SECTION 20.20. Pest Management Zones

(a) Establishment. The department may establish a geographical zone of all or part of one or more counties to control or prevent the spread of cotton pests.

(1) A petition for establishment or change of zone boundaries of a pest management zone will be considered if submitted by: a certified cotton producer organization within the pest management zone; a County Extension Agriculture Committee; a county Farm Service Agency (FSA) Committee; an established agriculture business that is representative of the proposed pest management zone; or any other established business or non-profit organization as approved by the department.

(2) A recommendation for change of a pest management zone's boundaries will also be considered by the department if approved by majority vote of the pest management zone's Cotton Producer Advisory Committee and so documented in the meeting minutes.

(b) Zones. Established zones include the following counties:

(1) Zone 1. Brooks, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Starr, Willacy, Zapata and the southern part of Kenedy County encompassing the area below an east-west line through Katherine and Armstrong, Texas.

(2) Zone 2. Aransas, Bee, Calhoun, Duval, Goliad, Jim Wells, Kleberg, LaSalle, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria, Webb, and the northern portion of Kenedy County encompassing the area above an east-west line through Katherine and Armstrong, Texas.

(3) Zone 3. Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Gonzales, Harris, Jackson, Jefferson, Lavaca, Liberty, Matagorda, Orange, Waller, and Wharton.

(4) Zone 4. Atascosa, Bexar, DeWitt, Dimmit, Frio, Karnes, Kinney, Maverick, Medina, Uvalde, Val Verde, Wilson, and Zavala.

(5) Zone 5. Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe, Hays, Lee, Milam, Travis, and Williamson.

(6) Zone 6. Anderson, Angelina, Brazos, Burleson, Cherokee, Grimes, Hardin, Houston, Jasper, Leon, Madison, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Panola, Polk, Robertson, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, and Washington.

(7) Zone 7. Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Hamilton, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Johnson, Lampasas, Limestone, McLennan, Navarro, and Somervell.

(8) Zone 8. Pecos, Reeves, and Ward.

(9) Zone 9. El Paso County and that portion of Hudspeth County bounded by Interstate Highway 10 on the north, the El Paso County line on the west, the Rio Grande River on the south, and a line from old Fort Quitman, north along Highway 34 to Interstate 10 on the east.

Source Note: The provisions of this §20.20 adopted to be effective September 2, 1996, 21 TexReg 7969; amended to be effective August 25, 2002, 27 TexReg 7511; amended to be effective August 1, 2004, 29 TexReg 7089; amended to be effective March 26, 2006, 31 TexReg 2143; amended to be effective July 19, 2007, 32 TexReg 4383; amended to be effective September 13, 2018, 43 TexReg 5773; amended to be effective October 17, 2022, 47 TexReg 6825