(a) Purpose. We have established the Plant Rescue Center Program to place confiscated live plants quickly to prevent physical damage to the plants.

(b) Criteria. Institutions interested in participating in this program must be:

(1) Nonprofit, open to the public, and have the expertise and facilities to care for confiscated exotic plant specimens. A participating institution may be a botanical garden, arboretum, zoological park, research institution, or other qualifying institution.

(2) Willing to transfer confiscated plants from the port where they were confiscated to their facilities at their own expense.

(3) Willing to return the plants to the U.S. Government if the country of export has requested their return. The U.S. Government will then coordinate the plants' return to the country of export.

(4) Willing to accept and maintain a plant shipment as a unit until it has received authorization from us to incorporate the shipment into its permanent collection or transfer a portion of it to another participating institution.

(c) Participation. Institutions wishing to participate in the Plant Rescue Center Program should contact the U.S. Management Authority (see §23.7). They must provide a brief description of the greenhouse or display facilities, the names and telephone numbers of any individuals authorized to accept plants on behalf of the institution, and the mailing address where the plants should be sent. In addition, interested institutions must indicate if they are limited with regard to the type of plants they are able to maintain or the quantities of plants they can handle at one time.