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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 01-1647

NOTICES

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Order of Quarantine; Plum Pox Virus

[31 Pa.B. 5117]

   Whereas, the Plant Pest Act (3 P. S. §§ 258.1--258.27) empowers the Department of Agriculture (Department) to take various measures to detect, contain and eradicate plant pests in this Commonwealth; and

   Whereas, the powers granted the Department under the Plant Pest Act (3 P. S. § 258.21) include the power to establish quarantines to prevent the dissemination of plant pests within this Commonwealth; and

   Whereas, Plum Pox Virus--a plant pest indigenous to Europe--is a serious plant pest that injures and damages stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots by drastically reducing the fruit yields from these stone fruit trees and by disfiguring the fruit to the point it is unmarketable; and

   Whereas, as a result of the presence of Plum Pox Virus in several townships and boroughs, the Department has issued a series of quarantine orders establishing and adjusting a quarantine area; and

   Whereas, to date these quarantine orders have established a quarantine area covering Latimore and Huntington Townships, Adams County (29 Pa.B. 5735, November 6, 1999); South Middleton Township, Cumberland County (30 Pa.B. 3269, July 1, 2000), Dickinson Township, Cumberland County and portions of Menallen and Tyrone Townships in Adams County (30 Pa.B. 4357, August 19, 2000); the Borough of York Springs, Adams County and the Borough of Mount Holly Springs, Cumberland County (30 Pa.B. 5852, November 11, 2000), Southampton Township, Cumberland County (31 Pa.B. 3559, July 7, 2001); and Washington and Franklin Townships, York County (31 Pa.B. 3560, July 7, 2001); and

   Whereas, Plum Pox Virus has since been detected on stone fruit trees located in Quincy Township, Franklin County; and

   Whereas, Plum Pox Virus has the potential to cause serious damage to the stone fruit production industry within this Commonwealth; and

   Whereas, Plum Pox Virus is transmitted from infected trees by aphids and by budding or grafting, and can be spread into new areas by movement of infected nursery stock; and

   Whereas, the movement of Plum Pox Virus-infected fruit trees poses a danger to stone fruit trees in noninfected areas; and

   Whereas, there is no known control for Plum Pox Virus other than destruction of infected trees.

   Now, therefore, under authority of section 21 of the Plant Pest Act (3 P. S. § 258.21), the Department hereby establishes a quarantine effective in the following areas:

   1.  Quincy Township, Franklin County; and

   2.  The Borough of Mont Alto, Franklin County.

   This quarantine prohibits the movement of stone fruit trees and stone fruit budwood within the quarantined area, and prohibits the movement of stone fruit trees and stone fruit budwood out of the quarantined area.

   This quarantine order also prohibits the planting of stone fruit trees (apricot, nectarine, peach and plum) in the quarantined area. This prohibition applies to both fruit-bearing and ornamental varieties of stone fruit trees. Examples of common varieties of ornamental stone fruit trees include purpleleaf plum, flowering almond, flowering peach and purpleleaf sandcherry.

   The Department will consult with the United States Department of Agriculture, European experts and scientific authorities with respect to the most efficacious measures by which to contain and eliminate this serious plant pest. The Department will issue further restrictions under authority of this Quarantine Order, as is required under the Plant Pest Act (3 P. S. § 258.21(a)). These restrictions may address aphid control, elimination or reduction of aphid habitat, destruction of Plum Pox Virus-infected stone fruit trees and budwood, destruction of endangered or exposed stone fruit trees or budwood and any other measures necessary to the containment and elimination of the Plum Pox Virus in this Commonwealth.

   This Order applies to commercial orchards, commercial nurseries, homeowners and all persons within the quarantine areas previously described.

   This quarantine is effective as of August 27, 2001.

SMAUEL E. HAYES, Jr.,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 01-1647. Filed for public inspection September 7, 2001, 9:00 a.m.]


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