Officers responded to a call about suspicious activity in the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area, leading to the discovery of a large-scale illegal harvest of saw palmetto berries, according to the most recent Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) law enforcement report. Upon entering the woods, officers found three bags of the harvested berries and detained one individual after a foot chase.
Additional officers arrived on scene to assist in a search through the woods, where they uncovered a total of 54 bags of saw palmetto berries weighing 7,641 pounds.
The detained individual was arrested and booked into the county jail, facing charges of illegal harvest of palmetto berries, removal of plants from the Wildlife Management Area, and entering a closed area.
In Florida, picking saw palmetto berries without a permit is illegal on county-owned land or private property. Harvesting these berries unlawfully can harm wildlife by depriving them of food, hinder plant growth, damage parks, and create debris. Unauthorized harvesting is classified as a third-degree felony, carrying penalties of up to five years in prison. Buyers and processors of illegally harvested berries also face felony charges.