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

FEDERAL ORDER  

Domestic Quarantine of Multiple Counties in North Carolina and Tennessee

for Imported Fire Ant

(Solenopsis invicta Buren, Solenopsis richteri Forel and hybrids of these species)

 DA-2018-11

April 17, 2018

 

This Federal Order expands the existing imported fire ant (IFA) quarantine areas in North Carolina and Tennessee.

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), which 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 and is likewise issued pursuant to the regulations promulgated under the Plant Protection Act found at 7 CFR 301.81.

Effective immediately, the below-listed areas for red and black imported fire ants (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 the states of North Carolina and Tennessee, described in the attached document.  The Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) finds it is necessary to quarantine these areas in order to prevent the spread of IFA.  Effective immediately, all interstate movement of IFA regulated articles from the listed areas must be done in accordance with the regulations promulgated pursuant to the Plant Protection Act and found at 7 CFR 301.81 et seq. and in the Federal Orders which are located at the following APHIS website: 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-heath/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 Administrator of APHIS has determined 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 enforces an intrastate IFA quarantine that is equivalent to the Federal IFA regulations.  The States have established intra-state 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 State.

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.

NORTH CAROLINA

 Warren County – The entire county.

TENNESSEE

Cumberland County – The entire county.

Hamblen County – The entire county.

Jefferson County – The entire county.

Trousdale County– That portion of the county lying southeast of the Cumberland River.

For additional information on the Federal IFA regulatory program, please contact the 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.