Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is issuing a Federal Order that expands the existing imported fire ant (IFA) quarantine areas in North Carolina and Tennessee. APHIS is taking this action to prevent the interstate spread of IFA.

The following list describes the actions in this Federal Order:

• North Carolina: Extends the IFA quarantine area to the entire county for Warren County.

• Tennessee: Extends the IFA quarantine area to the entire county for Cumberland, Hamblen and Jefferson Counties and to portions of Trousdale County.

APHIS is taking these actions based upon verification from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture that IFA is present and established in the areas listed.

Under IPPC standards, Imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren, S. richteri Forel, and hybrids of these species) are pests that are considered present only in some parts of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.