After reports of people trespassing to dig up ginseng in Washington County local authorities responded. On Sunday afternoon, Washington County dispatch was notified of people trespassing and digging up ginseng plant roots. Three people were found to have trespassed and each received written warnings. Jeffrey Jay Smith of Keota has charges pending for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of methamphetamine. The ginseng was confiscated and the information from the incident was forwarded on to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

According to the DNR, an Iowa ginseng harvester permit is required to harvest wild ginseng and it can only be harvested from September 1st to October 31st. The plant can only be harvested if it has three or more prongs and a flowering or fruiting stalk with red fruits. Ginseng harvesting is only allowed in 19 states in the U.S. Iowa has to report the harvest statistics to the Endangered Species Scientific Authority annually.