APHIS Expands the Regulated Area for Citrus Black Spot (Guignardia citricarpa) in Florida and Announces Process for Future Changes to the Regulated Area

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2012-09

March 16, 2012

 

 

SUBJECT:  APHIS Expands the Regulated Area for Citrus Black Spot (Guignardia citricarpa) in Florida and Announces Process for Future Changes to the Regulated Area

 

TO:  STATE AND TERRITORY AGRICULTURAL REGULATORY OFFICIALS

 

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is issuing a revised Federal Order to expand the regulated area in Florida for Guignardia citricarpa, the causal agent of citrus black spot (CBS).  Due to additional detections of CBS during ongoing surveys conducted by APHIS and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry (DPI), the regulated area will expand by eight sections in Collier County and 31 sections in Hendry County.  This action is effective immediately. 

 

The attached Federal Order outlines restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from the expanded regulated area that are parallel to DPI’s State-interior quarantine.  Results from targeted CBS surveys, as well as multi-pest surveys conducted by APHIS and DPI as part of the cooperative Citrus Health Response Program in Florida have not detected the disease outside of Collier and Hendry counties.

 

For future changes to the CBS regulated area, APHIS will update its Website (listed below) with the date and description of the regulated areas and will notify state regulatory authorities immediately of the change.  In addition, APHIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register.

 

The Federal Order and APHIS-Approved Packinghouse Procedures for Guignardia citricarpa are attached for your reference and can be found on the CBS website at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/citrus/black_spot.shtml

 

For additional information regarding the CBS program, you may contact Leon Bunce, Eastern Region Program Manager at (919) 855-7360; or Lynn Evans-Goldner, National Program Manager at (301) 851-2286.

 

/s/ Osama El-Lissy for

 

Rebecca A. Bech

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine

 

2 Attachments:

-Federal Order

-APHIS Approved Packinghouse Procedures for Guignardia citricarpa, Causal Agent of CBS

• FO_CBS+regulated+area+expansion+in+FL_3-12-12.pdf
• CBSAPHISApprovedPackingHouseTreatments-V6.%283_2012%29docx.pdf