Talking Points

HB 92 State Mushroom Designation

Introduction:

• This bill would designate the porcini as the state mushroom.

• Because this question has been posed numerous times, no, the porcini is not a psychedelic
mushroom and, no, it is not poisonous. In fact, it is used in many recipes around the
world, one of which was left on your desks.
• The sponsor of the bill was approached by Former Senator Iwamoto, who in turn was
approached by the Mushroom Society of Utah. They wanted to designate the porcini as
the state mushroom because most Utahns don’t know about the crucial role they play in
our natural environment. They wanted to educate the public about the importance of
mushrooms and other fungi to biodiversity.

Reasons Why the Porcini is Important:

• While porcinis can be found throughout the northern hemisphere, Utah has two unique
species of porcini which have been the subject of important genetic research.
• The porcini is a natural sign of a healthy forest. The porcini is a mycorrhizal fungus. This
means that it has a mutualist symbiotic relationship with plant roots. The porcinis provide
all of the nutrition a tree needs, and vice versa. They depend on each other for survival.
Without mycorrhizal fungi like the porcini, our forests would not have the nutrition they
need to survive.
• Utah’s affinity for outdoor recreation makes the local mountains a prime place to forage
for mushrooms. Designating the porcini can invite foraging enthusiasts to visit Utah for
the unique porcini species we have here.
• Despite these facts about the porcini, I know some legislators will still see this bill as
unimportant. However, state symbol designations serve many practical purposes.

1. State symbols are an opportunity for education. The bill has already better informed
most of the people in this legislature about fungal importance.
2. State symbols increase Utah’s visibility and provide more tourist opportunities. This
bill would cost nothing but could bring in tourist revenue from foragers and other
mushroom enthusiasts.
3. State symbols are more likely to receive funding for research. Just by virtue of being
in this bill, the porcini has already generated more research funding for those that are
using the two Utah porcini species to study genetics. That research is on course to
lead to some medical breakthroughs. That is the power of a simple, one-line bill.

Hannah Oh
Talking Points

Conclusion

• I want to share a poem by our good representative from Manti, who was inspired in the
bill’s House committee meeting:

Oh the little fungi, that opens my eye

That amazing shroom that spins my room
And how about the porcini?
That amazing tree mate
Should now become Best of State!

Hannah Oh