A new law is cracking down on saw palmetto berry bandits, known for stealing the valuable resource that grows in Southwest Florida and selling them by the pound. Collier County Sheriff’s Office Agriculture Unit has new laws and consequences for the palmetto berry harvesting season this year. Berries must be harvested with written permission from the landowner and have a written permit from the Florida Department of Agriculture. Failing to do so is a first-degree felony punishable by up to a year in jail, while buying and possessing unlawfully harvested palmetto berries is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison, WINK News reports.