South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 27 - CLEMSON UNIVERSITY STATE LIVESTOCK-POULTRY HEALTH COMMISSION › Article 12 - PLANT NURSERY REGULATIONS › Section 27-161 - Nursery Grower Certification Process

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
Nursery Grower Certificates are required for all Nurseries
				defined as Nursery Growers. The Nursery Grower Certification Process requires
				successful completion of the Application, Inspection, and Registration sections
				below for all Nursery Growers.
A.
			 Application
To obtain a Nursery Grower Certificate, application must first
				be made to the Department. First time and expired Nursery Growers requesting a
				Nursery Grower Certificate must notify the Department for Application
				information. Nurseries with a current Nursery Grower Certificate will
				automatically receive renewal information from the Department annually.
B. Inspection
All applicants in South Carolina must be inspected
at
				least annually
by the Department. Inspection must reveal that the
				Nursery possesses acceptable environmental conditions and that the Nursery
				Stock is sufficiently free from Plant Pests as determined by the Inspector. All
				inspections, announced or otherwise, shall be performed to ensure compliance
				with these regulations and all other applicable state and federal regulations
				and laws. Should the Nursery Stock not be made available for annual inspection
				or if the inspection reveals unacceptable environmental conditions and/or Plant
				Pests at an unacceptable level, the Nursery Grower Certificate may be revoked
				until the situation is corrected per the guidelines of the Department.
C. Registration
All Nursery Growers in South Carolina are subject to
				Registration and applicable fees by the Department unless exempt elsewhere in
				this regulation. Nursery Grower registration fees shall be on a graduated
				scale. All Nursery Grower Certificates expire annually. If Nursery Stock is
				grown at more than one location by the same Nursery Grower, the fees shall be
				based upon the nursery's aggregate number of acres and/or greenhouse square
				footage in production of the nursery. In cases where the Nursery consists of a
				combination of greenhouses, turfgrass, and other nursery stock acreage, a
				single license fee must be assessed at the higher rate of the three
				categories.
The following annual Nursery Grower Registration fee schedule
				is in effect:
(1) Nursery stock
			 (except turfgrass) with a production acreage of 10 or less; greenhouses with
			 less than 6,000 square feet; or a turfgrass production acreage of 250 or less
			 shall be $75.00.
(2) Nursery stock
			 (except turfgrass) with a production acreage of 11 to 25; greenhouses with
			 6,000 to 30,000 square feet; or a turfgrass production acreage of 251 to 500
			 shall be $125.00.
(3) Nursery stock
			 (except turfgrass) with a production acreage of 25 or more; greenhouses with
			 more than 30,000 square feet; or a turfgrass production acreage of 501 or more
			 shall be $ 200.00.
Nursery Growers who produce transplants or seedlings grown
				solely for the purpose of being distributed for production of agricultural
				commodities must complete Registration with the Department but are exempt from
				nursery registration fees. If Nursery Stock is grown in conjunction with the
				aforementioned category of plants, the Nursery will remain subject to the fee
				schedule of this section.
Nursery Grower Hobbyists are required to produce sales records
				to the Department upon request and will remain subject to all other
				requirements of this section.
The Forestry Commission and governmental and nonprofit
				organizations which are not in the business of commercial sale of nursery stock
				are exempt from the fees required by registration, but will remain subject to
				all other requirements of this section. All persons selling cut Christmas trees
				from November to January who are not otherwise required to adhere to this
				section are exempt from the requirements of this section.