On Wednesday, four men were arrested in Gulf Shores and could face federal charges for illegal activity.
The alleged crime? Harvesting approximately 2,000 pounds of palmetto berries.
According to Fox10 News, tourists were passing by the Ben Secour National Refuge when they noticed several men with white sacks coming out of the property. They then took it upon themselves to call police out of “concern.”
After police arrived, they stopped the men and found over 18 bags full of palmetto berries. In Florida, where all four men are from, there is a market to sell the berries where they can go from up to $7 per pound.
But in 2018 the Florida Department of Agriculture and Department Services enacted a policy that requires individuals to obtain a permit to legally harvest palmetto berries even on private property. This policy came after the Endangered Plant Advisory Council unanimously urged the FDACS to add the palmetto plant to the commercially exploited plant list.
In July, a law went into effect in Florida making it a third-degree felony to illegally harvest or possess or sell the berries.
The men attempted to pick the berries in Alabama because they believed there were no laws prohibiting the harvesting of the plant, which is evidenced by the fact they were charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. However, it is illegal to move or collect plants on any national wildlife refuge.
“They didn’t specifically say where they were headed to or who hired them, just that there was a market for these berries,” Detective Carl Wittstruck told Fox10.
It is a violation of federal regulations for someone to, “destroy or collect any plant or animal on any national wildlife refuge is prohibited except by special permit unless otherwise permitted under this subchapter C.”
Any further charges the four men face will come at the discretion of federal authorities that were contacted by the Gulf Shores Police.
It is currently prime harvesting season for palmetto berries and Florida has already had several cases of people trying to harvest the berries illegally, including two individuals who were caught with 800 pounds of berries.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimates palmetto berries sell for around $7 to $8 per pound, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
Although it gets attention for its market value, palmetto berries were historically used for medicinal purposes by Indigenous people. It is even still sold as a dietary supplement by different companies although health agencies disagree on the real impact the plant has.
Conserving the palmetto plant is also important for maintaining the ecosystems they live in.
According to literature from the University of Florida, palmetto leaves provide food and cover for over 211 wildlife species making their conservation important to those tasked with protecting the environment.
