Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Repeals Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (“PDA”) announced that previous Emerald Ash Borer (“EAB”) Orders of Quarantines will be repealed on April 15, 2011.  EAB is an invasive species of beetle that originated in Asia and was detected in the United States in 2002.  EAB is responsible for the destruction of more than forty million ash trees in the United States and poses a continuing threat to the species of tree.  The previous EAB quarantines did not prevent EAB from spreading and PDA felt that the restrictions imposed by the EAB quarantines no longer served a productive purpose.  For more on PDA’s repeal of EAB quarantines please visit The Pennsylvania Bulletin.

Written by Jay Angle, Research Assistant

Herzog v McKean County Bd. Of Assessment Appeals

On February 22, 2011, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania affirmed a trial court’s order to deny plaintiffs’ appeal of the McKean County Board of Assessment’s property tax assessments for two parcels of property.  The tax assessments were preferential assessments authorized by the Clean and Green Act and plaintiffs claimed that the assessments were too high because the Commonwealth’s “use values” were improper.  The court determined that the methodology employed did not violate the Clean and Green Act.  For the complete court’s opinion please view Herzog v. McKean County Bd. Of Assessment Appeals.

Written by Jay Angle, Research Assistant

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Issues New Quarantine Order for CWD-Susceptible Cervids

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (“PDA”) issued a General Quarantine Order (“Order”) to address the threat of Chronic Wasting Disease (“CWD”).  CWD is an infectious and fatal disease that harms species of the genera Cervus, Odocoileus and Alces, which include elk, white-tailed deer, moose, mule, black-tailed deer, sika deer, red deer and hybrids thereof (“CWD-susceptible cervids”).   The Order rescinds the previous quarantine and people and businesses that own or maintain any of the CWD-susceptible cervids in captivity must now meet the new Order’s requirements.  Pennsylvania owners of CWD-susceptible cervids must enroll the cervids in either the CWD Herd Certification Program or the CWD Herd Monitored Program.  To enroll in either program, owners must complete and meet the requirements in the Program Enrollment Form.  For more on the Order and its requirements please visit The Pennsylvania Bulletin.

Written by Jay Angle, Research Assistant