Press Release

Melissa O’Dell (301) 734-5222
Jerry Redding (202) 720-6959

USDA AMENDS EMERALD ASH BORER QUARANTINED AREAS

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2005–The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service today announced it is amending its existing emerald ash borer (EAB) regulations by adding areas in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio to the list of quarantined areas, and is restricting the interstate movement of regulated articles from these quarantined areas.

Intensive surveys conducted by APHIS, along with state, county and city inspectors, have confirmed infestations of EAB outside the quarantined areas, specifically in parts of the Grand Traverse and Montcalm counties, Mich.; Lima and Newbury townships in LaGrange County, Ind.; and Auglaize, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood counties, Ohio, prompting the need to expand the quarantine to include these areas.

This action is necessary to prevent the artificial spread of EAB from infested areas in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio to noninfested areas of the United States.

EAB is an invasive species of wood-boring beetles, native to China and eastern Asia that targets ash trees in North America. It was first detected in July of 2002 in southeastern Michigan and has since been found in Ohio, Indiana, Maryland and Virginia. EAB quarantines restrict the movement of all hardwood species of firewood, nursery stock and green lumber, among other items.

This interim rule became effective Oct. 25 and was published in the Oct. 31 Federal Register.

Consideration will be given to comments received on or before Dec. 30. Send an original and three copies of postal mail or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. 05-067-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. If you wish to submit a comment using the Internet, go to the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov and, in the “Search for Open Regulation” box, select “Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service” from the agency drop-down menu, then click on “Submit.” In the Docket ID column, select APHIS-2005-0099 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically.

Comments are posted on the Regulations.gov Web siteand may also be viewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th St. and Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C., between 8 a.m. and 4:40 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. To facilitate entry into the comment reading room, please call (202) 690-2817.

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