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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">If it is indeed Customs and Border
Protection that is the problem, then you need to contact the Plant
Protection and Quarantine headquarters in Riverdale, MD to get it
sorted out. They have a liaison to CBP. Trying to contact CBP
directly is an exercise in frustration. <br>
<br>
If you give me a call next week, I will get you some names and
numbers.<br>
<br>
I also have some names and numbers at FedEx but they are probably
out-of-date. <br>
<br>
Ellen<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">Ellen Paul
Executive Director
The Ornithological Council
Phone (301) 986 8568
Email: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:ellen.paul@verizon.net">ellen.paul@verizon.net</a>
"Providing Scientific Information about Birds<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET">"
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET"</a>
</pre>
On 5/17/14, 9:36 AM, Trock, Debra wrote:<br>
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<p>Hi All,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I am not familiar with all of the regulations surrounding
wildlife exports, but I do have something to say about the
inspection facility in Memphis. We are having repeated
problems with the FedEx facility in Memphis. Customs and
Border Patrol is routinely refusing entry to shipments of
herbarium specimens that have the necessary permits. WHen
these shipments are refused, we get a call from a woman named
Ramona at FedEx. She never tells us what is wrong with the
shipment and never returns phone calls when we try to
ascertain what the problem is. FedEx has told us that they
would hold shipments for 5 days in order for us to get things
straightened out, and then 2 days later they send the shipment
back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In speaking with our local USDA officials here in San
Francisco, they have indicated that this facility in Memphis
is a well known and ongoing problem. They get complaints
about it all of the time. For herbarium specimens there are
actually only a limited number of species for which permits
are needed at all, but this facility treats all plant
shipments as if they were regulated. Even the USDA training
manual instructs these inspectors to clear herbarium specimens
unless they contain Federal Noxious Weeds, but the Customs
people are not following USDA's manuals.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is just a heads-up. The regulations surrounding plant
imports and exports are much less well understood by both the
herbarium community and the people doing the inspections than
are issues surrounding wildlife regulations, so you all may
not have the same problems. But is does seem that this
Memphis facility is the crux of the problem, at least
according to our USDA contacts!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Regards,</p>
<p>Debra Trock, Senior Collections Mgr. Botany</p>
<p>California Academy of Sciences</p>
<p>San Francisco, CA 94118</p>
<p> </p>
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<hr tabindex="-1">
<div style="DIRECTION: ltr" id="divRpF63517"><font
color="#000000" face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>From:</b>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu">nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu</a>
[<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu">nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu</a>] on behalf of Ellen
Paul [<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:ellen.paul@verizon.net">ellen.paul@verizon.net</a>]<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, May 16, 2014 11:44 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Mammalian Biology<br>
<b>Cc:</b> NHCOLL-new; Bulletin Board for Bird Collections
and Curators<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Nhcoll-l] Exporting ESA, CITES, MMPA
materials<br>
</font><br>
</div>
<div>The USFWS Division of Law Enforcement recently sent out a
memo about how to do exports through Memphis. Sorry but the
lists don't permit attachments so a number of people wrote
to ask me for copies. Easier to do it this way....apologies
for the duplicate notice. <br>
<br>
This is primarily of interest to those who are exporting
materials that require permits (ESA, CITES, MMPA, etc.)
because those shipments must go through a designated
wildlife port. If your institution is not near a designated
wildlife port, that means you have to ship the package,
unsealed but otherwise ready to ship, inside a second, outer
box, with all the paperwork, to the USFWS at a designated
wildlife port. They will then clear the shipment and (at
their option), inspect the contents, then seal the box and
send it on to its destination. <br>
At least that's the way it is supposed to work. We
periodically hear that one port or another hasn't had
adequate training or instruction and will refuse to do this.
Should that occur, please feel free to notify me and I'll
contact the USFWS Law Enforcement HQ, who will then contact
the port and get it sorted out. <br>
<br>
And, of course, all wildlife shipments require a 3-177, even
if no permit is required.<br>
<br>
However, the other alternative is to send it through
Memphis, particularly if you are using FedEx anyway, as
directed in the memo. It requires that you use e-decs,
though I suspect you could also use a paper 3-177 if you
wanted to. I will inquire about that.
<br>
<br>
<br>
The full text is pasted in here:<br>
<br>
<br>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>1. File electronic declaration
with all the required information and documents uploaded
to the edec.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span></span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>2. Retain the shipment at your
facility. Do not send the shipment until you receive a
cleared or rejected notification from our office via the
edec system. It must be made available for physical
inspection if requested by our office.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span></span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>3. Wildlife Inspectors will
review the edec.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span></span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>4. If you receive a cleared
notification you can send the shipment directly to its
destination.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span></span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>5. If you receive a rejected
notification with these comments "Rejected for physical
inspection, send shipment to Memphis Port Office 3150
Tchulahoma Rd. Ste. 6, Memphis, TN 38118,” send the
shipment to Memphis for inspection. Provide the shipping
labels from you to final destination for us to affix to
the box after inspection and clearance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span></span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>6. If you receive a rejected
notification for any other reason besides physical
inspection, review and amend as needed. Resubmit when
amended and upload documents again.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span></span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>7. Fees may be paid by check to
the Port Office or via the edec system.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span></span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><b>NOTES:</b><b><span> </span></b><b>All
shipments requiring permits (CITES, MBTA, ESA, etc.)
will require physical inspection and can be sent to
the office upon filing an edec.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span></span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>If you have any questions or
concerns with this procedure please feel free to
contact our office at (901) 544-3694.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span></span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Barry Davis</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Supervisory Wildlife Inspector</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Memphis, TN</span></p>
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************************<br>
<br>
<br>
FYI, many museums and universities have noted that they are
not receiving stamped copies of the 3-177 when they receive
the shipments, even though they were routed through Memphis
or another designated wildlife port. The
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.fws.gov/policy/443fw1.html#sec19"
target="_blank">USFWS Manual</a> calls for a copy to be
returned to the filer. We always tell people to put a second
copy of the 3-177 in the documents envelope so it can be
stamped and returned to the package. It is my understanding,
however, that the port inspectors don't actually see and
handle many of the packages.<br>
I have been told that they review an "electronic portfolio"
of paperwork sent by FedEx from the port where the shipment
originated and they then decide which packages they want to
see and physically inspect. The rest are simply cleared on
the paperwork (which is why FedEx is filing "3-177s" even if
you attached one to the box) and FedEx can then send them on
to you.
<br>
<br>
We do encourage the use of e-decs, but e-decs are
port-specific, and when something is shipped via FedEx, the
importer has no way of knowing how the package will be
routed and where it will clear, so e-decs is not really a
solution. I'm not sure what the solution is to this problem.
I've asked Mr. Davis to address the problem.<br>
<br>
<br>
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</style>Ellen Paul<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">Ellen Paul
Executive Director
The Ornithological Council
Email: <a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:ellen.paul@verizon.net" target="_blank">ellen.paul@verizon.net</a>
Phone (301) 986 8568
"Providing Scientific Information about Birds<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET" target="_blank">"
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET"</a></pre>
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