Montana Plant Quarantine Program
The Montana Department of Agriculture administers and enforces several plant pest quarantines that affect interstate and international movement of agricultural commodities. These quarantines were adopted to prevent the introduction of pests that are not established in Montana and to protect Montana agricultural commodities.
Seed Potato Disease Control
Japanese Beetle
European Pine Shoot Moth
Mint Wilt Quarantine
Lythrum Importation Quarantine
Black Stem Rust Control
Potato and Tomato Late Blight Quarantine
Quarantine Related Permits
Montana
Code Annotated
Seed Potato Disease Control
Pest: Contagious diseases of seed potatoes
Regulated Area: All states
Regulated Articles: Certified seed potatoes for commercial purposes
Restrictions: Regulated articles may not be imported into Montana for any commercial purpose unless the seed potatoes meet all of the following conditions:
- from seed stock produced as a part of a certified seed potato crop in the state or country of origin and certified as being from that stock;
- subject to inspection at the Montana receiving point by a federal or state-federal standard grade inspector;
- shipped in a clean, disinfected container or transportation carrier; and
- accompanied by a USDA or state or origin certification of inspection describing the seed variety, seed class, standard grade, quality or condition, and seed source and have affixed to each inspection certificate an official state of origin seed potato certification tag or label.
Japanese Beetle [TOP]
Pest: Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica)
Regulated Area: All states or parts of states that are infested with Japanese beetle, or found to be infested in the future.
Regulated Articles: Soil, humus, compost, all plants with roots, grass sod, plant crowns or roots for propagation (except when free from soil), bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes of ornamental plants (except when free from soil), and any other plant, plant part, regulated article, or means of conveyance when it is determined by the Montana Department of Agriculture to present a hazard of spreading live Japanese beetle due to infestation or exposure to infestation by Japanese beetle.
Restrictions: Regulated articles originating from areas subject to quarantine requirements must meet standards for shipment to a Category 1 state in order to enter Montana commerce. Quarantine requirements for a Category 1 state can be found in the U.S. Domestic Japanese Beetle Harmonization Plan.
Regulated articles shall not be shipped into Montana from any regulated areas, or within the state of Montana unless each shipment is accompanies by a state phytosanitary certificate or equivalent certification of quarantine compliance.
For more information about regulated areas or quarantine requirements for a Category 1 state, contact the Montana Department of Agriculture at 406-444-3730.
European Pine Shoot Moth [TOP]
Mint Wilt Quarantine[TOP]Pest: European Pine Shoot Moth (Rhyacionia bouliana)
Regulated Area: The states of Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Regulated Articles: All species of pine trees, Pinus spp., with our without roots, and the branches or twigs of pine-bearing terminal buds, needles, or shoots.
Restrictions: Regulated articles shall not be shipped from any regulated areas into or within the State of Montana unless each shipment is accompanied by either:
- documentation of origin for each shipment in the form of a bill of lading or invoice if coming from an area known not to be infested, or;
- a phytosanitary certificate for each shipment attesting to pest freedom for each growing site that has been trapped and found free of the insect, or;
- a phytosanitary certificate for each shipment attesting to pest freedom based on shipping point inspection of each article.
Cut pine trees, branches, or twigs for ornamental purposes from regulated or non-regulated areas may be shipped into Montana during the period of October 20th to December 25th.
Pest: Verticillium dahliae (V. albo-atrum)Regulated Area: all states
Regulated Articles: Mint and mint planting stock of the genus Mentha
Restrictions: Mint or mint planting stock entering Montana must be inspected in the state of origin and be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the state of origin.
All mint equipment entering Montana must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the state of origin.
Lythrum Importation Quarantine [TOP]
Black Stem Rust Control [TOP]Pest: Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and Wand Loosestrife (L. virgatum)
Regulated Area: all states
Regulated Articles: All varieties and hybrids of plants, seeds, and propagative plant parts of Lythrum salicaria, and Lythrum virgatum. Common horticultural variety names include, but are not limited to: purple, wand, the beacon, fire candle, brightness, Ladysackville, Mr. Robert, Robert's, Happy, Roseum superbum, purple spire, rose queen, athe rocket, morden pink, morden gleam, morden rose, dropmore purple, and tomentosum.
Restrictions: Regulated articles may not be imported into Montana unless under permit issued by the Montana Department of Agriculture. The department may issue permits for herbarium, educational, and research purposes provided that there is no threat to Montana's native plant community. The permit shall include the terms and conditions under which the regulated articles will be kept.
Potato and Tomato Late Blight Quarantine [TOP]Pest: Black stem rust, Puccinia graminis, is a fungal disease that has been responsible for several epidemics of wheat loss in the United States since the early 1900's. It's life cycle is dependent on two hosts, cereals and barberry plants. The Montana Department of Agriculture regulates the federal domestic black stem rust quarantine under a federal-state cooperative agreement.
The federal quarantine categorizes Montana as a protected area. This means that regulated articles are prohibited from moving interstate, into or through Montana. Regulated articles include Berberis, Mahoberberis, and Mahonia plants, including seedlings, seeds, fruits, and other plant parts capable of propagation. The federal quarantine includes a complete list of regulated articles.
*All Berberis seedlings and plants of less than 2 years' growth, and rust-susceptible Berberis, Mahoberberis and Mahonia plants, seeds, fruits and other plant parts capable of propagation are prohibited from moving interstate into or through any protected area.
Pest: Potato Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans)
Regulated Area: All states
Regulated Articles: Certified seed potatoes and seed potatoes including seed potatoes for home gardens; potato plants; and tomato plants including all varieties of Lycopersicon lycopersicum and L. pimpinellifolium. Tomato seeds are not regulated articles.
Restrictions: No individual, firm or nursery shall import regulated articles into Montana except under the following conditions:
Seed potatoes or potato plants:
- are produced as certified seed potatoes in the state or country of origin and are certified;
- are inspected in the storage warehouse and no late blight is found in the lot; and
- are inspected at the shipping point and no late blight is found.
Tomato plants:
- are produced in greenhouses not containing other unprotected, susceptible plant materials;
- are treated with a registered fungicide from the time the tomato seedlings produce their first pair of true leaves following a schedule recommended by the state's cooperative extension service, satisfactory to state plant regulatory officials, for late blight disease control;
- are inspected prior to shipment and found free from late blight disease; and
- are packed at the point of origin.
States may apply to the department for an exemption from the requirements for tomato plants based on climatic conditions, seasonal occurrence of late blight, and shipping dates that preclude late blight infection.
Each shipment of regulated articles into Montana must be accompanied by an official certificate issued by the government regulatory agency responsible for phytosanitary certification stating that the shipment meets the requirements of this rule. The regulatory agency will follow accepted phytosanitary procedures in the assuring that the conditions of this rule are met.
For full details, including rule provisions governing intrastate movement and destruction of cull potatoes, contact the Montana Department of Agriculture.
The Montana Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with USDA APHIS PPQ, reviews and processes plant pest permits and biotechnology permits.For more information about Montana quarantines please contact:
Michele Mettler
Phone: (406) 444-3730
E-mail: mmettler@mt.gov
