USDA Establishes New Emergency Measures to Prevent Spread of Emerald Ash Borer

Plant Protection and Quarantine
June 21, 2004

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has established new emergency measures to be applied to Fraxinus spp. (ash) products imported to the United States from Canada. These emergency measures went into effect for all shipments exported on or after April 18, 2004.

In 2002, APHIS adopted domestic emergency regulations to restrict the movement of nursery stock and other plant materials that pose a risk for the spread of Agrilis planipennis (emerald ash borer–EAB), a destructive wood–boring insect that attacks ash trees. Consistent with these regulations, the following measures were implemented on
April 18, 2004.

From areas regulated for EAB:

Fraxinus spp. propagative material, except seeds, from counties regulated by the Canadian government.
Ash logs and wood with bark from a county regulated by the Canadian Government for EAB must be accompanied by a phytosanitary
certificate (PC) and meet one of the following conditions:

I. Debarked with an additional declaration (AD) stating that, “The articles in the shipment were debarked and vascular cambium was removed to a depth of 1.27 cm during the debarking process.”

II. Heat treated at a temperature of at least 71.1 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 75 minutes. The details of the treatment must be specified in the treatment section of the PC.

Ash wood chips or bark chips larger than 1 inch in diameter from a county regulated for EAB are prohibited importation into the United States.
Ash wood chips or bark chips 1 inch or less in diameter from a county regulated for EAB must be accompanied by a PC.
Import permits are required for logs, lumber, wood chips and bark chips.

From Canadian counties not regulated for EAB but located within a regulated province or territory:

Fraxinus spp. propagative material from Canadian counties not regulated for EAB, but located within a regulated province or territory, must be accompanied by a PC with an AD stating that, “The articles in the shipment were produced/harvested in a county where the EAB does not occur, based on official surveys.”
Ash logs and wood with bark from Canadian counties not regulated for EAB, but located within a regulated province or territory, must be
accompanied by a PC with an AD stating that, “The articles in the shipment were produced/harvested in a county where the
emerald ash borer does not occur, based on official surveys.”
Ash wood chips or bark chips from Canadian counties not regulated for EAB, but located within a regulated province or territory, must be
accompanied by a PC with an AD stating that, “The articles in the shipment were produced/harvested in a county where the emerald ash borer does not occur, based on official surveys.”
Import permits are required for logs, lumber, wood chips and bark chips.

From a province or territory in Canada that is not regulated for EAB:

Fraxinus spp. propagative material from all provinces and territories of Canada not regulated for EAB must be accompanied by a PC.
Ash logs and wood with bark that originate in a province or territory that is not infested with EAB must be accompanied by an importer document that certifies the articles are not from an area known to be infested by EAB.
Ash wood chips or bark chips that originate in a province or territory that is not regulated with EAB must be accompanied by an importer
document that certifies the articles are not from an area known to be infested by EAB.

Note: Regulated articles originating from nonregulated counties of Canada and transiting through a regulated county in Canada to the United States may enter the United States only if they are transported in containers that are sealed or closed, and if they move through the regulated county without delay.

Additional Information

For additional information, contact:
USDA, APHIS, PPQ
4700 River Road, Unit 133
Riverdale, MD 20737
Telephone: (301) 734–8758

Note to Stakeholders: Stakeholder announcements and other APHIS information are available on the Internet. Go to the APHIS home page at http://www.aphis.usda.gov. For additional information on this topic, contact Melissa O’Dell at
(301) 734–5222 or melissa.l.o’dell@aphis.usda.gov.

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