(a) Notice of quarantine. Under the authority of sections 411, 412, 414, and 434 of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7711, 7712, 7714, and 7754), the Secretary of Agriculture quarantines the States of North Carolina and South Carolina in order to prevent the spread of witchweed (Striga spp.), a parasitic plant that causes a dangerous disease of corn, sorghum, and other crops of the grass family and is not widely prevalent or distributed within and throughout the United States. Through the aforementioned authorities, the Secretary imposes a quarantine on the States of North Carolina and South Carolina with respect to the interstate movement from those States of regulated articles, issues regulations in this subpart governing the movement of such articles, and gives notice of this quarantine action.

(b) Quarantine restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles. No common carrier or other person shall move interstate from any quarantined State any regulated articles, except in accordance with the conditions prescribed in this subpart.

(c) List of regulated articles. The Deputy Administrator has determined that certain articles present a hazard of spread of witchweed. A list of all such regulated articles is found on the internet at www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/SA_Weeds/SA_Noxious_Weeds_Program. Lists of all regulated articles may also be obtained by request from any local Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) office; local offices are listed in telephone directories and on the internet at www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/ppq-program-overview/sphd.

(d) Normal process for designating additional regulated articles. (1) If the Deputy Administrator determines that an article not already listed at www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/SA_Weeds/SA_Noxious_Weeds_Program presents a hazard of spread of witchweed, APHIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register proposing to designate the article as a regulated article for witchweed. The notice will provide the basis for this determination, and will request public comment.

(2) If no comments are received on the notice, or if the comments do not change the Deputy Administrator's determination, APHIS will publish a second notice in the Federal Register designating the article as a regulated article for witchweed and listing it.

(e) Immediate designation of regulated articles. An inspector may designate any other article, product, or means of conveyance as a regulated article, if the inspector determines that it presents a hazard of spread of witchweed, and after the person in possession of the article has been so notified.

[87 FR 80011, Dec. 29, 2022]

Terms used in the singular form in this subpart shall be deemed to import the plural, and vice versa, as the case may demand. The following terms, when used in this subpart, shall be construed, respectively, to mean:

Certificate. A document issued or authorized to be issued under this subpart by an inspector to allow the interstate movement of regulated articles to any destination.

Compliance agreement. A written agreement between a person engaged in growing, handling, or moving regulated articles, and the Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs, wherein the former agrees to comply with the requirements of this subpart identified in the agreement by the inspector who executes the agreement on behalf of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs as applicable to the operations of such person.

Deputy Administrator. The Deputy Administrator of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, or any other officer or employee of said Service to whom authority to act in his stead has been or may hereafter be delegated.

Farm tools. An instrument worked or used by hand, e.g., hoes, rakes, shovels, axes, hammers, and saws.

Generally infested area. Any part of a regulated area not designated as a suppressive area in accordance with § 301.80-2.

Infestation. The presence of witchweed or the existence of circumstances that make it reasonable to believe that witchweed is present.

Inspector. Any employee of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, or other person, authorized by the Deputy Administrator to enforce the provisions of the quarantine and regulations in this subpart.

Interstate. From any State into or through any other State.

Limited permit. A document issued or authorized to be issued by an inspector to allow the interstate movement of noncertifiable regulated articles to a specified destination for limited handling, utilization, or processing, or for treatment.

Mechanized cultivating equipment; and mechanized harvesting equipment. Mechanized equipment used for soil tillage, including tillage attachments for farm tractors, e.g., tractors, disks, plows, harrows, planters, and subsoilers; mechanized equipment used for harvesting purposes, e.g., mechanical cotton harvesters, hay balers, corn pickers, and combines.

Mechanized soil-moving equipment. Mechanized equipment used to move or transport soil, e.g., draglines, bulldozers, road scrapers, and dumptrucks.

Moved (movement, move). Shipped, offered for shipment to a common carrier, received for transportation or transported by a common carrier, or carried, transported, moved or allowed to be moved by any means. “Movement” and “move” shall be construed accordingly.

Person. Any individual, corporation, company, society, or association, or other organized group of any of the foregoing.

Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs. The organizational unit with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, delegated responsibility for enforcing provisions of the Plant Protection Act and related legislation, quarantines, and regulations.

Regulated area. Any quarantined State, or any portion thereof, designated as a regulated area in accordance with § 301.80-2.

Regulated articles. Any article identified as a regulated article under § 301.80 as follows: listed as of January 30, 2023, added in accordance with § 301.80(d), or otherwise designated in accordance with § 301.80(e).

