ECOLOGY

            The Chanterelle family, Cantharellaceae, encompasses about 70 species and is found on every continent except Antarctica. They are easily identifiable by the cornucopia shape of the stalk, and by the irregular shape of the cap margin. It is very important not to mistake this mushroom with its look-alike, the Jack O Lantern, because it is deadly . Chanterelles thrive in temperate forests. All chanterelles are mycorrhizal, meaning they live symbiotically with trees, providing eachother with a nutrient andwater exchange. They are most commonly found with Douglas firs and western hemlocks in the forests of the Pacific Northwest.

HISTORY

          Historical accounts of the Chinese mention mushrooms, specifically chanterelles in preventing blindness, alleviating dry skin, and keeping mucous membranes moist (Perler 2001). Many African tribes also harvest this fungus for consumption in the Congo basin rain forests (Buyck et al. 2000). Though a staple food source for Native Americans, chanterelles are not noted as a culturally significant species among North American Native tribes. Many european colonizers brought along an appetite for wild harvested mushrooms to North America.

ECONOMICS

          The wild mushroom business has an annual export value of $6 million dollars, and is one of the fastest growing industries in Oregon today. In 1995 Oregon’s chanterelle harvest reached 585,540 pounds (Blatner 2000). Prices paid to harvesters of this species vary widely from year to year, due tot he varying prices of other species such as matsutake and truffles, and the state of the domestic and international markets.  The main buyers of chanterelles are high-end restaurants and grocery stores.

POLICY AND MANAGEMENT

          Just as the prices of chanterelles fluctuate, so do the policies that manage their harvesting. Beginning in the late 1980s when the mushroom industry became widely recognized, the USFS made all harvesters obtain a broad and rather vague permit. Today permits are highly specialized to include weight and species gathered, and each region varies in its allowance of pounds. In the Willamette National Forest, in Oregon for example, personal use permits are free and commercial harvesters are instructed to check with the nearest district office to receive current daily limits allowed by a modestly priced commercial permit (USDA, 2005).
                                   

*Compiled from a paper by Alec Zimmerman