A quarantine is established under chapters 17.24 and 15.13 RCW to protect the Washington hazelnut industry from exotic strains of the eastern filbert blight disease. Eastern filbert blight is a highly infectious plant disease affecting hazelnuts (also called filberts) and closely related species. It is caused by the fungus Anisogramma anomala. Until recently, varieties of hazelnuts grown in the Pacific Northwest were resistant to the local strain of A. anomala. However, more virulent strains of A. anomala have been found in the eastern portion of the United States. If these more virulent, exotic strains are introduced into Washington, the disease resistance of local commercial and ornamental varieties of hazelnuts will decline and may be lost, resulting in potentially devastating economic consequences to growers, loss of ornamental or landscape hazelnut plants, and environmental consequences of removing habitat and food sources for wildlife.