Now that the harsh measures to eradicate citrus canker have scientific support, lawmakers should put them in writing to allay the emotional response of citrus tree owners.

It could be the plot of a science fiction movie, but the events are actually playing out in Florida. An unseen alien invader slips into the state and moves silently from host to host, sapping their health and turning them into carriers. The threat is not apparent to some citizens, however, so they resist their government's initial attempts to eradicate the invader. As the stalemate grows, the invader threatens to decimate the state.

The invader is citrus canker, a bacterial disease that attacks citrus trees, first disfiguring and then destroying them. It slipped into the state in the mid-1990s, apparently through the Miami airport, and has spread north through Broward County.

The proven eradication method is admittedly harsh. When a tree shows the telltale lesions on its leaves or fruit, the Florida Department of Agriculture digs up and destroys the tree and every other citrus tree (even those that appear healthy) in a 1,900-foot radius of the infected tree. Residents with backyard fruit trees in South Florida objected to the tactic, and the Agriculture Department did appear to be heavy-handed in early stages of the fight against canker. But residents are reimbursed: $100 for the first tree and $55 per tree after that. And they are allowed to replant two years after the canker is gone.

A handful of residents resolved to stop the state effort, and they nearly succeeded. Three legal challenges in Broward County have slowed the program. The state can still destroy trees that show signs of canker, but not nearby trees that appear to be healthy.

The arguments against the eradication effort are based on emotion. It is upsetting to lose a prized citrus tree. But the state has science on its side. A peer-reviewed study by federal and state scientists proved that 95-percent of the canker bacteria spreads within 1,900 feet of an infected tree. A nearby tree can become infected -- and more important, be a carrier -- before the cankers appear.

While state law allows the Agriculture Department to destroy trees that harbor and are "exposed to disease," two judges have rejected the state's tactics because the rules do not specifically mention the 1,900-foot zone. Meanwhile, a state map shows the spreading threat, with blotches of canker-infected trees now showing up in Palm Beach County.

The Florida Legislature can resolve the problem -- and should, as quickly as possible. Two bills (HB 1539 and SB 1926) address the issue. The House bill is responsive and would define "exposed to disease" as any tree within 1,900 feet. The Senate bill, on the other hand, would put another barrier in front of the Agriculture Department, requiring it to get a warrant signed by a judge for each property on which it wants to remove a tree. That could amount to thousands of warrants a day.

Here is what is at stake: If the state fails to stop the march of citrus canker, it could reach commercial groves in Central and South Florida. If canker appears on that fruit, the state would have to stop exporting fruit. Once a significant number of trees declined and began to die, both the juice and fruit industries would be under serious economic strain. Meanwhile, many backyard trees that some residents are trying to save would have already died.

The Florida citrus industry is valued at $9-billion. It is one of the state's most important economic engines. Yes, the cure for citrus canker is upsetting. But failure in the fight against disease is much worse.

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