Restricted destination permit. A document issued or authorized to be issued by an inspector to allow the interstate movement of regulated articles not certifiable under all applicable Federal domestic plant quarantines to a specified destination for other than scientific purposes.

Scientific permit. A document issued by the Deputy Administrator to allow the interstate movement to a specified destination of regulated articles for scientific purposes.

Soil. That part of the upper layer of earth in which plants can grow.

State. Any State, territory, or district of the United States, including Puerto Rico.

Suppressive area. That portion of a regulated area where eradication of infestation is undertaken as an objective.

Treatment Manual. The provisions currently contained in the “Manual of Administratively Authorized Procedures to be Used Under the Witchweed Quarantine” and the “Fumigation Procedures Manual” and any amendments thereto. 1

1 Pamphlets containing such provisions are available upon request to the Deputy Administrator, Plant Protection and Quarantine Programs, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250, or from an inspector.

Witchweed. Parasitic plants of the genus Striga and reproductive parts thereof, including seeds.

[41 FR 27372, July 2, 1976, as amended at 66 FR 21052, Apr. 27, 2001; 87 FR 80011, Dec. 29, 2022]

(a) List of regulated areas and suppressive or generally infested areas. The Deputy Administrator will list as a regulated area each quarantined State, or portion of a State, in which witchweed has been found or in which there is reason to believe that witchweed is present or which it is deemed necessary to regulate because of its proximity to infestation or its inseparability for quarantine enforcement purposes from infested localities. The Deputy Administrator may divide any regulated area into a suppressive area and generally infested area in accordance with definitions of these terms in § 301.80-1. The Deputy Administrator will publish a list of all regulated areas (the regulated areas list) on the PPQ website at www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/SA_Weeds/SA_Noxious_Weeds_Program. The list will include the date that the list was last updated. Lists of all regulated areas may also be obtained by request from any local PPQ office; local offices are listed in telephone directories and on the internet at www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/ppq-program-overview/sphd. After a change is made to the list of regulated areas, APHIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register informing the public that the change has occurred and describing the change to the regulated areas. Less than an entire quarantined State will be designated as a regulated area only if the Deputy Administrator determines that:

(1) The State has adopted and is enforcing a quarantine which imposes restrictions on the intrastate movement of the regulated articles which are substantially the same as those which are imposed with respect to the interstate movement of such articles under this subpart; and

(2) The designation of less than the entire State as a regulated area will otherwise be adequate to prevent the interstate spread of witchweed.

(b) Temporary designation of regulated areas and suppressive or generally infested areas. The Deputy Administrator or an authorized inspector may temporarily designate any other premises in a quarantined State as a regulated area and may designate the regulated area or portions thereof as a suppressive or generally infested area, in accordance with the criteria specified in paragraph (a) of this section for designating such area, by serving written notice thereof on the owner or person in possession of such premises, and thereafter the interstate movement of regulated articles from such premises by any person having notice of the designation shall be subject to the applicable provisions of this subpart. As soon as practicable, such premises shall be added to the regulated areas list.

(c) Termination of designation as a regulated area and a suppressive or generally infested area. The Deputy Administrator shall terminate the designation provided for under paragraph (a) of this section of any area designated as a regulated area, or a suppressive or a generally infested area within a regulated area, when the Deputy Administrator determines that such designation is no longer required under the criteria specified in paragraph (a) of this section. Notification of this change in the list of regulated areas, or suppressive or generally infested areas within a regulated area, will be made in accordance with the process set forth in paragraph (a) of this section. The Deputy Administrator or an inspector shall terminate the designation provided for under paragraph (b) of this section of any premises designated as a regulated area or a suppressive or a generally infested area when the Deputy Administrator determines that such designation is no longer required under the criteria specified in paragraph (a) of this section, and notice thereof shall be given to the owner or person in possession of the premises.

(d) Exemption of articles from certification, permit, or other requirements. The Deputy Administrator may determine that a regulated article has been produced, processed, cleaned, or otherwise handled in a manner that is sufficient to allow the article to move interstate without hazard of spread of witchweed, provided that the article is not exposed to infestation after production, processing, cleaning, or other handling. The Deputy Administrator may also determine that a regulated article's intended use is such that it may be moved interstate without hazard of spread of witchweed. Such articles are exempt from the restrictions of this subpart. The list of regulated articles at www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/SA_Weeds/SA_Noxious_Weeds_Program is annotated to indicate the exemptions under this subpart.

