“We take protecting Saguaros very seriously,” said Hermes. “But there are different requirements, depending on where the Saguaro is.”

While a private landowner has a little more leeway on what they can do with a Saguaro on their own property, there are still some rules to follow.

Anyone wishing to move a Saguaro on their own property doesn’t need to do anything more than find a few strong backs and the right equipment. However, if you feel that giant cactus just has to go, you can’t simply cut it down with a chainsaw.

A private property owner wishing to remove a Saguaro from their property, or just have it destroyed, must contact the ADA 20 to 60 days prior to the planned removal. During that time, the department contacts Saguaro salvage companies who will remove the cactus at no cost.

“That cost usually is passed on to whoever buys the salvaged cactus, though,” said Hermes.

He cautions potential buyers to check the license of anyone selling Saguaros or other protected species, especially those selling along the side of the road.

“We’ve had cases where people go onto state land, remove the plants, and then try and sell them,” Hermes said, pointing to a recent court case that resulted in a person being fined $100,000 for illegally removing about 300 Mesquite trees from state land.

Planting a large Saguaro is an involved process, and buyers should be aware that it takes more than a few minutes and a shovel to do it. Consult with the seller or a local nursery on how to plant a Saguaro properly.

A landowner does have the right to sell or give away the Saguaro, but a protected plant species may not be “legally possessed, taken or transported from the growing site without a permit,” according to the agriculture department.

Permit fees range from $5 to $25, depending on use. The lower‑end fees typically are for one‑time use, while the higher fees are annual charges. Check out the ADA Web site www.azda.gov for more information.

To illustrate how serious the ADA takes the issue, Hermes pointed out, in response to a hypothetical situation presented by The Desert Advocate, that a person cannot even use a Saguaro growing on their own property for target practice.

“That’s damaging the cactus, and that means you would have to notify us and seek a permit for destruction of a protected species.”

Developers can apply for one permit to handle all protected plant species on their land, but Hermes said no protected species may be destroyed in the course of construction without getting that permit.

Patrick Brasington, chief ranger for the Phoenix District of the Bureau of Land Management, said Saguaros are regulated by the state and that no one may remove or damage a Saguaro on state or federal land.

Anyone caught damaging a Saguaro faces penalties, including a fine and possibly jail time.

“It’s a Class A misdemeanor, which is punishable with a fine and up to one year in prison,” said Brasington. “Not to mention we can charge them with damage to government property and theft of resources.”

The fine for most violations is $250, according to Brasington, but that doesn’t include the cost of damages, which currently is $12 per foot of cactus height, plus rehabilitation charges.

However, each arm of the cactus is also counted as part of the height. For example, he said a person convicted of destroying a 19‑foot Saguaro with five arms would face a fine of about $2,000.

Brasington related that his office gets around 100 reports of damage to protected plants each year, but only about 40 of those are they able to pursue to some degree; and, even worse, only about a dozen cases a year are backed up with enough evidence to take to court.

The ADA hotline for anyone witnessing destruction of protected plants is 602‑364‑0907.