plant. It doesn't contain the cure for cancer, it just eats flies sometimes.

I disagree. He dug up 3% of the entire wild supply of a species. It's not like it was on his land, and this particular plant is important to the people in the area. If they want to make it a relatively harsh punishment to mess with it's chances of survival, then I can understand that.

 

[Hawkeye10]

If I was on the jury I could not convict. I would not be responsible for putting a man in prison over digging up plants that are growing wild, even if they are relatively rare.


It's a frigging plant. It doesn't contain the cure for cancer, it just eats flies sometimes.

Shades of the argument that those of us who own pets who are not willing to spend thousands of dollars of medical care for them, often at the end of life, makes us bad pet owners.

THey are freaking cats and dogs, who will be dead soon no matter what we do.

Let's have a sense of priority.

PLEASE.

tyvm.

:fueltofir

 

[Anagram]

Shades of the argument that those of us who own pets who are not willing to spend thousands of dollars of medical care for them, often at the end of life, makes us bad pet owners.

THey are freaking cats and dogs, who will be dead soon no matter what we do.

Let's have a sense of priority, please.

:fueltofir

That is not at all a similar argument. Nobody's saying that they should spend millions keeping dying fly traps alive, they're just saying we should not actively kill them. Dogs and Cats are not possibly going extinct in the wild.

 

[Lord of Planar]

If I was on the jury I could not convict. I would not be responsible for putting a man in prison over digging up plants that are growing wild, even if they are relatively rare.


It's a frigging plant. It doesn't contain the cure for cancer, it just eats flies sometimes.

Why did he dig them up?

What is the value on the black market for naturally grown?

 

[Hawkeye10]

That is not at all a similar argument. Nobody's saying that they should spend millions keeping dying fly traps alive, they're just saying we should not actively kill them. Dogs and Cats are not possibly going extinct in the wild.

Where did you hear that these plants are dead?

 

[Anagram]

Where did you hear that these plants are dead?

Not that the plants themselves are dead, but removing them from the wild diminishes their chances to remain there.

 

[Goshin]

I disagree. He dug up 3% of the entire wild supply of a species. It's not like it was on his land, and this particular plant is important to the people in the area. If they want to make it a relatively harsh punishment to mess with it's chances of survival, then I can understand that.

I can see charging him with trespassing if he dug them up on privately owned land... perhaps even petty theft.


But if it was public land...like highway easements and whatnot... I can't see putting a human being in prison for any substantial length of time, or making him a FELON, over a gorram plant that isn't actually worth anything other than as a novelty item.


Man > plant.

 

[Anagram]

I can see charging him with trespassing if he dug them up on privately owned land... perhaps even petty theft.


But if it was public land...like highway easements and whatnot... I can't see putting a human being in prison for any substantial length of time, or making him a FELON, over a gorram plant that isn't actually worth anything other than as a novelty item.


Man > plant.

Man > plant. I just think that the men and women in North Carolina who place a strong enough value on that particular plant can give a somewhat harsh punishment when a man collectively deprives them of it. Fines clearly weren't working with 1000s of them being stolen per year, so it makes sense to me to have it upgraded to giving them some jail time.

 

[Goshin]

Man > plant. I just think that the men and women in North Carolina who place a strong enough value on that particular plant can give a somewhat harsh punishment when a man collectively deprives them of it. Fines clearly weren't working with 1000s of them being stolen per year, so it makes sense to me to have it upgraded to giving them some jail time.

I understand your line of reasoning, but I just don't accept the premise that making a man a FELON (a lifelong label that deprives him of many rights) or making him spend a substantial portion of his life in prison over a plant that has no real use and is not vital to the health of the environment is a reasonable action... it is like making someone a felon for killing dandelions, just because the locals like 'em.

Some things just don't justify years in prison or the lifelong label of felon. No one should be made a felon except for committing substantial willful harm to other humans.

 

[humbolt]

Suppose we grew a billion of them unnaturally. Would that help? I don't think the plant knows where it comes from, so if it grew in some potting soil in my kitchen window, would it really make a difference? I'm not saying the guy should go scott free, but OTOH, it is a novelty plant that does grow in other places, however unnatural they might be.