Citrus Canker; Interstate Movement of Regulated Nursery Stock From Quarantined Areas

We are reopening the comment period for our interim rule that amended the citrus canker quarantine regulations to explicitly prohibit, with limited exceptions, the interstate movement of regulated nursery stock from a quarantined area. One of those exceptions was a provision that allows calamondin and kumquat plants, two types of citrus plants that have been considered to be highly resistant to citrus canker, to be moved interstate from a quarantined area under a protocol designed to ensure that they are free of citrus canker prior to movement. However, following publication of the interim rule, several samples from calamondin plants growing in a quarantined area were found to be infected with citrus canker. Based on that finding, it appears that it will be necessary to remove calamondin plants from the protocol when we publish an upcoming rule that will finalize the interim rule. Before we publish that final rule, however, we are reopening the comment period for the interim rule to provide interested persons with an opportunity to prepare and submit comments regarding calamondin plants and the interstate movement protocol.