FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2023-05 

April 24, 2023 

Subject: APHIS Amends Karnal Bunt (Tilletia indica) Regulated Areas in Maricopa County in 

 Arizona 

To: State, Tribal, and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials 

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending the 

Karnal bunt regulated areas in Maricopa County, Arizona. 

Following a Spring 2023 survey of Karnal bunt regulated areas in Arizona, APHIS is reducing 

the regulated area in Maricopa County. 

Specifically, APHIS is removing two fields from the list of regulated areas because these fields 

have been permanently removed from crop production and meet the criteria for deregulation 

listed in 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 301.89-3(e)(1). Release of these two fields from 

quarantine, including all fields regulated by proximity, will result in the deregulation of 7,593 

field acres. In addition, APHIS is removing another field from the list of regulated areas because 

the field meets the five-year cumulative tillage requirement and the criteria for deregulation 

listed in 7 CFR § 301.89-3(e)(2). Release of this field from quarantine, including all fields 

regulated by proximity, will result in the deregulation of 3,876 field acres. None of these 

combined 11,469 field acres is on Tribal land. 

Accordingly, there are no more restrictions on the interstate movement of Karnal bunt regulated 

articles from these areas; however, other portions of Maricopa and Pinal Counties remain 

regulated. 

APHIS is taking these regulatory actions to prevent the spread of Karnal bunt from Arizona. 

Karnal bunt is a pest that affects wheat quality. APHIS regulates this plant disease because many 

trading partners require that U.S. wheat be certified as grown in areas free of Karnal bunt. 

APHIS will follow this action by publishing a Notice in the Federal Register. 

More information on Karnal bunt is available at the following website:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/kb

For additional information about the Karnal Bunt program, please contact the National Policy 

Manager, Lynn Evans-Goldner, at Lynn.Evans-Goldner@usda.gov or (301) 851-2286. 

Dr. Mark L Davidson 

Deputy Administrator 

Plant Protection and Quarantine 

Attachment: Federal Order
FEDERAL ORDER

Domestic Quarantine for

Karnal Bunt (Tilletia indica) 

DA-2023-05 

April 24, 2023 

This Federal Order amends the Karnal bunt regulated areas in Maricopa County in Arizona. 

Specifically, it reduces the overall regulated area in Maricopa County by 11,469 field acres. 

This Federal Order is issued pursuant to the authority provided by the Plant Protection Act of 

June 20, 2000, Section 412(a), 7 U.S.C. 7712(a). The Act 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 the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent the dissemination 

of a plant pest within the United States. The regulatory authority provided by 7 U.S.C. 7754 

allows the Secretary to issue orders to carry out this provision of the Plant Protection Act. This 

Federal Order is likewise issued pursuant to the regulations promulgated under the Plant 

Protection Act found at 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 301.89 et seq. 

Section 7 CFR § 301.89-3(b) allows the designation of less than an entire state as a Karnal bunt 

regulated area only when the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

(APHIS) has determined, as in this case, that the designation is adequate to prevent the intrastate 

spread of Karnal bunt. In addition, 7 CFR § 301.89-3(b)(1)(i) requires that for less than an entire

state to be designated as regulated that the Administrator find that the state is enforcing an

intrastate Karnal bunt quarantine that is equivalent to federal Karnal bunt regulations. The 

Arizona State Plant Regulatory Official has confirmed the establishment of an intrastate

quarantine area for Karnal bunt that mirrors the federal regulatory requirements as specified in 7 

CFR § 301.89 et seq. 

7 CFR § 301.89-3(e) provides for the release from regulation of fields previously infected with 

Karnal bunt, as well as any non-infected acreage surrounding the field, if the field has been 

permanently removed from crop production [7 CFR § 301.89-3(e)(1)]; or if the field is tilled at 

least once per year for a total of 5 years (the years need not be consecutive). After tilling, the 

field may be planted with a crop or left fallow. If the field is planted with a host crop, the crop 

must test negative, through the absence of bunted kernels, for Karnal bunt [7 CFR § 301.89-

3(e)(2)].

In accordance with 7 CFR § 301.89-3(a), this Federal Order updates and replaces the list of 

regulated areas in Arizona shown on the PPQ website at: 

www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-anddiseases/karnal-bunt/ct_karnal_bunt.This Federal Order replaces Federal Order (DA-2022-27) 

issued August 17, 2022 and Federal Order (DA-2022-43) issued December 29, 2022. 

