Digger magazine

Serving the Northwest Nursery Industry for Over 50 Years

  • Digger-Employment_banner-2020-728x90px.jpg
  • NG_banner-2020-728x90px.jpg
  • FW_banner-2021-728x90px-1.jpg
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Nursery News
    • Features
    • Plants
    • Growing Knowledge
    • Operations
    • Nursery Country
    • Meta
  • Issues
  • Events
  • Farwest
  • Columns
    • Director’s Desk
    • Mike Darcy
    • Pivot Points
    • President’s Message
  • Employment Classifieds
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
You are here: Home / Oregon, California growers sue to reopen South Carolina plant market

Oregon, California growers sue to reopen South Carolina plant market

By Curt Kipp — Posted March 9, 2010

Nurseries can’t afford to let disease spread. They take seriously the threat of Phytophthora ramorum, commonly known as sudden oak death – and so does the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

For several years, APHIS has had rules in effect to protect ecosystems and plant material. Nurseries in Oregon and California have an outstanding record of compliance with these rules. That may explain why there is not one documented instance of a plant infected with P. ramorum making its way to South Carolina from either California or Oregon. However, in 2009, the South Carolina Assembly Regulation 27-78, which pertains to P. ramorum.

The regulation requires state documentation that doesn’t exist, effectively making it impossible for California and Oregon growers to ship any plants to South Carolina. As a result of these rules, plants valued at more than $1 million have been needlessly destroyed at owner expense.

On Monday, the Oregon Association of Nurseries and the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers sued South Carolina in U.S. District Court. The lawsuit (PDF) alleges that the rule violates the Plant Protection Act as well as the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, and asks the court to overturn the regulation.

“Nurseries take very seriously the threat of plant diseases,” OAN Executive Director John Aguirre said. “Over 70 percent of Oregon’s nursery sales are destined for buyers outside our state. Oregon growers cannot allow states to violate federal law in an effort to close their markets to our growers.”

Attempts to resolve the issue without turning to the courts failed. “We had no other option but to defend our nurseries from being cut off from their customers in South Carolina,” CANGC Vice President Robert Dolezal said.

Read the full press release (PDF).

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • More
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Business, CANGC, Invasive species, OAN, OAN Members, Pests and Diseases, Phytophthora ramorum, USDA, Wholesale Nurseries

Avatar

About Curt Kipp

Curt Kipp is the director of publications and communications at the Oregon Association of Nurseries, and the editor of Digger magazine.

CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Trade shows in the time of COVID

A demand ‘renaissance’ for nurseries

Western Nursery & Landscape Association falls victim to pandemic

MANTS 2021 to move online due to COVID-19

Nor Cal trade show canceled due to COVID-19

Reflections on Farwest

More articles

NURSERY NEWS

McHutchison and Vaughan’s Horticulture appoints new leadership, sales team

Friends of Nurseries awards announced by OAN

Oregon Garden Foundation reclaims management role

Zielinski appointed to state board of ag

Disaster loans available for drought-stricken nurseries

More Nursery News

FARWEST SHOW UPDATES

People’s Choice Award winners announced for the 2020 Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase

Augmented reality app allows New Varieties Showcase voting

Farwest Show launches virtual contest to crown 2020 New Varieties Showcase winners

MANTS 2021 to move online due to COVID-19

Growing with the industry: Farwest memories

More Updates from Farwest

From the pages of Digger

January 2021 – Nursery Country

December 2020

The Transportation Issue — November 2020

The Advocacy Issue: October 2020

September 2020

August 2020 — Farwest Edition

More issues of Digger

Connect with us online

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
​

News

  • Nursery News
  • Growing Knowledge
  • Nursery Operations
  • Meta

Features

  • Plant Features
  • OAN Members
  • Oregon Nursery Country

Columns

  • Director’s Desk
  • Mike Darcy
  • Pivot Points
  • President’s Message

Resources

  • OAN Home Page
  • Job Listings
  • Subscribe to Digger
  • Advertise in Digger
  • Online Plant Search

© Copyright 2020 Oregon Association of Nurseries · Admin