On March 8, 2004, Claude R. Knighten, Public Affairs Specialist for USDA/APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine, reported the confirmation of Phytophthora ramorum, the fungus-like causal organism of sudden oak death (SOD) disease on six varieties of camellia samples taken from Monrovia Nursery, in Azusa, California. Hosts and associated plants were destroyed. As of April 13 2004 seven states have confirmed the presence of Phytophthora ramorum on nursery stock originating from California.

California nursery owners must now have host plants inspected before they can be shipped across state lines. However, states can still choose to enforce their own bans. Kentucky, Florida, Louisiana and West Virginia have banned all California nursery material from their states. Many states, including Canada, Arkansas, Montana, Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Utah have banned California nursery stock susceptible to

Sudden Oak Death. Indiana established an Emergency Quarantine of California nursery stock susceptible to Sudden Oak Death on March 30, 2004. A list of states with restrictions for movement of host material susceptible to Sudden Oak Death from California can be found at the following link on the CDFA site http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/pe/sod_survey/StateRestrictions.html The quarantine prohibits firms, in Indiana, that have ordered plant genera known to be susceptible to Sudden Oak Death from any California nursery, from receiving that material until the California nursery has been inspected and shown to be free from the Sudden Oak Death pathogen by the USDA APHIS PPQ or California Department of Food and Agriculture using the federal inspection protocols.

If firms have already received plant material from California which includes one of the regulated genera in the list provided, they must do two things:

1) Remove that material and any intermingled plants from sale, until the DNR can inspect the material and release it.

2) Contact the DNR at once and let them know that they have nursery stock that needs to be inspected.

For more information contact: Indiana Department of Natural Resources,Division of Entomology and Plant Pathology, 402 West Washington Street, Room W-290, Indianapolis, IN. 46204-2739

Telephone: 1 (877) 463-6367

Telephone: 1 (317) 232-4120

Facsimile: 1 (317) 232-2649

You can also obtain additional information from the USDA APHIS Sudden Oak Death Hotline at:

 (888) 703-4457,