Following a Spring 2023 survey of Karnal bunt regulated areas in Arizona, APHIS is reducing 

the regulated area in Maricopa County. Specifically, APHIS is removing two fields from the list 

of regulated areas because these fields have been permanently removed from crop production 

and meet the criteria for deregulation listed in 7 CFR § 301.89-3(e)(1). Release of these two 
fields from quarantine, including all fields regulated by proximity, will result in the deregulation 

of 7,593 field acres. 

In addition, APHIS is removing another field from the list of regulated areas because the field 

meets the five-year cumulative tillage requirement and the criteria for deregulation listed in 7 

CFR § 301.89-3(e)(2). Release of this field from quarantine, including all fields regulated by 

proximity, will result in the deregulation of 3,876 field acres. 

Accordingly, there are no more restrictions on the interstate movement of Karnal bunt regulated 

articles from these combined 11,469 field acres, none of which is on Tribal land; however, other 

portions of Maricopa and Pinal Counties remain regulated.

Regulated areas § 301.89-3(a) 

Arizona – regulated portions of the State: 

Maricopa County: (1) Beginning at the southeast corner of sec. 35, T. 2 N., R. 5 E.; then west to 

the northeast corner of sec. 4, T. 1 N., R. 5 E.; then south to the southeast corner of sec. 4, T. 1 

N., R. 5 E.; then west to the southwest corner of sec. 4, T. 1 N., R. 5 E.; then south to the 

southeast corner of sec. 17, T. 1 N., R. 5 E.; then west to the southwest corner of sec. 17, T. 1 N., 

R. 5 E.; then north to the northwest corner of sec. 17, T. 1 N., R. 5 E.; then west to the southwest 

corner of sec. 12, T. 1 N., R. 4 E.; then north to the northwest corner of sec. 12, T. 1 N., R. 4 E.; 

then east to northeast corner of sec. 12, T. 1 N., R. 4 E.; then north to the northwest corner of sec. 

18, T. 2 N., R. 5 E.; then east to the northeast corner of sec. 14, T. 2 N., R. 5 E.; then south to the 

point of beginning.

(2) Beginning at the southeast corner of sec. 27, T. 1 S., R. 4 W.; then west to the southwest 

corner of sec. 27, T. 1 S., R. 5 W.; then north to the northwest corner of sec. 22, T. 1 S., R. 5 W.; 

then east to the northeast corner of sec. 22, T. 1 S., R. 5 W.; then north to the northwest corner of 

sec. 26, T. 1 N., R. 5 W.; then east to the northeast corner of sec. 29, T. 1 N., R. 4 W.; then south 

to the southeast corner of sec. 29, T.1 N., R. 4 W.; then east to the northeast corner of sec. 33, T. 

1 N., R. 4 W.; then south to the southeast corner of sec. 33, T. 1 N, R. 4 W.; then east to the 

northeast corner of sec. 3, T. 1 S., R. 4 W.; then south to the point of beginning.

Pinal County: (1) Beginning at the southeast corner of sec. 30, T. 5 S., R. 4 E.; then west to the 

southwest corner of sec. 28, T. 5 S., R. 3 E.; then north to the northwest corner of sec. 28, T. 5 S., 

R. 3 E.; then west to the southwest corner of sec. 20, T. 5 S., R. 3 E.; then north to the southeast 

corner of sec. 18, T. 5 S., R. 3 E.; then west to the southwest corner of sec. 18, T. 5 S., R. 3 E.; 

then north to the northwest corner of sec. 30, T. 4 S., R. 3E.; then east to the southwest corner of 

sec. 20, T. 4 S., R. 3E.; then north to the northwest corner of sec. 20, T. 4 S., R. 3E.; then east to 

the northeast corner of sec. 19, T. 4 S., R. 4 E.; then south to the northwest corner of sec. 32, T. 4 

S., R. 4 E.; then east to the northeast corner of sec. 32, T. 4 S., R. 4 E.; then south to the 

southeast corner of sec. 20, T. 5 S., R. 4 E.; then west to the southwest corner of sec. 20, T. 5 S., 

R. 4 E.; then south to the point of beginning.

We appreciate the cooperative relationship with the state regulatory officials, Colorado River 

Indian Tribes, Ak-Chin Indian Community, Gila River Indian Community, the Salt River Pima 

Maricopa Indian Community, and the wheat industry, in our effort to prevent the spread of 
Karnal bunt. 

For more information on the Karnal bunt program, please contact the National Policy Manager, 

Lynn Evans-Goldner, at Lynn.Evans-Goldner@usda.gov or (301) 851-2286.