Changes in federal P. ramorum regulations

As of 12/10/12, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) amended the federal order (FO) regarding advance notification for interstate shipments of P. ramorum high-risk host nursery stock.  Interstate shipments of Camellia, Kalmia, Pieris, Rhododendron (including Azalea), and Viburnum nursery stock from all 14 quarantine California counties and Curry County, OR must continue to provide written notification to non-regulated states.  However, only previously (since 2010) or newly positive nurseries in the regulated areas of California, Oregon, and Washington shipping any species of Camellia, Kalmia, Pieris, Rhododendron (including Azalea), and Viburnum to non-regulated states are now required to pre-notify.  Nurseries located in the regulated areas with no positive detections for the last 3 consecutive years are no longer required to pre-notify.  In the future, if P. ramorum is detected at a nursery in the regulated area, it will also be required to provide pre-notifications.  The above revision to the FO removed the pre-notification requirement for hundreds of nurseries that have never been positive for P. ramorum.

APHIS and the state regulatory agencies in CA, OR, and WA jointly reviewed the history of nurseries in the regulated areas and determined which ones are affected by the FO. Nurseries that need to comply have been notified. Affected nurseries must comply with the requirement while under the Confirmed Nursery Protocol and for two years after release. Advance notifications serve as an additional source of information for states receiving high-risk P. ramorum host nursery stock and at the same time minimize burden on the regulatory agencies and the nursery industry.  Any newly positive nursery is required to provide the state and APHIS with trace information.

To access the FO and guidance document, go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/pram/index.shtml.  For more information, contact Prakash Hebbar at (301) 851-2228 or prakash.hebbar@aphis.usda.gov or Stacy Scott at (970) 494-7577 or stacy.e.scott@aphis.usda.gov.

From the February COMTF newsletter.