By Aaron Lynch
Someone recently posted on Facebook “Just had some in my front yard picking berries that I didn’t know about till I went to get packages that the post man just knocked on my door for. They left pretty quickly after I noticed them. I didn’t give them permission to pick berries, I’m home alone with my child. Made me slightly uncomfortable. But I don’t mind that they wanna pick berries but at least fricken ask first! They were 3 Hispanics I believe with I think a maroon suv. Around the sunshine and 17th St w area. Just want people to be aware. I’ve heard stories in the past about berry pickers also breaking into homes as well.”
Here in Lehigh Acres, we not only attract snowbirds during the winter months, but we also attract berry pickers during the summer time. It is that time of year now that residents of Lehigh Acres can see people trespassing on private property searching for saw palmetto berries to pick. To some the pickers do no harm, but to others they are a huge concern and safety issue. Year after year these pickers have been coming to Lehigh Acres for only one purpose, and that is to trespass for their own benefit.
This is not just only a local problem. Berry picking is a large-scale operation that is taking place statewide. State parks with the help of FWC have been unsuccessfully trying to stop pickers every season. The Florida black bear depends on the saw palmetto as a source of food in the summer and pickers strip ever last berry they can get to. Do not be fooled when you drive by one or two pickers and form a belief that it is a small-scale operation. These individuals come in massive numbers and a few people can pick 5,000 lbs of berries per day. This large-scale picking of the saw palmetto berries can have a long-term effect on the surrounding environment. The palmetto berry is also the seed for the next generation of plants if they continue to be stripped the plants existence will be threatened. Recent studies have shown saw palmettos are crucial for the survival of the Florida Panther. Animals that utilize the and depend on the berries for survival are numerous including over a hundred species of birds 27 mammal species, 25 amphibians, and 61 reptiles. I would consider the saw palmetto a keystone species in Florida.
Residents of Lehigh Acres have raised a concern to local officials year after year, but have continued to be told “their hands are tied.” According to the law nothing can be done unless the private landowners call the Sheriff’s office themselves and report the pickers. What message is this sending to the pickers? They know that they can come to Lehigh Acres and get away with trespassing. They have no respect for authority and continue to pick on private land and state forests. How would they handle this situation if this was happening in a more affluent area?
It’s time to take action. How many more years are we going to allow this to happen? In 2008 Commissioner Mann said that he is open to suggestions on how to solve this problem. My view is that they are stealing the berries and the larger companies buying them are dealing in stolen goods. The State has already put laws in effect making it illegal to pick berries on state land. It’s time to protect our private land as well.
I have written before I have called the sheriff’s department numerous times. I am against the Pickers coming. They are upsetting the rattlesnakes The Scrub Jays and the poor little quail as well as our tortoise. The scrub jay is very important as this is the only place it lives. Wildlife people are not doing anything about it. I am pretty passionate about this as I was before. I had a stroke due to the stress. I am well now and I will be getting on board with some sort of program to stop the pickers. Lehigh County Sheriff Department told me I was not allowed to put a no trespassing sign on these people’s property. Yet they let the pickers go in there and steal off of the people’s property. I am disappointed in the Lehigh Acres area for many reasons.
These people are not harming no one just trying to make a living leave these folks alone
I been in lehigh 33 years Never had a problem with them picking they mind there business it’s hard work there out there all day in the heat maybe you should offer a bottle of water before being on here And complaining,,, work is hard to come by they need to feed there family pay there bills,,, i tell you what if I could stand the heat I go picking before asking groups for help,, they’re just trying to make an honest days pay nothing wrong with that,,,,Let Them Pick,, thank you to the lehigh people that do and give them water
They cause no harm to anyone, please show me where the have been robbing , stealing , raping, show me. at least they are out trying to earn a dollar. the good old fashion way, WORKING For IT.
I understand they need the money I wasn’t against them but now that I know there are animals that eat them.And without the berries we won’t have any more palmetto bushes then maybe they should stop and find other ways to make money.
I don’t want anybody picking berries around my house. If I catch them on my property they will be asked to leave promptly. If they can’t do this without asking home-owners for permission then they have NO RIGHT to be on private property. Frank Mann needs to step up to the plate and if he isn’t going to do something then it’s time to send him home this election and put someone in that will do something.