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FEDERAL ORDER

Quarantine for Guignardia citricarpa Kiely

Causal Agent of Citrus Black Spot (CBS)

DA-2012-09

March 16, 2012

The purpose of this Federal Order is to prevent the spread of the fungal plant pathogen, 

Guignardia citricarpa Kiely, the causal agent of Citrus Black Spot (CBS), through regulatory 

authority provided by Section 412(a) of the Plant Protection Act of June 20, 2000, as amended, 7 

U.S.C. 7712(a), which authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to prohibit or restrict the 

movement in interstate commerce of any plant, plant part, or article if the Secretary determines 

that the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent the dissemination of a plant pest within 

the United States. 

The Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) considers it 

necessary, in order to prevent the dissemination of CBS, to establish restrictions on the interstate 

movement of certain regulated articles from the State of Florida as described in this Federal 

Order. This Federal Order updates and replaces Federal Order (DA-2011-29) issued June 2, 

2011.

A. Quarantine Areas: 

The Administrator will list as a quarantine area each State, or each portion of a State, that is 

within one mile of a site where CBS has been confirmed by an inspector to be present, in which 

the Administrator has reason to believe that CBS is present, or that the Administrator considers 

necessary to regulate because of its inseparability for quarantine area enforcement purposes from 

localities in which CBS has been found. 

 

Less than an entire State will be designated as a quarantine area only if the Administrator 

determines that: 

1. The State has adopted and is enforcing restrictions on the intrastate movement of the 

regulated articles that are substantially the same as those imposed by the Administrator 

on the interstate movement of regulated articles, except when regulated fruit moves 

intrastate from a quarantine area for fresh fruit packing or for processing into a product 

other than fresh fruit in accordance with this order; and 

2. The designation of less than the entire State as a quarantine area will be sufficient to 

prevent the interstate spread of CBS. 

The Administrator or an inspector may temporarily designate any non-quarantine area as a 

quarantine area. The Administrator will give a copy of this Order, along with a written notice for 

the temporary designation, to the owner or person in possession of the area to be established as a 
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quarantine area. Thereafter, the interstate movement of any regulated article from an area 

temporarily designated as a quarantine area will be subject to this Order. When feasible, this 

area will be added to the list of quarantine areas or the designation will be terminated by the 

Administrator or an inspector. The owner or person in possession of an area for which a 

quarantine area designation is terminated will be given notice of the termination as soon as 

possible. 

The following areas are designated as quarantine areas: 

Florida 

In Collier County: Sections 11 through 14, and 23 and 24 in Township 46, Range 28; 

Sections 18 and 19 in Township 46, Range 29; Sections 13 through 16, 20 through 29, 

and 33 through 36 in Township 47, Range 29; Sections 01 through 04, 09 through 13, 15 

and 16 in Township 48, Range 29; and Sections 06 and 07 in Township 48, Range 30.

In Hendry County: Sections 25 through 28, 32 through 36 in Township 46, Range 31; 

Sections 20 through 22, 24 through 36 in Township 46, Range 32; Sections 04 through 09 

in Township 47, Range 32; Sections 01 through 05, 08 through 12 in Township 47, 

Range 31; Sections 03 through 05, 08 through 10, and 15 through 17, 19, 30, and 31 in 

Township 46, Range 33.

If there are additional finds of CBS after this Order is published, the Administrator will designate 

an area as a quarantine area for citrus black spot in accordance with the criteria listed below.

The Administrator will publish a description of all areas regulated for citrus black spot on the 

Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Web site: 

(http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/citrus/black_spot.shtml). 

The description of each quarantine area will include the date the description was last updated and 

a description of any changes that have been made to the quarantine area. Lists of all quarantine

areas may also be obtained by request from any local office of PPQ; local offices are listed in 

telephone directories and on the Internet at 

(http://www.aphis.usda.gov/services/report_pest_disease/report_pest_disease.shtml). 

After a change is made to the description of quarantine areas, the Administrator will notify state 

regulatory authorities that a change has occurred and describe the change to the quarantine areas.

The criteria for designation of a State or a portion of a State, as a quarantine area for CBS, are as 

follows:

1. A State, or portion of a State, will be designated as a area for CBS when the presence of 

CBS is confirmed within the area by an APHIS-administered test or by an APHISapproved diagnostician using an APHIS-approved test.

