From: Richard Kahn
To: "jeffrey E." <jeevacation@grnail.com>
Cc: ann rodriquez
Subject: Palms / Trees
Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2017 19:39:32 +0000
puerto rico unsure and need anna / chris to report however i have not yet been presented an invoice for trees chris
has tagged..
florida palms were supposed to be picked up from FL farm tomorrow but farm is having issues as they claim we
require an import permit
i believe that they are incorrect and we hope to have a conversation with Ag inspector later today..
Richard Kahn
HBRK Associates Inc.
Begin forwarded message:
From: Matt McGraw <
Subject: Re: Fwd: US Virgin Islands
Date: December 5. 2017 at 1:38:51 PM EST
To: Daphne Wallace , Richard Kahn
Hello Daphne,
I'll send you the information my Ag inspector has about the shipment from continental US to the US Virgin
Islands. He should be back in his office this afternoon. There are apparently restrictions in place from
mainland US that are not in place between Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Island. I'm trying to reach the
department of Agriculture contact down in US Virgin Islands but the phone listed below has not yet been
restored apparently. We ran into this issue of import permits with the Bahama's a few years back and it just
took a little time to overcome.
I'll keep working on this from my end as well. We are getting a lot of requests from the Caribbean after IRMA
and would like to help with this issue wherever we can.
If we can answer the question about whether coconuts are considered "non-native" that would be a big help.
Since you are local can you see if there is another number that might be working for the Department of
Agriculture?
On St. Thomas St. John:
EFTA00940686
Department of A riculture
Cheers,
Matt
On Tue, Dec 5, 2017 at 12:28 PM, Matt McGraw <I wrote:
Hello all,
I really need to make a decision on the dig right now. We have a 24 hour re-entry on the insecticide spray
and we have to dig this afternoon in order to spray and load on Thursday morning. If we are not 100% sure
on the import permit / phyto I would rather we err on the side of caution and postpone digging until we know
these won't get stopped at the port.
Please let me know as soon as possible. I have several other orders that I can fill if we are going to hold off
on your order. The dig schedule is open next week as well.
Regards,
Matt
On Tue, Dec 5, 2017 at 9:36 AM, Matt McGraw < > wrote:
Hello Daphne,
Our Ag inspector has to log in to the US Department of Agriculture website to determine what
requirements have been established by the country/state/province etc... we are shipping to. According the
the USDA website the US Virgins Island has established a requirement for this import permit that he needs
to have before he can do the Phyto. Please take a look at the two attachments from his email. The import
permit specifies "non-native organisms" require an import permit. Perhaps the coconuts (Cocos-nucifera)
are a native? Please let me know what your customs brokers says.
We have the coconuts on the dig schedule for this afternoon. I have asked my crews to hold off digging
until we have some more information. Do you want to postpone with Tropical shipping to be on the safe
side with the import permits?
I'll follow up with a call as well.
Matt
On Tue, Dec 5, 2017 at 9:08 AM, Daphne Wallace <I I> wrote:
Greetings Matt,
I do not know what an Import Permit is. I will ask our Customs broker in St. Thomas.
Is it possible that you can ask for them to elaborate on the Florida side please.
EFTA00940687
Kind regards Daphne
On Dec 5, 2017 10:01 AM, "Matt McGraw" .< > wrote:
Good morning Daphne and Richard,
I received this note from our Agricultural inspector this morning. According to his information from
the US Virgin Islands he needs an Import Permit to be able to writhe the Phtyo. Is this something you
can provide to us for the Phyto?
Thank you,
Matt
Forwarded messa e
From: Blaney, Richard
Date: Tue, Dec 5, 2017 at 8:52 AM
Subject: US Virgin Islands
To: Matt McGraw
Shipping to the US Virgin Islands is doable. The customer, (Importer) needs to get an Import Permit
from the Virgin Islands. (see attached.) I cannot write the phyto without the permit. Forward it to me
when you get it, and I will proceed from there. Rick
Richard Blaney
Environmental Specialist 1
Division of Plant Industry
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
EFTA00940688
Please note that Florida has a broad public records law (Chapter 119,
Florida Statutes).
Most written communications to or from state employees are public
records obtainable
by the public upon request. Emails sent to me at this email address
may be considered
public and will only be withheld from disclosure if deemed confidential
pursuant to the
laws of the State of Florida.
Matt McGraw
Customer Service Team
PALMCO
Matt McGraw
Customer Service Team
PALMCO
EFTA00940689
Matt McGraw
Customer Service Team
PALMCO
Matt McGraw
Customer Service Team
PALMCO
EFTA00940690