2009 PRESS RELEASES
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August 4, 2009
BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES ISSUES PERMANENT FIRE ANT QUARANTINE
Contact: Elaine Lidholm, 804.786.7686
On August 4, 2009, the Virginia Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services voted to make permanent an Imported Fire Ant (IFA) quarantine in the Tidewater area. Todd P. Haymore, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), announced a temporary quarantine on June 24 for 11 Virginia localities: the counties of James City and York and the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. The same localities are included in the permanent quarantine.
The quarantine restricts the movement of articles that are capable of transporting fire ants out of the quarantine area; movement within the quarantine area is not restricted. Regulated articles include any article or means of conveyance that presents a risk of spreading the imported fire ant, including soil, plants with soil attached, grass sod, used soil-moving equipment, used farm equipment, hay/straw/pine straw, honey bee hives that have been in contact with the ground, and logs, pulp wood or stump wood with soil attached.
Regulated articles that are certified free of imported fire ants can be transported out of the quarantined area. Businesses and individuals that ship regulated articles out of the quarantine on a regular basis can enter into a compliance agreement with VDACS that allows for self-certification of regulated articles. Regulated articles shipped under a compliance agreement do not require inspection. VDACS held two informational meetings in the Tidewater area in July to talk to business owners and consumers about the quarantine. To date, several nurseries are operating under certificates issued by VDACS’ Office of Plant and Pest Services (OPPS). To provide a transition period for nurseries, OPPS is certifying the nursery stock is IFA-free, providing these nurseries the opportunity to adjust to the requirements of the quarantine. Other businesses have compliance agreements for moving soil and VDACS is working with more that want a compliance agreement.
“I have been extremely pleased with the way Tidewater businesses have taken responsibility for certifying their products to be fire ant free,” said Commissioner Haymore. “They understand the importance of halting the spread of fire ants into other parts of the state and are taking this quarantine very seriously. They tell us that business continues to move at its regular pace but also assure us that they are taking every precaution not to introduce fire ants into other, unaffected parts of the state.”
Click here for more information on the fire ant quarantine and a list of Frequently Asked Questions.