APHIS Expands the Sweet Orange Scab Quarantined Area in California

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FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA‑2024‑36
                                                                                 September 10, 2024

Subject:  APHIS Expands the Sweet Orange Scab Quarantined Area in California

To:   State, Tribal, and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

Effective immediately, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is expanding the areas quarantined for sweet orange scab (SOS), caused by the fungus Elsinöe australis, in California. APHIS is expanding the quarantined area in Riverside County by 5.67 square miles. APHIS is taking this action because of SOS detections in plant tissue samples collected from residential properties in Riverside County. There is no commercial citrus impacted by this expansion.

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures on the interstate movement of regulated articles from the quarantined areas in California. These measures parallel the intrastate quarantines that CDFA established on May 28, 2024. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of SOS to non‑infested areas of the United States.

The specific changes to the quarantined areas in California can be found on the APHIS sweet orange scab website. 

For additional information you may contact:

Abby R. Stilwell 
National Policy Manager
(919) 323‑6296
abby.r.stilwell@usda.gov

Daniel Murphy
Assistant National Policy Manager
(775) 221-9237
daniel.m.murphy@usda.gov 

 

/s/

Dr. Mark L Davidson 
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine