Unwanted seeds come to county

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
Several states across the United States have been receiving unsolicited packages of seeds from China. According to a CBS News article, all 50 states have reported receiving the seeds. Weston County recently received its first package, according to Hale Redding, district supervisor at Weston County Weed and Pest. 
In a release, Weed and Pest stated that any unsolicited seed packages should not be opened. Anyone receiving these packages should bring them to their office, and they will be sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, in Cheyenne. People may also call Weed and Pest to receive directions to mail them to APHIS themselves. 
“We don’t know what they are,” Redding said. “It could be potentially invasive.” 
While it is still unknown exactly what these seeds are or how dangerous, there is a risk of them being invasive species that could harm agriculture, and extreme caution is being taken. 
According to APHIS, some of the seeds already identified include fruit, herb and weeds, among others. However, it is pertinent to gather as many seeds as they can to help identify whether or not they pose a risk to U.S. agriculture. 
For more questions, call Weston County Weed and Pest at (307) 746-4555 or Bruce Shambaugh, state plant health director at APHIS in Cheyenne, at (307) 432-7979.