One of my fondest memories from my childhood in Puerto Rico was visiting my uncle Rafael and aunt Laura.
Rafael was my mother’s oldest brother, and Laura was his wife. By the time I was born they were ancient (at least in my eyes) and spent their lives in tranquil leisure. Laura was a very skilled orchid aficionada and had a covered, shaded section of her back yard dedicated to cultivating her prize orchids. Dozens of beautiful orchids enchanted the visitor to Laura’s home.
Alas, had the Fish and Wildlife Service known about her, they would have busted her.
That is honestly one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard!
And, Nicki, compare that with this http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/interactives/mexico-at-war/video2/index.html?hpid=artslot
I don’t have a problem with some regulation of plant and animal imports. Think of Dutch elm disease. The problem is the way laws are written and that the reason for their enactment is often not given. The government seems incapable of providing information that makes it easy for normal people to comply with regulations. If there was some environmental threat from the orchids, why weren’t the gardens or greenhouses searched? Going through file cabinets sounds like a piece of bureaucratic nonsense, and a jail sentence for not having a piece of paper is outrageous.