A. The associate director may, as authorized by the director:

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1. Quarantine, treat, eradicate, destroy or reject out of state pests and all plants that are infested or infected with pests or that are the host or carrier or the means of propagating or disseminating a pest.

2. Enforce all rules and orders necessary to carry out the purposes of this article:

(a) To prevent introduction of a pest into the state.

(b) To prevent propagation or dissemination of a pest from one locality to another in this state.

(c) To control, eradicate or suppress a pest or prevent introduction into this state of a pest from out of state.

(d) To fix the terms and conditions on which plants or any other article or thing of any nature whatever likely to be infested or infected with or be the carrier of, or the means of propagating or disseminating, a pest that may be shipped or brought into this state, or moved from one locality or place to another in this state.

(e) To prohibit plants or things likely to be infected with, be the carrier of or be the means of spreading, propagating or disseminating a pest from being shipped or brought into this state or moved from one locality to another in this state.

3. Cooperate with the United States secretary of agriculture and the secretary’s representatives in interstate matters pertaining to the objects of this article.

4. Proceed according to law to abate any public nuisance prohibited by this article.

5. Establish fees pursuant to section 3-217 and adopt rules necessary to effect and administer an Arizona nursery certification program, for any person who requests to participate, to certify that a participating nursery meets the criteria established by the associate director or the entry criteria established by another state, commonwealth or country.

6. Require records to determine the origin and quarantine certification status of nursery stock sold, offered for sale or transported by any person into or within this state.

B. The associate director shall:

1. Keep the director informed concerning dangers to the agricultural and horticultural interests of this state from pests.

2. Faithfully enforce and execute all rules and orders of the department pertaining to the division, using all necessary and proper means including court action.

3. Prepare, publish electronically, post and make available at least once each year bulletins containing such information as the associate director deems proper and the current rules and orders of the department.

4. Enter in or on any premises or other place, train, vehicle or other means of transportation in or entering this state that is suspected of containing, harboring or having present one or more pests.

5. Make inspections to determine if a pest is present.

6. Open, without unnecessary injury to property, any box, container or package at any time during business or operating hours, and, after notifying the owner or person in charge, if the owner or person in charge is found in the county, open any car, enclosure or building that the associate director suspects contains, harbors or has present a pest, and examine and inspect the contents as may be necessary to determine if a pest is present.

7. If in performing other duties the associate director determines that plant materials inspected and being delivered or transported or shipped by mail or courier are dead, dying or otherwise inferior in quality, mark the plant or package, or both, advising the recipient and sender that, in the judgment of the associate director, the plant materials were found to be dead, dying or of inferior quality. This paragraph does not authorize the associate director to perform inspections solely for the purposes set forth in this paragraph.