Posted by mark johannessen
on 10/28/2008, 9:04 pm
Message modified by board administrator 10/29/2008, 9:20 pm
Tom, I would like to relate to the fellow cycad folks my experience today. If you feel this is inappropriate, you may delete this post.
I want others to know of my experience, and say that if this scenario should ever unfold to me personally again, I will just 'call the authorities, and say noting to the business owner. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mark C. Johannessen
**********************
Las Vegas, NV 89118
28 October 2008
(702) ***-****
Department of Agriculture
Division of Plant Industry
350 Capital Hill Avenue
Reno, NV 89502
Dears Sirs:
I am an amateur cycad enthusiast here in Las Vegas. I have a passion for cycads. I often browse local nurseries and look at the plants. Today I decided to check out a particular nursery I always liked and had a good selection of plants, where I had been shopping for over 20 years. On the 28 th of October I was browsing at the '***** ***** *******' at **** *. *********** ****., Las Vegas, Nevada at approximately 4:30.p.m. I happenned to see a Cycas Revoluta I believe was a 65 gallon container that possibly was infected with the Asian Scale. It was covering the undersides of the leaves with a 'white snow-like' appearance. The infection appeared more severe near the leaf bases, but in general, covered the entire leaf undersides. Firstly, I want to point out that I am not an expert in this area, and my knoweldge is limited to my membership in the cycad society and various other websites. My concern is that I do know there is an asian scale that kills cycads, and threatens the industry in Florida. I informed who I believe was the nursery owner, he always wears a yellow shirt, and he looked at the plant, and he said it possibly looked like a scale, and that he would 'take care of it'. I left the nursery, got in my car, and spoke with a friend who is a nurseryman of cycads in California, ************. He told me the 'asian scale' is a very extremely dangerous pest and that extreme care should be taken in the handling of this matter. I went back to speak with the man in the 'yellow' shirt, and I told him that maybe it's not the asian scale, BUT he should handle the plant carefully, and treat it like a 'quarantine hazard' and remove the plant from the vicinity of the other cycads. They did indeed remove the plant. A guy with a forklift took the plant away, and unfortunately, brushed it against the other cycads along the way. This made me cringe, as they possibly infected other plants. At this point the 'yellow shirt' man went to the back office, saying he was gonna make some calls, and I waited in the front by the register to see if I felt confident they'd handle the matter 'properly'. About 3-4 minutes later another man, similar in age, approached me and asked me what I wanted. I told him I wanted to talk to the 'yellow-shirt' man, and he angrily called me a 'troublemaker' and said they had no time to talk to me, and then angrilly asked me to leave. So I did. Since this possibly is a serious concern, and my faith that 'the right thing' would be done had been shattered,I therefore submit to you my experience and ask that this be 'checked-on' and investigated by the appropriate authorities. I ask that I be contacted at (702) 217-3089, to let me know what the results of your investigation reveal.
Sincerely,
_________________
Mark C. Johannessen
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