[87 FR 80012, Dec. 29, 2022]

(a) Any regulated articles, except soil samples for processing, testing, or analysis, may be moved interstate from any quarantined State under the following conditions: 1

(1) With certificate or permit issued and attached in accordance with §§ 301.80-4 and 301.80-7, if moved:

(i) From any generally infested area or any suppressive area into or through any point outside of the regulated areas; or

(ii) From any generally infested area into or through any suppressive area; or

(iii) Between any noncontiguous suppressive areas; or

(iv) Between contiguous suppressive areas when it is determined by an inspector that the regulated articles present a hazard of the spread of the witchweed and the person in possession thereof has been so notified; or

(v) Through or reshipped from any regulated area when such movement is not authorized under paragraph (a)(2)(v) of this section; or

(2) Without certificate or permit if moved:

(i) From any regulated area under the provisions of § 301.80-2 which exempt certain articles from certificate and permit requirements; or

(ii) From a generally infested area to a contiguous generally infested area; or

(iii) From a suppressive area to a contiguous generally infested area; or

(iv) Between contiguous suppressive areas unless the person in possession of the articles has been notified by an inspector that a hazard of spread of the witchweed exists; or

(v) Through or reshipped from any regulated area if the articles originated outside of any regulated area and if the point of origin of the articles is clearly indicated, their identity has been maintained, and they have been safeguarded against infestation while in the regulated area in a manner satisfactory to the inspector; or

(3) From any area outside the regulated areas, if moved:

(i) With a certificate or permit attached; or

(ii) Without a certificate or permit, if:

(A) The regulated articles are exempt from certification and permit requirements under the provisions of § 301.80-2; or

(B) The point of origin of such movement is clearly indicated on the articles or shipping document which accompanies the articles and if the movement is not made through any regulated area.

(b) Unless specifically authorized by the Deputy Administrator in emergency situations, soil samples for processing, testing, or analysis may be moved interstate from any regulated area only to laboratories approved 2 by the Deputy Administrator. A certificate or permit will not be required to be attached to such soil samples except in those emergency situations where the Deputy Administrator has authorized such movement to another destination with a certificate or permit issued and attached in accordance with §§ 301.80-4(d) and 301.80-7. Soil samples originating in areas outside of the regulated areas will not require such a certificate or permit and their movement is not restricted to approved laboratories if the point of origin of such samples is clearly indicated on the articles or shipping document which accompanies the articles and if the movement is not made through any regulated area.

2 Provisions for laboratory approval may be obtained from your State's State Plant Health Director. Contact information can be found at www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/ppq-program-overview/CT_SPHD.

[41 FR 27373, July 2, 1976, as amended at 87 FR 80012, Dec. 29, 2022]

(a) Certificates may be issued for any regulated articles (except soil samples for processing, testing, or analysis) by an inspector if he determines that they are eligible for certification for movement to any destination under all Federal domestic plant quarantines applicable to such articles and:

(1) Have originated in noninfested premises in a regulated area and have not been exposed to infestation while within the regulated areas; or

(2) Have been treated to destroy infestation in accordance with the treatment manual; or

(3) Have been grown, produced, manufactured, stored, or handled in such a manner that no infestation would be transmitted thereby.

(b) Limited permits may be issued by an inspector to allow interstate movement of regulated articles (except soil samples for processing, testing, or analysis) not eligible for certification under this subpart, to specified destinations for limited handling, utilization, or processing, or for treatment in accordance with the treatment manual, when upon evaluation of the circumstances involved in each specific case he determines that such movement will not result in the spread of witchweed and requirements of other applicable Federal domestic plant quarantines have been met.

(c) Restricted destination permits may be issued by an inspector to allow the interstate movement (for other than scientific purposes) of regulated articles (except soil samples for processing, testing, or analysis) to any destination permitted under all applicable Federal domestic plant quarantines if such articles are not eligible for certification under all such quarantines but would otherwise qualify for certification under this subpart.

(d) Scientific permits to allow the interstate movement of regulated articles, and certificates or permits to allow the movement of soil samples for processing, testing, or analysis in emergency situations, may be issued by the Deputy Administrator under such conditions as may be prescribed in each specific case by the Deputy Administrator to prevent the spread of witchweed.

