APHIS adds portions of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, and Harris Counties in Texas to the Domestic Citrus Canker (Xanthomonas spp.) Quarantine Area

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2022-03
February 2, 2022

Subject:        APHIS adds portions of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, and Harris Counties in Texas to the Domestic Citrus Canker (Xanthomonas spp.) Quarantine Area

To:                State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) are establishing five new quarantine areas for citrus canker in Brazoria, Galveston, and Harris Counties, Texas, and expanding two existing quarantine areas for citrus canker in Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris Counties, Texas, to prevent the spread of the disease.

This action is necessary because APHIS confirmed the positive identification of citrus canker in citrus trees from residential areas in the Shadow Creek, Silver Lake, and South Fork areas in Brazoria County, the Friendswood area in Galveston County, and the West Houston area in Harris County. In addition, APHIS is expanding the quarantine areas in Fort Bend and Harris Counties in and near Richmond, and in Brazoria and Harris Counties in and near Pearland, after additional trees were confirmed positive for citrus canker during routine surveys. TDA has established an intrastate quarantine area for citrus canker that parallels the federal citrus canker regulatory requirements specified in 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 301.75.

Under the current citrus canker quarantine regulations, the interstate movement of citrus plants and plant parts, other than commercially packed and disinfected citrus fruit, remains prohibited. Citrus nursery stock that is moved in accordance with regulations contained in 7 CFR 301.75-6 may move from areas quarantined for citrus canker.

The establishment of this quarantine area is reflected on the following designated website, which also contains a description of all the current federal citrus canker quarantine areas:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/citrus-canker

For additional information regarding the citrus canker program, you may contact Shailaja Rabindran, Director of Specialty Crops and Cotton Pests, (301) 851-2167.

 

/s/

Mark L Davidson, DVM, MS
Acting Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine

 

Attachment: Federal Order