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  [**Florida                                                     
  Citrus**:]{.smallcaps}                                         
  Abandoned acreage by                                           
  county                                                         
  ------------------------ --------- ------------- ------------- -------------
  County                   Parcels   Abandoned                   

                                     Grove         Understory    Total

                                     *Acres*                     

  Brevard                  490       5,873         70            5,943

  Charlotte                201       2,634         0             2,634

  Citrus                   10        192           0             192

  Collier                  29        522           0             522

  DeSoto                   493       5,473         0             5,473

  Glades                   33        557           0             557

  Hardee                   469       3,394         0             3,394

  Hendry                   400       12,259        37            12,296

  Hernando                 46        839           0             839

  Highlands                186       2,105         0             2,105

  Hillsborough             506       3,952         0             3,952

  Indian River             786       13,781        0             13,781

  Lake                     782       9,290         754           10,044

  Lee                      107       887           0             887

  Manatee                  324       3,067         0             3,067

  Marion                   23        212           0             212

  Martin                   278       11,114        0             11,114

  Okeechobee               56        1,092         0             1,092

  Orange                   261       2,530         0             2,530

  Osceola                  322       2,860         0             2,860

  Palm Beach               176       5,857         0             5,857

  Pasco                    224       2,158         243           2,401

  Polk                     1,329     11,640        19            11,659

  Putnam                   14        117           0             117

  Sarasota                 22        347           0             347

  Seminole                 95        762           0             762

  St. Lucie                750       24,737        548           25,285

  Volusia                  175       1,538         0             1,538

  Others ^1/^              10        80            0             80

  Total                    8,597     129,869       1,671         131,540

  ^1/^ Alachua and                                               
  Pinellas counties.                                             
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**[Abandoned Acreage]{.smallcaps}**

In conjunction with the biennial tree census to update records of active
commercial groves, additional information was collected on abandoned
citrus acreage. Since counties or portions of counties without
commercial citrus may not have been visited, these numbers do not
represent the total of all abandoned acres. More accurate numbers could
be attained with additional surveys for this purpose. Results of this
first survey include 129,869 abandoned acres and 1,671 acres of
understory citrus for a total of 131,540 acres located in 8,597 parcels
across 30 counties.

St. Lucie County leads with 25,285 abandoned acres, nearly as much as
the next two counties combined. Following are Indian River with 13,781
and Hendry with 12,296. Others with more than 10,000 abandoned acres, in
descending order, are Polk (11,659), Martin (11,114), and Lake (10,044).
An additional 13 counties have 1,000 or more acres abandoned.

A grove of trees is abandoned with any of the following conditions: no
production care during the past season, indicated by high weed growth or
by "fire hazard" cultivation only to maintain an agricultural exemption;
livestock present; weather damaged or unpruned trees that are not
economically feasible to maintain; trees pruned after a freeze but with
no further care; or unharvested fruit. Growers or caretakers were also
contacted to determine the status in some cases. Abandoned understory
acres refers to pine stands with unintentional, feral, or abandoned
citrus trees scattered throughout.

Field personnel were instructed to determine the status of all abandoned
groves marked on the quad maps used for the tree census. Additionally,
if any unmarked citrus was found during the performance of regular
census activities, the maps were to be updated to show such parcels.
Some known abandoned areas away from other active groves were marked on
county maps for special visits. Members of the office staff were
utilized to check the status of such areas in nearby counties.

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