(e) Certificate, limited permit, and restricted destination permit forms may be issued by an inspector to any person for use by the latter for subsequent shipments of regulated articles (except soil samples for processing, testing, or analysis) provided such person is operating under a compliance agreement; and any such person may be authorized by an inspector to reproduce such forms on shipping containers or otherwise. Any such person may execute and issue the certificate forms, or reproductions of such forms, for the interstate movement of regulated articles from the premises of such person identified in the compliance agreement if such person has treated such regulated articles to destroy infestation in accordance with the treatment manual, and if such regulated articles are eligible for certification for movement to any destination under all Federal domestic plant quarantines applicable to such articles. Any such person may execute and issue the limited permit forms, or reproductions of such forms, for interstate movement of regulated articles to specified destinations when the inspector has made the determinations specified in paragraph (b) of this section. Any such person may execute and issue the restricted destination permit forms, or reproductions of such forms, for the interstate movement of regulated articles not eligible for certification under all Federal domestic plant quarantines applicable to such articles, under the conditions specified in paragraph (c) of this section.

(f) Any certificate or permit which has been issued or authorized may be withdrawn by the inspector or the Deputy Administrator if he determines that the holder thereof has not complied with any condition for the use of such document imposed by this subpart. As soon as possible after such withdrawal, the holder of the certificate or permit shall be notified in writing by the Deputy Administrator or an inspector of the reason therefor and afforded reasonable opportunity to present his views thereon, and if there is a conflict as to any material fact, a hearing shall be held to resolve such conflict.

[35 FR 10553, June 30, 1970, as amended at 36 FR 24917, Dec. 24, 1971; 41 FR 27374, July 2, 1976]

(a) Any person engaged in the business of growing, handling, or moving regulated articles may enter into a compliance agreement to facilitate the movement of such articles under this subpart. Compliance agreement forms may be obtained from the Deputy Administrator or an inspector.

(b) Any compliance agreement may be canceled by the inspector who is supervising its enforcement whenever he finds that such other party has failed to comply with the conditions of the agreement. As soon as possible after such cancellation, such party shall be notified in writing by the Deputy Administrator or an inspector of the reason therefor and afforded reasonable opportunity to present views thereon, and if there is a conflict as to any material fact, a hearing shall be held to resolve such conflict.

[35 FR 10553, June 30, 1970, as amended at 36 FR 24917, Dec. 24, 1971; 41 FR 27374, July 2, 1976]

Persons (other than those authorized to use certificates, limited permits, or restricted destination permits, or reproductions thereof, under § 301.80-4(e)) who desire to move interstate regulated articles which must be accompanied by a certificate or permit shall, as far in advance as possible, request an inspector to examine the articles prior to movement. Such articles shall be assembled at such points and in such a manner as the inspector designates to facilitate inspection.

[35 FR 10553, June 30, 1970, as amended at 36 FR 24917, Dec. 24, 1971; 41 FR 27374, July 2, 1976]

(a) If a certificate or permit is required for the interstate movement of regulated articles, the certificates or permit shall be securely attached to the outside of the container in which such articles are moved except that, where the certificate or permit is attached to the waybill or other shipping document, and the regulated articles are adequately described on the certificate, permit or shipping document, the attachment of the certificate or permit to each container of the articles is not required.

(b) In all cases, certificates or permits shall be furnished by the carrier to the consignee at the destination of the shipment.

[35 FR 10553, June 30, 1970, as amended at 36 FR 24917, Dec. 24, 1971]

Any properly identified inspector is authorized to stop and inspect, and to seize, destroy, or otherwise dispose of, or require disposal of regulated articles and witchweed as provided in sections 414, 421, and 434 of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7714, 7731, and 7754), in accordance with instructions issued by the Deputy Administrator.

[35 FR 10553, June 30, 1970, as amended at 36 FR 24917, Dec. 24, 1971; 41 FR 27374, July 2, 1976; 66 FR 21052, Apr. 27, 2001]

Regulations requiring a permit for, and otherwise governing the movement of witchweed in interstate or foreign commerce are contained in the Federal plant pest regulations in part 330 of this chapter. Applications for permits for the movement of the pest may be made to the Deputy Administrator.

[35 FR 10553, June 30, 1970, as amended at 36 FR 24917, Dec. 24, 1971]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture disclaims liability for any costs incident to inspections or compliance with the provisions of the quarantine and regulations in this subpart, other than for the services of the inspector.

[35 FR 10553, June 30, 1970, as amended at 36 FR 24917, Dec. 24, 1971]