XPost: sci.agriculture.fruit, alt.california, sac.politics   
   XPost: talk.politics.misc   
   From: noreply@mixmin.net   
      
   A longtime Escondido nursery owner says California is destroying tens of   
   thousands of healthy citrus plants and refusing to reimburse him.   
      
   A local nursery owner in Escondido is suing the state of California in   
   federal court, claiming state agriculture crews are destroying tens of   
   thousands of his plants without compensation.   
      
   Mark Collins, the owner of Evergreen Wholesale, said state agriculture   
   employees began destroying about 32,000 citrus plants at his nursery   
   this week. The business has operated in Escondido for about 20 years and   
   has been in the plant-growing industry for roughly 80 years.   
      
   “It’s tough,” Collins said. “They’re destroying our citrus crop.”   
      
   According to Collins, roughly 25 state agriculture workers are on site   
   in northern Escondido, removing plants he intended to sell.   
      
   “Thirty-two thousand plants,” Collins said. “Yeah. Really bad for   
   business."   
      
   Collins said this is the first time something like this has happened in   
   his family’s decades-long history in the nursery business. He said   
   inspectors discovered the Asian citrus psyllid bug in some trees about   
   five miles away and determined those trees were carrying a devastating   
   disease.   
      
   “Huanglongbing is the name of the disease,” Collins said.   
      
   Collins said the trees where the bug was found were discovered two years   
   ago, before the plants now being destroyed even existed.   
      
   “I understand that the industry needs to try to protect itself,” Collins   
   said.   
      
   Collins said he followed every protocol ordered by the state, including   
   spraying and defending his property.   
      
   “Well, they never found a bug here, ever,” Collins said.   
      
   Instead of testing or inspecting his property for the bug and disease,   
   Collins claims, the state opted to destroy the plants.   
      
   “Our plants, as you can see, they’re healthy and nothing’s wrong with   
   them,” said Rollie, an Evergreen Wholesale employee.   
      
   “So, the only guy who’s lost any money in the whole deal so far is me,”   
   Collins said.   
      
   Collins estimates his losses could reach up to $3 million, which, he   
   said. is why he decided to sue thesState of California in federal court.   
   He said state officials have no intention of reimbursing him for the   
   plants.   
      
   The state employee in charge at the site declined to speak with NBC San   
   Diego. Multiple questions sent to Sacramento went unanswered as of   
   Tuesday evening. A California Department of Food and Agriculture   
   spokesman emailed a statement five days later:   
      
   "Huanglongbing (HLB) is a dangerous pest that can devastate citrus   
   plants across large areas. Its infection of citrus trees is difficult to   
   detect as infected trees can appear to be healthy and even falsely test   
   negative for a long time before showing symptoms. Therefore,   
   California’s regulatory requirements aim to protect the citrus industry   
   by preventing accidental spread of the disease. Abatement on residential   
   and other properties in quarantine areas is necessary because of these   
   conditions."   
      
   The statement continued, "The abatement action taken on Evergreen   
   Nursery was conducted pursuant to an administrative decision and order   
   after a multiday formal hearing at which Evergreen Nursery was   
   represented by counsel. The abatement was necessary because the nursery   
   opted not to comply with the requirements in the California Code of   
   Regulations applicable to all citrus nursery stock in the quarantine   
   zone. The quarantine zone was imposed based on the detection of HLB, and   
   additional infected trees have subsequently been found in the area."   
      
   Adding to Collins’ frustration, he said, is the fact that the state is   
   only destroying citrus plants in pots and not citrus trees planted in   
   the ground that have been there for more than two years.   
      
   For now, Collins said, all he can do is watch as state agriculture crews   
   continue destroying thousands of plants at his Escondido nursery.   
      
   https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/escondido-nursery-owner-sues-calif   
   ornia-as-state-destroys-32000-plants/3967949/   
      
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