WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Letter of the Law: Rustling of Saguaro Cacti in Arizona

Episode Date: April 5, 2024

On this episode of Letter of the Law, host Megan Pidcock discusses the rules and regulations surrounding Saguaro Cacti in Arizona. 

Court is in session with Letter of the Law on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. Today we will be taking a trip to Arizona, where it is illegal to tear down a saguaro cactus on federal land. There is perhaps no iconic plant quite like the saguaro cacti in the American West. They are native to the Sonoran Desert, which is primarily in Arizona in the upper part of Mexico. You may have been to the Saguaro National Park, which is in Arizona, and that's where the public can go to get up close and personal to the prickly plants. Sugaro cacti are impressive. They can grow up to 60 feet high, though they grow extremely slowly,

only achieving under two inches of growth in 10 years. They also have very long lifespans and can live for over 200 years. The oldest known saguaro plant, nicknamed Old Granddaddy, was estimated to be 300 years old when it started to die in the 1990s. When it finally gave out, the cacti was over 50 feet tall and had 25 arms. Because of their elevated status, Arizona has a history. of cactus wrestling. The term refers to when people smuggle chopped down cacti out of their native habitat to sell to other places, mostly for landscaping purposes. The problem has become so prevalent

that rangers have started microchipping and keeping track of the cacti that way. There has also been efforts to actively plant and grow new cacti. Park workers have been fairly successful in stopping these cacti thieves from the National Park themselves, but there has been a frustration at the lack of federal regulation and prosecution for these crimes. As for private land, landowners can do what they want with rocacti on their properties, they just have to notify the Arizona Department of Agriculture before they do anything. So if you ever give Arizona a visit, keep an eye out for the giant saguaroes, just maybe pick a different souvenir to take home. This has been Megan Pitcock on Letter of the Law. If you want to hear more of Letter of the Law

or other student shows like this, go to Radiofreehillsdale.com. Once again, you're listening to Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.