APHIS adopts new Phytophthora ramorum rules

This federal order will allow states receiving P. ramorum host nursery stock to assign and prioritize resources, assure rapid response and provide direct traceability for any nursery stock known to be positive for P. ramorum. 

Effective June 21, 2010, nurseries from quarantined or regulated areas shipping interstate must provide advance notification of outgoing shipments by mail, fax or e-mail to the State Plant Regulatory Official (SPRO) at the time of shipment. The pre-notification requirement may be satisfied by providing a bill of sale, manifest or other forms of documentation that includes the following information: name, telephone number and address of the consignee; name, telephone number and address of the shipper; plant name, number of each plant species/variety shipped; and mode of transportation (air, courier, ground). Commodities shipped without providing prior notification to the destination states may be returned to their point of origin or destroyed at the expense of the owner. The contact information of the SPRO in various states can be accessed here.

For more details on the federal Phytopthora ramorum regulatory program, contact. Prakash Hebbar, APHIS National Program Manager, (301) 734-5717.