Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is expanding the area quarantined for citrus greening (Huanglongbing; HLB), caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, in California. APHIS is establishing a new quarantined area in the Ramona area of San Diego County of 93 square miles, and is expanding the quarantined area in the Loma Linda area of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties by 26 square miles.
These measures parallel the intrastate quarantines that CDFA established on March 2 and March 6, 2026, respectively. APHIS is taking this action because of citrus greening detections in plant tissue samples collected from residential properties. There are 25.16 acres of commercial citrus impacted by the new Ramona quarantine and 411.47 acres of commercial citrus impacted by the Loma Linda area expansion.
APHIS is applying safeguarding measures outlined in 7 CFR 301.76 and Federal Orders pertaining to the interstate movement of regulated articles from the quarantined areas in California. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of citrus greening to non-infested areas of the United States.
The APHIS Citrus Greening webpage contains specific changes to the quarantined areas in California. APHIS will publish a notice of this change in the Federal Register.
For more information:
Abby R. Stilwell
USDA
Tel: +1 919 323 6296
Email: [email protected]
www.aphis.usda.gov
