The U.S. Forest Service will issue a limited number of permits to gather ginseng in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests after the July 15 application deadline. 

The plant, favored as a tonic in East Asia for the past 250 years, is native to the WNC mountains, but excessive harvest threatens the population’s survival and prompted the Forest Service to adopt tightened harvest regulations in 2013. 

Only 136 permits will be issued, a 75 percent reduction from the historical number, with those permits issued through a lottery system. Permits allow each person to harvest 1 to 3 wet pounds of wild ginseng during the two-week harvest season Sept. 1-15. District rangers can designate areas within the forest that are off-limits to harvest. 

In addition to these restrictions, the Forest Service will increase law enforcement efforts to reduce poaching, with penalties of up to $5,000 in fines and a six-month prison sentence possible. 

To enter the lottery, submit your name and address to a ranger district office, either in person or over the phone. Email submissions will not be accepted.