The state's chain saws are about to fire up again, this time targeting 967 backyard citrus trees in east and southwest Orange County. This was expected -- homeowners' efforts to stave off the Department of Agriculture were rejected by the courts in January.
The Orlando Sentinel's March 18 story on the increasingly tense situation featured a curious side bar: a
Q&A pulled directly off the Department of Agriculture's website. You'd think the ag department would be a good source for reliable information.
Not so when the topic is canker. Several respected plant pathologists have derided the science behind eradication as bunk, and at least one judge in Broward County has agreed, stopping the program twice. Further, many activists and homeowners think the state is stomping on property rights in the name of protecting the powerful citrus industry.
But you didn't hear that from the Sentinel. Only one story even mentioned the other side.