Maine Quarantines: Guidelines for Shipping Trees, Wreaths, etc.

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MAINE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
Maine Forest Service

Regulations and Guidelines for Shipping

Christmas Trees, Wreaths & Decorative Plant Material

(Twigs, Nuts and Fruit Used in Wreath Making)

SHIPPERS OF CUT TREES AND MATERIALS FOR MAKING AND DECORATING WREATHS SHOULD KNOW Some plant materials used in making and decorating wreaths are illegal to send to certain destinations. Some cut plant materials may require inspection and/or certification prior to shipment. Cut trees, wreaths and other native plant materials found in Maine and used for decorative purposes can harbor serious insect and disease pests that come under quarantine regulations of this or other states. Some states reserve the right to refuse shipments of wreaths with signs and symptoms of any insects or diseases not found in their region.

To avoid problems and serious quarantine violations, Maine shippers should:

Become familiar with quarantines and regulations of the states being sent to.

National Plant Board State Regulation Page
Maine Forest Service, Forestry Related Quarantines
USDA APHIS plant pest information index page
Ship only plant materials free of insects or diseases.
Because quarantines are prone to frequent changes, retailers or shippers should check with the appropriate agency before shipping. A table of quarantine regulations can be found on the Department of Agriculture Plant Industry Website. They are offered as guidelines only for shipping to a number of common destinations in the United States. http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/pi/horticulture/Wreaths.htm

For interstate shipments:
Maine Department of Agriculture
Plant Industry Division
28 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Telephone (207) 287-3891

For international shipments:
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
APHIS, PPQ
15 Iron Road, Ste. 1
Hermon, ME 04401
Telephone (207) 848-5199

Maine Forest Service, Forest Health and Monitoring Division