Tester, Daines, respond to unidentified unsolicited seeds sent to Montanans

Press release

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester called on U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator Kevin Shea Tuesday to quickly investigate and produce findings on multiple instances of Montanans receiving unsolicited packages of unidentified seeds that appear to have originated in China.

“I am reaching out today regarding recent reports that individuals are receiving unsolicited packages of seeds that appear to be from somewhere in China. I urge you to take swift action to identify the source of the seeds and curtail future deliveries to prevent a potential invasive species outbreak,” wrote Tester in a letter to Commissioner Morgan and Administrator Shea. “…These seeds bear no markings identifying what kind of plant they may be, and the packages appear to have Chinese writing on them. If folks plant unidentified seeds from abroad, it could lead to an unmanaged invasive species outbreak. Especially in places like Montana, this could be devastating to local wildlife, agriculture, and our public and private lands. 

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont, also made a statement with a video post on Facebook. The post said, "Montanans have reported receiving unsolicited packages of seeds with shipment labels from China. If you’ve received a package like this please do not open them or throw them away. Report it.”

Daines’ video announcement is available at https://www.facebook.com/SteveDainesMT/videos/1011455069311963 .

Following reports that many Americans are receiving mysterious packages containing unidentified seeds that appear to be from China, Tester is demanding that CBP and APHIS officials quickly investigate the seeds and their origins. He is also requesting that the agencies provide their findings to the public, evaluate how the seeds made it into the country in the first place, and ensure there are protections in place to prevent a potential invasive species outbreak that would be devastating to Montana’s agriculture, wildlife, and public and private lands. 

People can read Tester’s full letter to Morgan and Shea online at https://www.tester.senate.gov/files/Letters/2020-07-28%20Letter%20to%20Shea%20%20Morgan%20re%20Unidentified%20Seeds.pdf .