2. A State, or portion of a State, will be designated as a quarantine area for CBS if the 

Administrator considers it necessary to regulate the area because of its inseparability for 

phytosanitary enforcement purposes from localities in which CBS has been found.
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3. A portion of a section that is only partially located within one mile of a site where CBS 

has been detected will be designated as a quarantine area for CBS because the 

Administrator considers it necessary to regulate the entire section due to their 

inseparability for phytosanitary enforcement purposes.

B. Regulated Articles: 

The following are regulated articles and may not be moved interstate from a quarantine area 

unless they are moved in accordance with this Order: 

1. Fruit of Citrus spp.

2. All plants and plant parts, including but not limited to leaves for consumption, budwood, 

and nursery stock of Citrus spp.

3. Other articles intended for consumption, as apparel or as a similar personal accessory, or 

decorative use made from Citrus spp.

4. Any other products, articles, or means of conveyance of any character whatsoever, when 

it is determined by an inspector that they present a hazard of spread of CBS and the 

person in possession thereof has been provided notice.

C. Conditions for Interstate Movement of Regulated Articles: 

1. Regulated fruit from CBS quarantine areas may move interstate under certificate to all 

States under the following conditions:

 

a. Fruit must be washed, brushed, disinfested, treated, and waxed at the packing house, 

prior to shipment, using an APHIS-approved packing house procedure located on the 

APHIS website:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/citrus/black_spot.shtml; and

b. Fruit must be practically1 free of leaves, stems, or other regulated plant material, 

except that stems less than 1-inch may be attached to fruit but cannot have attached 

leaves; and

c. Fruit must be packed in a packing house operating under a signed compliance 

agreement with APHIS; and

d. Fruit must be accompanied by a certificate issued by an inspector or by persons 

operating under a compliance agreement; and

e. The certificate must be present on both the paperwork accompanying the shipment and 

on the containers in which the fruit is packed.

2. Regulated fruit from CBS quarantine areas may only move interstate from the packing 

house under limited permit to noncommercial citrus-producing States under the following 

 

1 Free, except for an occasional leaf or leaves, stems, or other regulated plant material attached to or associated with 

shipments of regulated fruit. No leaves, stems 1 inch or longer, or branches may be included in shipments for 

decorative or logistical purposes. 
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conditions: 

a. Fruit must be washed, brushed, and disinfested at the packing house, prior to shipment, 

using an APHIS-approved packing house procedure located on the APHIS website:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/citrus/black_spot.shtml; and

b. Fruit must be practically2 free of leaves, stems or other regulated plant material; except 

that stems less than 1 inch may be attached to fruit but cannot have attached leaves; 

and

c. Fruit must be packed in a packing house operating under a signed compliance 

agreement with APHIS; and

d. Fruit must be accompanied by a limited permit issued by an inspector or by persons 

operating under a compliance agreement; and

e. The limited permit must be present on both paperwork accompanying the shipment and 

on the containers in which the fruit is packed. 

3. Within a State with a quarantine area, the State may allow citrus fruit to move intrastate 

from the quarantine area for packing, or for processing into a product other than fresh 

fruit, under the following conditions: 

a. Growers must operate under a Compliance Agreement that stipulates the following: 

i. Any fruit that is moved from the quarantine area must be transported in vehicles 

that meet the following conditions:

(1) If the vehicle has solid wall construction on the sides and rear of the cargo 

area, the cargo area needs only to be covered with a tarpaulin, or otherwise 

covered on the open top, providing that openings around any tailgates or 

hinged doors do not exceed 1⁄2 inch;

(2) If the vehicle has side- and rear-wall construction of wire mesh screen or 

expanded metal less than or equal to 3⁄4 x 1-11/16 inch, it must have the open 

top of the cargo area covered; or 

(3) If the vehicle has screen mesh openings greater than 3⁄4 x 1-11/16 inch, it must 

have the cargo area covered completely (to the bed of the vehicle). In 

addition, if mesh size is greater than 3⁄4 x 1-11/16 inch, all modifications made 

to reduce the mesh size must be done from within the cargo area (e.g., adding 

steel, fabric or hardware cloth lining). 

 ii. Vehicles transporting pallet boxes, field boxes, field bins, etc., must have the 

cargo area covered with a tarpaulin or otherwise covered in a manner that does 

not allow any openings greater than 1⁄2 inch exposing the fruit. In most cases, this 

cover will have to extend to below the top of the bottom row of boxes. However, 

if the pallet boxes or field boxes are stacked in a solid wall with no openings of 1⁄2 

inch or more on the side or back, only the open tops of the exposed boxes are 

required to be covered. 

