New requirements for harvesting saw palmetto berries

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published:
By Miguel Vieira from Walnut Creek, CA, USA [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Florida Endangered Plant Advisory Council added saw palmetto berries to its list of commercially exploited plants in the state back in July 2018. It made new rules for how people can harvest the berries. Now law enforcement in Charlotte County wants to remind us about the consequences for violating these requirements.

Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office shared changes to the required permit from the department of agriculture needed to harvest the native saw palmetto berries in our state.

Permit to harvest saw palmetto berries [PDF download}

Some of the new changes include:

  • When applying for the permit, the property owner information and contact number will need to be submitted with the application on the second page.
  • When led by a crew leader as a day worker, the picker does not need a permit but the crew leader does. The names of the day workers do not need to be on the permit.
  • There still is no fee for the permit. It takes up to 14 days for processing and issuance of the permit.
  • Berries cannot be harvested until the permit is in the possession of the harvester.

According to the CCSO press release, the department of agriculture has information on its website of the requirements of the statute, including a detailed FAQ section.

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