A quarantine is a federal or state legal regulation established to prevent the introduction and/or spread of harmful insects, diseases, invasive weeds, soils or other pests that could cause ecological, economic or social impacts to the environment or agricultural industries.
Regulatory agencies use a science-based Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) process to evaluate potential plant health threats and determine what actions are needed to prevent the introduction, establishment, or spread of pests and diseases.
Quarantines are not new. Many states across the United States have had long-standing quarantines for Japanese beetle and other invasive pests, often in place for decades. These quarantines have historically applied to states where the pest is established or under active management.
What is new is that Oregon nurseries are now more directly affected as shippers. As Japanese beetle detections have occurred in Oregon, other states that are considered pest-free or have strict management programs are applying their existing quarantine requirements to plant material shipped from Oregon. In other words, the quarantine rules themselves have not changed, Oregon's nursery shippers are now subject to these rules.
Quarantines can have operational and financial impacts on nurseries that ship or receive plants across quarantine boundaries. For this reason, it is important for nurseries to understand shipping restrictions, notification requirements, and inspections that may apply to their operations.
Nursery businesses are encouraged to work closely with their state nursery inspectors to ensure compliance and to help reduce disruptions to their operations.