. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/580
24 April 2002
(02-2350)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service - APHIS
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Nursery stock and other plant materials
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Phytophthora Ramorum;
Quarantine and Regulations (2 pages plus letter and domestic document)
5. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has
recently adopted emergency regulations to restrict the movement of nursery stock and other
plant materials infested with Phytophthora ramorum , the causal agent of sudden oak death
syndrome, within the United States.  These emergency domestic regulations were publishedin the Federal Register on 14 February 2002.  Since some other countries also have
infestations of P. ramorum , APHIS is establishing emergency measures consistent with the
domestic measures that must be applied to host materials exported to the United States from
countries which have infestations of P. ramorum.  These measures will go into effect for all
shipments exported on or after 20 May 2002.
The emergency measures are as follows:
(1)  Hosts of Phytophthora ramorum .  The known host plants of Phytophthora ramorum  are
arrowwood ( Viburnum  x bodnantense ), big leaf maple ( Acer macrophyllum ), black oak
(Quercus kelloggii ), California bay laurel ( Umbellularia californica ), California buckeye
(Aesculus californica ), California coffeeberry ( Rhamnus californica ), California
honeysuckle ( Lonicera hispidula ), coast live oak ( Quercus agrifolia ), huckleberry
(Vaccinium ovatum ), madrone ( Arbutus menziesii ), manzanita ( Arctostaphylos spp .),
rhododendron ( Rhododendron spp ., including azalea), Shreve's oak ( Quercus parvula  var.
shrevei ), tanoak ( Lithocarpus densiflorus ), and Toyon ( Heteromeles arbutifolia ).  This host
list will be updated as new information becomes available.
(2)  In addition to all other measures in 7 CFR 319, the emergency measures require the
national plant protection organization (NPPO) or an agency accredited by the NPPO to
conduct annual surveys of nurseries exporting propagative plant materials of host plants to
determine if the nursery is free of P. ramorum .  The NPPO, or an accredited agency must
also inspect shipments of P. ramorum  host materials to the United States and must sample
and test plants bearing symptoms of P. ramorum .  Other plant materials of host plants are
also restricted.G/SPS/N/USA/580
Page 2
6. Objective and rationale:  [    ] food safety,  [    ] animal health,  [  X ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pests
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):  This action is necessary to prevent the spread of
Phytophthora ramorum in the United States.
8. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [     ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give its appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  This action is in accordance with the principles
related to emergency action of Article VII of the revised text of the International PlantProtection Convention.
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are:  Letter to foreign government
and 67 FR 6827, 14 February 2002 - the domestic interim rule and notice of public hearings
mentioned in paragraph 5 (Available in English)
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  These measures will go
into effect for all shipments exported to the United States from affected countries on or after
20 May 2002.
11. Texts available from/and agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ]
National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point or address, fax number
and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  Text of the letter and the earlier Federal
Register publication of the interim rule (domestic) are available upon request to the addressbelow:
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority:
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
Attn: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture BuildingStop 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Tel:  (202) 720-2239
Fax:  (202) 690-0677
E-mail:  ofsts@fas.usda.gov