Citrus-Tree Removal Postponed

Faced with a homeowner revolt, Florida agriculture officials said they will stop cutting down people’s backyard citrus trees for two days while they train workers to help soothe residents’ feelings.

The state will train the 100 additional workers on Monday and Tuesday to talk to those whose trees are infected with a crop-destroying strain of bacteria, Agriculture Commissioner Bob Crawford said.

The announcement comes after numerous complaints and at least two armed standoffs between work crews and homeowners in recent weeks.

The crews are trying to destroy citrus canker, a type of bacteria that causes oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes and other fruits to fall prematurely. The outbreak, confined mostly to the southern part of the state, poses a major threat to Florida’s $8.5 billion citrus industry.

There is no chemical that will kill canker in plant tissue. As a result, more than 750,000 trees have been cut down and burned since 1995 in three Miami-area counties.