Tyrone Kemp (301) 734-8807
Jerry Redding (202) 720-4623
USDA AMENDS REGULATIONS TO PROHIBIT INTERSTATE MOVEMENT OF CITRUS NURSERY STOCK
WASHINGTON, March 26--The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is amending its citrus canker regulations to prohibit, with limited exceptions, the interstate movement of regulated nursery stock from the state of Florida.
APHIS is taking this action to clarify its regulations and to address the high risk of disease spread associated with the interstate movement of nursery stock from areas quarantined for citrus canker. The movement of infected nursery stock has been identified worldwide as a major pathway for the spread of citrus canker.
Calamondin and kumquat plants, which are highly resistant to citrus canker, may move interstate from quarantined areas to areas other than commercial citrus-producing areas only if they are shipped from the nursery premises where they originated. In addition, calamondin and kumquat growers must follow prescribed protocols to ensure that their kumquat and calamondin plants are citrus canker free. In addition, the regulations will continue to allow the movement of citrus nursery stock from the quarantined areas for immediate export.
This interim rule clarifies a provision in APHIS’ Aug. 1, 2006, interim rule that quarantined the entire state of Florida for citrus canker and amended the regulations for fruit movement from quarantined areas. The language in the August 2006 interim rule could be interpreted as allowing the interstate movement of citrus nursery stock if certain inspection and decontamination procedures were met. This was not the intent of the rule. This action removes any ambiguity in the citrus canker regulations and protects against the spread of the disease to other citrus-producing states.
Citrus canker is a disease that causes lesions on the leaves, stems and fruit of citrus trees. While not harmful to humans, the disease affects the health and marketability of infected fruit. It is spread by wind and rain. Despite a 10-year effort to eradicate the disease from Florida, an unprecedented series of storms in 2004 and 2005 spread the disease to the point where eradication is no longer possible.
The interim rule was effective March 16 and is published in the March 22 Federal Register.
Consideration will be given to comments received on or before May 21. Send an original and three copies of postal mail or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0032, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 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, select “Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service” from the agency drop-down menu; then click on “Submit.” In the Docket ID column, select APHIS-2007-0032 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
Comments are posted on the Regulations.gov Web site and may also be reviewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th St. and Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C., between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Please call (202) 690-2817 to facilitate entry into the comment reading room.
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