The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has added 12 more counties to the quarantine zone list effective yesterday, March 3, 2020. The new counties added to the list include Beaver and Alleghany in western Pennsylvania, Columbia and Luzerne in the northeast and several counties in the central region. The spotted lantern fly (SLF) is an invasive species native to China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. In 2014, it was found in Pennsylvania.
Here is the full list of the 26 of 67 counties in Pennsylvania that are currently under quarantine:
- Allegheny
- Beaver
- Berks
- Blair
- Bucks
- Carbon
- Chester
- Columbia
- Cumberland
- Dauphin
- Delaware
- Huntingdon
- Juniata
- Lancaster
- Lebanon
- Lehigh
- Luzerne
- Mifflin
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Northampton
- Northumberland
- Perry
- Philadelphia
- Schuylkill
- York
As of May 1, 2019, a permit has been required for trucks based in the quarantine zone, trucks that load in the quarantine zone, trucks that stop for a period of time in the quarantine zone (even if it is just a short rest break), and shippers based in the quarantine zone. The quarantine counties and surrounding areas will be conducting stops, checking logs, and bills of lading. Drivers in permitted trucks may even be asked questions about the spotted lantern fly to verify their training. Any offenders will be documented, fined and may face civil or criminal charges.
If your county has been added to the current quarantine list, we highly recommend obtaining the permits for your company. We suggest choosing an owner, manager, or supervisor to complete the permit process. Here is the free online training link: https://extension.psu.edu/does-your-business-need-a-spotted-lanternfly-permit
Once you have completed the training, the representative must train each driver, or employee, for shippers. Once you are permitted, truckers can obtain mirror hangers and cab stickers as evidence, and shippers can obtain stickers to attach to their documents.