iii. Covers or tarpaulins may be constructed of any fabric that has a weave of less than 

1⁄2 inch. In addition, covers must be in good repair and securely fastened or tied 

 

2 Same as Footnote 1.
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down in a manner that will prevent the loss of fruit, leaves, or plant debris while 

in transit. 

iv. Identity of each load of fruit must be maintained by issuing an individually 

numbered trip ticket containing the following information: 

(1) Name of Grove, Land Owner/agent, Lessee, Harvester 

(2) License tag number. 

(3) Number of boxes contained in load (if not bulk) 

(4) Grove block fruit originated in 

(5) Processing plant or packinghouse to which fruit is destined 

(6) Date of harvest 

(7) The word “TARP” written clearly, preferably at the bottom 

v. After being emptied and cleaned of plant debris, trailers, field boxes or bins must 

be disinfected using: 

(1) A 200-ppm solution of sodium hypochlorite with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5; or 

(2) A 0.2-percent solution of a quaternary ammonium chloride (QAC) 

compound; or 

(3) A solution containing 85 parts per million peroxyacetic acid (PAA) (indoor 

use only).

b. Processors receiving whole fruit for juicing and packers receiving whole fruit for

packing from the CBS quarantine area must operate under a Compliance Agreement 

that stipulates the following: 

i. After shipments are emptied at the processing plant or packinghouse, trailers, 

tarpaulins, field boxes, and field bins must be cleaned of all leaves and other plant 

debris; and

ii. All leaves and other plant debris resulting from such cleaning must be moved and 

handled according to Section 4, below; and

iii. After being emptied at the processing plant or packinghouse and cleaned of plant 

debris, trailers, field boxes or bins must be disinfected using:

(1) A 200-ppm solution of sodium hypochlorite with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5; or

(2) A 0.2-percent solution of a QAC compound; or 

(3) A solution containing 85 parts per million PAA (indoor use only). 

4. Within a State with a CBS quarantine area, the State may allow the intrastate movement 

of leaves, stems, debris, culled fruit, or other plant material of any citrus plant from a 

quarantine area if the following conditions are met: 

a. The plant parts must be moved in an enclosed or covered vehicle cargo area. The 

cargo must be enclosed or covered in a manner so as to have no openings greater than 

1⁄2 inch exposing the leaves, litter, or other plant material. 

b. When plant material comes directly in contact with the vehicle, the vehicle must be 

disinfected following movement. 

c. Culled fruit may only be moved intrastate for processing or destruction by one of the 

methods listed below in Section d. 

d. All leaves and other plant debris cleaned from trailers, tarpaulins, field boxes and field 
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bins must be handled in one of the following methods subject to monitoring by an 

inspector:

(1) Heat treated to at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of at least one hour 

(2) Incinerated 

(3) Buried at a landfill or other disposal site approved site approved by APHIS or the 

State and covered with dirt at the end of every day that dumping occurs.

(4) Fed to livestock as feed.

5. Citrus plants and citrus plant parts, other than fresh fruit handled in accordance with this 

order, may not be moved interstate from the quarantine area. 

D. Definitions:

Certificate: A document, stamp, or other means of identification approved by APHIS and issued 

by an inspector or person operating under a compliance agreement when he or she finds that, 

because of certain conditions, a regulated article can be moved safely from a quarantine area. 

Commercial Citrus-Producing States: The States of American Samoa, Arizona, California, 

Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Louisiana, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Texas, and Virgin 

Islands of the United States. 

Compliance Agreement: A written agreement between APHIS or a State and a person engaged 

in growing, processing, handling, or moving regulated or associated articles, wherein the person 

agrees to comply with stipulations set forth in the agreement. The compliance agreement may be 

cancelled orally or in writing by an inspector if the inspector finds that the person who entered 

into the compliance agreement has failed to comply with all of the requirements of this Federal 

Order. 

Inspector: Any employee of APHIS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or any employee of a 

State, a County, or any other person specifically authorized by the Administrator to perform the 

duties required under this Order. 

Limited Permit: A document issued by an inspector or person operating under a compliance 

agreement to allow the interstate movement of regulated articles to a specified destination, for 

specified handling, processing, or utilization.