Expansion of Quarantine Areas for the Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren, S. richteri Forel, and hybrids of these species)

 

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2017-21

  June 9, 2017 

 

 

Subject:         Expansion of Quarantine Areas for the Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren, S. richteri Forel, and hybrids of these species)

 

To:                 State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

 

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is issuing a revised Federal Order that expands the existing imported fire ant (IFA) quarantine areas in North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, and better defines a portion of the quarantine area in California. APHIS is taking this action to prevent the interstate spread of IFA.

 

The following list describes the actions in this Federal Order:

• California: Corrects a boundary in the Moreno Valley area of Riverside County. 
• North Carolina: Extends the IFA quarantine area to the entire county for Catawba, Northampton, Rowan, and Rutherford Counties and to portions of Burke County.
• Oklahoma: Extends the IFA quarantine area to the entire county for Latimer County.
• Tennessee: Extends the IFA quarantine area to the entire county for Cocke, Dekalb, and Wilson Counties and to portions of Union County in Tennessee.

APHIS is taking these actions based upon verification from the respective state departments of agriculture that IFA are present and established in the areas listed above.

The Federal Domestic Quarantine Order is attached. If you wish more details on the federal IFA regulatory program, please contact IFA National Policy Manager Richard Johnson at (301) 851-2109.

Osama El-Lissy

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine

 

 

FEDERAL ORDER

 

Domestic Quarantine for Areas in California, North Carolina,

Oklahoma, and Tennessee for Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren,

Solenopsis richteri Forel and hybrids of these species)

 

DA-2017-21

June 9, 2017

 

 

This Federal Order expands the existing imported fire ant (IFA) quarantine areas in North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, and better defines a portion of the quarantine area in California.

 

This Federal Order is issued pursuant to the regulatory authority provided by the Plant Protection Act of June 20, 2000, as amended, Section 412 (a), 7 U.S.C. 7712 (a). The Act authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to prohibit or restrict the movement in interstate commerce of any plant, plant part, or article, if the Secretary determines the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent the dissemination of a plant pest within the United States. This Federal Order is also issued pursuant to the regulations promulgated under the Plant Protection Act found at 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 301.81.

 

Effective immediately, this Federal Order quarantines the below-listed areas for red and black IFA (Solenopsis invicta Buren and Solenopsis richteri Forel, respectively), and hybrids of these species. This action is in response to the new detection in portions of North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee and to correct a quarantine boundary in California. Thus, the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) finds it is necessary to quarantine these areas to prevent the spread of IFA.

 

CALIFORNIA

Riverside County– Quarantine area boundary correction: The portion in the Moreno Valley area bounded by a line beginning at the intersection of Sunnymead Ranch Parkway and Pigeon Pass Road; then, northerly along Pigeon Pass Road to its intersection with Hidden Springs Drive; then, easterly along an Imaginary Line to its intersection with the Moreno Valley City Boundary at 33.983286 latitude and -117.261173 longitude; then, easterly along said boundary to its intersection with Reche Vista Drive; then, southerly along said drive to its intersection with Canyon Ranch Road; then, southerly along said road to its intersection with Valley Ranch Road; then, northeasterly along said road to its intersection with Michael Way; then, southerly along said way to its intersection with Casey Court; then, easterly along said court to its intersection with an Imaginary Line at 33.975481 latitude and -117.226616 longitude; then, southerly along said line to its intersection with an Imaginary Line at 33.973979 latitude and -117.224614 longitude; then, southerly along said line to its intersection with an Imaginary Line at 33.971381 latitude and -117.223620 longitude; then, southerly along said line to its intersection with an Imaginary Line at 33.961474 latitude and -117.223814 longitude; then, easterly along said line to its intersection with Pico Vista Way at 33.961348 latitude and -117.221281 longitude; then, southwesterly along said way to its intersection with Los Olivos Drive; then, southerly along said drive to its intersection with Jaclyn Avenue; then, westerly along said avenue to its intersection with Perris Boulevard; then, southerly along Perris Boulevard to its intersection with an Imaginary Line at 33.953944 latitude and -117.226486 longitude; then, westerly along said line to its intersection with Kalmia Avenue; then, westerly along said avenue to its intersection with Hubbard Street; then, northerly along said street to its intersection with Nightfall Way; then, westerly along said way to its intersection with Sundial Way; then, southwesterly along said way to its intersection with Indian Street; then, southerly along said street to its intersection with Ebbtide Lane; then, westerly along said lane to its intersection with Ridgecrest Lane, then, southerly along said lane to its intersection with Moonraker Lane; then, westerly along said lane to its intersection with Davis Street; then, southerly along said street to its intersection with Gregory Lane; then, westerly along said lane to its intersection with McCully Court; then, southerly along said court to its intersection with Cockatiel Drive; then, westerly along said drive to its intersection with Bale Creek at 33.951400 latitude and -117.246061 longitude; then, northerly along said creek to its intersection with Old Lake Drive; then, easterly along said drive to its intersection with Sunnymead Ranch Parkway; then, northwesterly along said parkway to the point of the beginning.

 

NORTH CAROLINA

• Burke County – The portion of the county south of U.S. Highway 70 (US-70).

• Catawba County – The entire county.

• Northampton County – The entire county.

• Rowan County – The entire county.

• Rutherford County – The entire county.

 

OKLAHOMA

• Latimer County – The entire county.

 

TENNESSEE

• Cocke County – The entire county.

• Dekalb County – The entire county.

• Union County – That portion of the county lying southeast of a line beginning at the Anderson/Union County line along Tennessee Highway 170 and then continuing northeast along Tennessee Highway 170 until reaching Tennessee Highway 33 and then continuing northeast along Tennessee Highway 33 until reaching the Union/Claiborne County line.

• Wilson County– The entire county.

Effective immediately, all interstate movement of IFA regulated articles from the listed areas must be done in accordance with any applicable provisions of this Federal Order and the regulations promulgated pursuant to the Plant Protection Act found at 7 CFR 301.81 et seq. and the Federal Orders which are located at the following APHIS website:

 

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/ifa

 

Section 7 CFR 301.81-3(a) allows the designation of less than an entire state as a IFA quarantined area only when the APHIS Administrator has determined—as in this case—that the designation of less than an entire state as a quarantined IFA area is adequate to prevent the interstate spread of infestations of this pest. In addition, 7 CFR 301.81-3(b) requires that the state enforce an intrastate IFA quarantine that is equivalent to the federal IFA regulations. The state plant regulatory officials for these four states have established intrastate quarantines for the areas listed that mirror the federal regulatory requirements as specified in 7 CFR 301.81.

 

Section 7 CFR 301.81-3 (d) provides for the temporary designation of new quarantined areas pending publication of a rule to add areas to the list shown in 7 CFR 301.81-3(c). Section 7 CFR 301.81-3 (d) further requires written notification be given to the owner or person in possession of a newly quarantined area. This is the responsibility of the federal and/or state regulatory personnel responsible for the IFA program in the affected states.

 

Previous Federal Orders pertaining to the expansion of quarantined areas in the IFA regulations have been necessary due to the ongoing delimitation of the IFA infestation in various states. This Federal Order further expands the quarantined areas as described in the IFA domestic regulations and previous Federal Orders.

 

If you wish for more details on the federal IFA regulatory program, you may contact IFA National Policy Manager Richard Johnson at (301) 851-2109.

 

We appreciate the cooperative relationships with the affected states in our effort to prevent the spread of IFA.