Native Plant Conservation Campaign News: Native plant poachers apprehended in several California counties, face up to 10 years in prison, thousands of dollars in fines
July 29, 2019
Help stop plant theft from public lands! Report plant poachers! They will be prosecuted!
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California is joining the list of states protecting native plants by arresting and fining poachers and smugglers.
At least four arrests have been made of people poaching Dudleya species, a native coastal succulent. In one incident, three men were charged with stealing more than 3,700 plants worth approximately $600,000 from public lands in the north of the state. The three face up to 10 years in prison if convicted on state and federal charges.
In a Central California case, a woman was sentenced to 179 days in jail and will pay more than $10,000 in fines for similar offences. Her husband, an accomplice, was sentenced to 40 days in jail and ordered to pay $4,018 in fines, according to the Salinas Californian. In addition, they must donate $10,000 to the state’s fund to fight succulent thieves. It is the fourth successful prosecution of plant theft from public lands in California, with more investigations underway.
The plants were to be shipped overseas to countries where they have become extremely popular as houseplants and decorations.
When possible, recovered poached plants are returned to their habitats by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Native Plant Society, California Plant Rescue and others.The Washington Post states “Dudleya, a genus encompassing dozens of species native to the West Coast, plays a crucial role in the delicate ecosystems of California’s wind-battered cliffs, where they help to fight erosion. Some of those species are considered threatened or endangered, and the population has recently been devastated by wildfires. Now, experts worry that the rarest types of Dudleya could be driven to extinction if poachers keep ripping out thousands at a time.”
Unfortunately, although Dudleya thrive in some of the harshest habitats in California, living on steep, often crumbling costal bluffs, exposed to brutal drought, wind, salt and rain, they are ill suited to international travel. Away from their native ecosystems and environment, they often sicken and die.
In May, a cactus smuggler was sentenced to 2-years and fined $22,000 for stealing more than 500 native cacti from National Park Service land in Arizona.
Help protect plants on public lands!
If you observe people removing endangered or other plants from parks and other public lands, report the problem to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or to your state fish and wildlife management agency!
Photos: Plants ready for restoration; CNPS volunteers remove non native ice plant from Dudleya habitat (c) Bob Rutemoeller, California Native Plant Society
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