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• Phytophthora Ramorum - Sudden Oak Death

Phytophthora ramorum

Background
Since the early 1990s, oaks and tanoaks have been dying in the coastal counties of California. Since then, other types of plants have been found to be infected or associated with this disease, referred to as Sudden Oak Death (SOD), ramorum leaf blight or ramorum dieback. Phytophthora ramorum is the pathogen that causes these diseases. Sudden Oak Death was first reported in 1995 in Mill Valley (Marin County) on tanoak. Since that time, the pathogen has been confirmed on various native hosts in fifteen coastal California counties (Marin, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Napa, San Mateo, Monterey, Santa Clara, Mendocino, Solano, Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Trinity, Lake, and San Francisco), and in Curry County, Oregon. Through ongoing surveys, APHIS-PPQ continues to define the extent of the pathogen’s distribution in the US and limit its artificial spread beyond infected areas through quarantine and a public education program. 

News and Information

• Discussions on P. ramorum Regulatory Concept
  • Phytophthora ramorum Program Past, Present, and Future Direction (PDF; 1.77 Mb)
  • Re-assessing Phtytophthora ramorum Regulatory Framework - Impact of Pathogen Presence in Commercial Nurseries and Wild Land Environments (PDF; 179 Kb)
• Phytotophthora ramorum: Stopping the Spread (brochure)
• Pest Risk Assessment
• National Pest Alert (PDF; 254 Kb)
• Frequently Asked Questions About the Interim Rule (4/4/07) (PDF; 72 Kb)
• On-Line Resources 

Regulatory Updates

• APHIS Changes Requirements for Movement of Soil from Phytophthora ramorum Quarantined Areas for Analysis  (6/1/16) (PDF 88; Kb)
• APHIS Revises Phytophthora ramorum Domestic Quarantine by Deregulating Areas in California, Oregon, and Washington (4/3/15) (PDF; 28 Kb)
• APHIS Expands Phytophthora ramorum Quarantine in California to Include Trinity County (4/3/15) (PDF; 45 Kb)
• APHIS Revises Phytophthora ramorum Domestic Quarantine Regulatory Requirements for Certain Host Nurseries (01/10/14)(PDF;76 kb)
• Phytophthora ramorum (ramorum blight, ramorum dieback, sudden oak death) Listing and Regulation of a Plant Species Reported to be Associated with P. ramorum (10/23/13) (PDF)
• APHIS Expands Phytophthora ramorum Quarantine Area in Curry County, Oregons (8/23/13) (PDF; 24Kb)
• APHIS Revises Phytophthora ramorum Domestic Quarantine Relieving Regulatory Requirements for Certain Non-host Nurseries (7/3/13) (PDF; 60 Kb)
• Federal Order: APHIS Revises Federal Order Requiring Notification for Phytophthora ramorum high-risk hosts December 2012 (PDF; 48 Kb)
  • Revised FO Guidance Document December 2012 PDF; 155 Kb)
  • State Plant Regulatory Contacts for Notification Requirement (PDF; 163 Kb)
• Federal Order: Restrictions on P. ramorum Host Plant Imports April 18, 2012 (PDF; 43 Kb)
• New Host Plants Added to P. ramorum Regulations (1/25/12) (PDF; 100 Kb)   

Regulations

• Federal Regulations
• Regulated Host List
• Quarantined and Regulated Counties Map (PDF; 88 Kb) 

Program Updates and Reviews

• Program Updates
• National Program Review
• National Quality Assurance Program Review
• APHIS - National Plant Board Phytophthora ramorum Regulatory Working Group Report (PDF; 1.75 Mb) 

Protocols

• Diagnostic
• Sampling
• Response
• Survey 

Contact:

William Wesela
National Policy Manager
Telephone: 301-851-2229
E-mail: William.D.Wesela@aphis.usda.gov