Preparing for an HLB Quarantine

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

The County of San Diego Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures (AWM) works with lead agencies on agricultural quarantines of invasive agricultural pests that destroy crops, increase food costs, increase pesticide use and degrade of the environment. The Asian Citrus Psyllid transmits a bacterial disease to citrus trees that known as Huanglongbing (HLB). The citrus industry in San Diego County is valued at $152 million. To mitigate the economic and environmental risks related to HLB, AWM delivers extensive outreach to industry members and the public through meetings, workshops, letters, voters-guide inserts, video, flyers, US -Mexico binational and regional conferences, and presentations to 18 incorporated cities, unincorporated areas and local indigenous tribes. AWM created a dedicated webpage for Asian citrus psyllid/HLB with links to our local, State and Federal partners. In 2019, AWM was recognized as the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program’s “Citrus Hero” award recipient for the outreach effort.