APHIS Expands the European Cherry Fruit Fly (Rhagoletis cerasi) Quarantine in Niagara, Erie, and Orleans Counties, New York

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2019-09
May 20, 2019

Subject:  APHIS Expands the European Cherry Fruit Fly (Rhagoletis cerasi) Quarantine in Niagara, Erie, and Orleans Counties, New York

To: State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

Effective May 1, 2019, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) expanded the European cherry fruit fly (ECFF) quarantine to include all of Erie and Niagara Counties, and portions of Orleans County, New York. The quarantine contains approximately 534 acres of commercial cherry production. APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from this area. This measure parallels the intrastate quarantine that the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM) initiated on May 1, 2019.

On June 7, 2018, APHIS established a quarantine in the Niagara area of Niagara County. In 2018, APHIS confirmed ECFF in traps in Niagara County, New York. In cooperation with NYSDAM, APHIS is responding to these confirmed detections by expanding the quarantine area to encompass all of Erie and Niagara Counties and portions of Orleans County. The quarantine area covers approximately 1,612 square miles. APHIS is working with NYSDAM to respond to these detections following program survey and treatment protocols. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of ECFF to non-infested areas of the United States.

The expansion of this quarantine area is reflected on the following website, which contains a description of all of the current federal fruit fly quarantine areas:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/ff-quarantine

For additional information on the European cherry fruit fly quarantine area, please contact Fruit Fly National Policy Manager Richard Johnson at (301) 851-2109.

 

Osama El-Lissy
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine