APHIS Updates the Citrus Black Spot (Guignardia citricarpa) Quarantine Area in Florida

FOR INFORMATION

DA-2019-16

June 25, 2019

 

 Subject:             APHIS Updates the Citrus Black Spot (Guignardia citricarpa) Quarantine Area in Florida

 

 To:                     State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

 

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is adding eight sections in Charlotte County, nine sections in Lee County, 28 sections in Hendry County, and five sections in Collier County to the citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida. This action is in response to the confirmation of CBS during annual surveys conducted by APHIS and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry (DPI). The quarantine is updated annually at the completion of our residential and grove surveys for CBS. The expansion marks the first time that CBS has been detected on a residential property since the disease was first found in Florida in 2010.

 

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement or entry into foreign trade of regulated articles from the quarantine. Regulated articles from quarantine areas are subject to all interstate movement conditions outlined in a Federal Order that APHIS issued on March 16, 2012. The requirements of the Federal Order are parallel to DPI's state-interior quarantine.

 

A list of the current CBS quarantine areas, Federal Orders, and APHIS-approved packinghouse procedures may be found at:

 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/planthealth/blackspot

 

In 2010, CBS was first identified in the Collier and Hendry Counties of Florida. Symptoms of CBS are most evident on mature fruit and typically remain latent on leaves with little to no symptom development until after the leaves die. Fresh citrus fruit that is moved interstate from the CBS quarantine areas must be packed in commercial citrus packinghouses operating under a compliance agreement with APHIS and the fruit must be processed using APHIS-approved methods. Citrus plant parts other than fresh fruit are prohibited from movement outside the quarantine area.

 

For additional information regarding the CBS Program, you may contact Citrus Health Response Program National Coordinator Angela McMellen-Brannigan at 301-851-2314.

 

 

/s/

Osama El-Lissy

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine

 

 

 

 

United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Quarantined Areas; Citrus Black Spot (CBS)

Reason for update: Update of CBS quarantined areas in Florida (Shown below in blue).

 

Quarantined Areas for CBS

 

Florida: Portions of the State as follows: