We're a certified nursery as is every nursery in the US that ships
interstate, or exports to Canada. We are inspected every year for
Phytopthera ramorum, (Sudden Oak Death), an introduced fungus that infects
many species including liliaceae. This disease is present in GB, the EU,
Sweden, Italy, and certain locations in North America. Here the disease
apparently is spread on nursery stock from commercial nurseries. We are
fearful of an infection at our bare-root, field grown nursery, a positive
would essentially shut down our operations until we could demonstrate the
nursery is disease free. Our only defense is to essentially quarantine our
nursery by only propagating from seed and avoiding any plant material
import, also keeping customer cars and trucks away from our fields since
the disease is soil borne. In neighboring British Columbia, standards for
commercial nurseries are even more restrictive than here in Washington.

Before the annual inspection by APHIS, here in the US anyway, many
commercial nurseries apply heavy doses of fungicides that suppress these
fungi, making it unlikely, even if the disease is present it will be
detected. There are millions of dollars at stake for the nurseryman. As a
result nursery stock is the primary agent of distribution for this disease.
Nurseries who ship intrastate only and individuals moving plants around are
not regulated. This disease in warm, humid climates like coastal northern
California, has escaped to native plant populations. This is a serious
problem, one that I have been told by APHIS that eventually we will lose.
In certain California locations, the disease is endemic in native flora
surrounding commercial nurseries and gardens.

I have no problem bringing seed onto our farm. A good seed collection is
totally clean.Any debris collected in the seed cleaning process should be
burned or sent to a landfill. Once the disease becomes established in our
native plant populations, our viburmums, maples, rhododendrons, douglas fir
and many, many perennials seed acquisition for our seed propagation of
native plants will become very difficult. Just from the standpoint of this
single disease I think the standards should be expanded to include movement
of live plant material from all nurseries and private gardens. Current
standards have been a political decision that will eventually bite us all.

Unfortunately diagnosis of this disease is very difficult. Symptoms vary
greatly between species. In a briefing from APHIS last year we were told
the list of susceptible plant species and families keeps expanding and will
likely continue. I would suggest when bringing plant material on to your
garden it be isolated for a period if time and to submit any diseased
material for diagnosis. And please let the regulatory system function.

Rich H
Bellingham, Wa.,

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