FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION

DA-2024-06 

February 14, 2024 

Subject: APHIS Expands Quarantine Area for the Imported Fire Ant (Solenopis invicta, S. 

richteri, and hybrids of these species) in Oklahoma and Tennessee 

To: State, Tribal, and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials

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

Federal Order that expands the existing imported fire ant (IFA; S. invicta, S. richteri, and hybrids 

of these species) quarantine areas in Oklahoma and Tennessee. 

The following list describes the action in this Federal Order:

• Oklahoma: Extends the IFA quarantine area to the entire county for Haskell County. 

• Tennessee: Extends the IFA quarantine area to the entire county for Clay, Claiborne, 

Campbell, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Robertson, and 

Scott Counties. 

APHIS is taking these actions based upon verification from the Oklahoma Department of 

Agriculture, Food, and Forestry and Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of 

Consumer and Industry Services that IFA is present and established in the areas listed. APHIS 

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

The full lists designating IFA quarantine areas and regulated articles are published on the APHIS 

IFA webpage.

For additional information on the Federal IFA regulatory program, please contact the IFA 

National Policy Manager, Ron Weeks, at Ron.D.Weeks@usda.gov or 919-559-4311. 

Dr. Mark L Davidson 

Deputy Administrator 

Plant Protection and Quarantine 

Attachment: Federal Order
FEDERAL ORDER

APHIS Expands Quarantine Area for the Imported Fire Ant (Solenopis invicta, S. richteri, and 

hybrids of these species) in Oklahoma and Tennessee

DA-2024-06

February 14, 2024

This Federal Order expands the existing imported fire ant (IFA) quarantine areas in Oklahoma 

and Tennessee.

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

Act of June 20, 2000, as amended, Section 412(a), 7 United States Code (USC) 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. This 

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

Protection Act found at 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 301.81 et seq.

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

following to the quarantine areas in the respective states for red and black IFA (S. invicta and S. 

richteri, respectively), and hybrids of these species.

• Oklahoma: Extends the IFA quarantine area to the entire county for Haskell County. 

• Tennessee: Extends the IFA quarantine area to the entire county for Clay, Claiborne, 

Campbell, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Robertson, and 

Scott Counties. 

This action is in response to the new detections in parts of Oklahoma and Tennessee described in 

the attached document. APHIS finds it necessary to quarantine these areas to prevent the spread 

of IFA. Effective immediately, all interstate movement of IFA regulated articles from the listed 

areas must be done in accordance with the regulations promulgated pursuant to the Plant 

Protection Act and found at 7 CFR § 301.81 et seq. The full lists designating IFA quarantine 

areas and regulated articles are published on the APHIS IFA webpage.

Section 7 CFR § 301.81-3(a) allows the designation of less than an entire State as an IFA 

quarantined area only when the Administrator of APHIS has determined two things: 1) that the 

State has adopted and is enforcing restrictions on the intrastate movement of the regulated 

articles that are equivalent to the interstate movement restrictions imposed by this subpart [7 

CFR § 301.81-3(a)(1)], which Oklahoma has implemented; and 2) if the designation of less than 

an entire State as a quarantined area will prevent the spread of this pest [7 CFR § 301.81-

3(a)(2)]. 
Previous Federal Orders pertaining to the expansion of quarantined areas in the IFA regulations 

have been necessary due to the ongoing delimitation of the IFA infestation in various states. This 

Federal Order further expands the quarantined areas as described in the IFA domestic 

regulations.

For additional information on the Federal IFA regulatory program, please contact the IFA 

National Policy Manager, Ron Weeks, at Ron.D.Weeks@usda.gov or 919-559-4311.

We appreciate the cooperative relationships with the affected states in our effort to prevent the 

spread of IFA.