Importation of Nursery Stock, 43503-43524 [E7-15124]

Download as PDF 43503 Rules and Regulations Federal Register Vol. 72, No. 150 Monday, August 6, 2007 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510. The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents. Prices of new books are listed in the first FEDERAL REGISTER issue of each week. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 7 CFR Parts 319, 330, and 340 [Docket No. 03–002–3] RIN 0579–AC51 Importation of Nursery Stock Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Final rule. cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES AGENCY: SUMMARY: We are amending the regulations on importing nursery stock to eliminate various restrictions on the importation of kenaf seed; to establish programs for the importation of approved plants from the Canary Islands and from Israel; to require an additional declaration on the phytosanitary certificate accompanying blueberry plants imported from Canada; to require that phytosanitary certificates include the genus names of the restricted articles they accompany, and the species names when restrictions apply to species within a genus; to change the phytosanitary certificate requirements for several restricted articles; to reduce the postentry quarantine growing period for Hydrangea spp.; and to update the list of ports of entry and Federal plant inspection stations. We are also making several other changes to update and clarify the regulations and improve their effectiveness. These changes are necessary to relieve restrictions that appear unnecessary, update existing provisions, and make the regulations easier to understand and implement. DATES: Effective Date: September 5, 2007. Dr. Arnold T. Tschanz, Senior Import Specialist, Commodity Import Analysis and Operations, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 734–5306. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The regulations in 7 CFR part 319 prohibit or restrict the importation of certain plants and plant products into the United States to prevent the introduction of plant pests. The regulations contained in ‘‘Subpart— Nursery Stock, Plants, Roots, Bulbs, Seeds, and Other Plant Products,’’ §§ 319.37 through 319.37–14 (referred to below as the regulations), restrict, among other things, the importation of living plants, plant parts, and seeds for propagation. On December 15, 2005, we published in the Federal Register (70 FR 74215– 74235, Docket No. 03–002–1) a proposal 1 to make several amendments to the nursery stock regulations. We solicited comments concerning the proposal for 60 days ending February 13, 2006. We reopened and extended the deadline for comments until March 31, 2006, in a document published in the Federal Register on February 28, 2006 (71 FR 9978, Docket No. 03– 002–2). We received 25 comments by that date, from 23 commenters, including private citizens, State and local governments, industry organizations, individual industry companies, and foreign national plant protection organizations. The comments are discussed below by topic. General Comments Two commenters asked how the proposed rule fits into the ongoing revision of the nursery stock regulations, which was first discussed in an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) that was published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2004 (69 FR 71736–71744, Docket No. 03–069–1). We are continuing with our efforts to revise the nursery stock regulations. As the commenters noted, the revision will take several years to fully implement. We anticipate completing the revision in stages. As we implement the revisions, we will continue to enforce the current regulations. The changes in the proposed rule were designed to 1 To view the proposed rule and the comments we received, go to https://www.regulations.gov/ fdmspublic/component/ main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2005-0081. PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 address specific issues that have arisen as we continue to enforce the regulations. One commenter expressed concern about the introduction of invasive species into the United States via the importation of nursery stock and stated that any species of nursery stock being imported into the United States should be studied for 1 year prior to importation. The commenter also suggested that a tax be imposed on the importation of nursery stock to help defray the cost of eradicating invasive species. As discussed in the December 2004 ANPR, we are considering whether to adopt more restrictive regulations for the importation of nursery stock. We may in the future elect to establish regulations that will allow us to take a precautionary approach to the importation of species that have not been imported before. In response to the commenter’s second suggestion, APHIS does not have the authority to impose a tax on the importation of nursery stock; we are only authorized to charge user fees for services we provide. Definition of From The definition of from in § 319.37–1 currently provides that an article is considered to be ‘‘from’’ any country or locality in which it was grown. The current regulations also provide that an article imported into Canada from another country or locality shall be considered as being solely ‘‘from’’ Canada if it is imported into the United States directly from Canada after having been grown for at least 1 year in Canada; has never been grown in a country from which it would be a prohibited article or from which it would be subject to special foreign inspection, certification, treatment, or other requirements; was not grown in a country or locality from which it would be subject to postentry quarantine requirements, unless it was grown in Canada under postentry growing conditions equivalent to those specified for the article in § 319.37–7; and was not imported into Canada in growing media. We proposed to replace this definition with a new definition of from, in order to remove the language that imposed special restrictions on the importation of regulated articles from Canada. The proposed definition of from read: ‘‘An article is considered to be ‘‘from’’ an exporting country or area when it was E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 43504 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations We proposed to add a definition of preclearance to § 319.37–1. The definition we proposed to add is consistent with the definition of that term in the International Plant Protection Convention’s (IPPC) 2002 Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures [ISPM] publication number 5).2 The proposed definition read: ‘‘Phytosanitary certification and/or clearance in the country in which the articles were grown, performed by or under the regular supervision of APHIS.’’ Our intention was to clarify the conditions under which sampling and inspection can take place in the country of origin in a preclearance program. One commenter supported the expression of our intent to provide regular supervision in preclearance and asked whether the word ‘‘regular’’ meant that APHIS would supervise at set intervals, rather than a random basis. We have always provided regular supervision of inspection and clearance during preclearance according to the terms of the workplan developed between APHIS and the NPPO of the country of origin of the precleared articles.3 Typically, the workplan requires APHIS’ participation in preclearance activities, either at set intervals or at specific points during the production process for the articles. Two commenters recommended that preclearance sampling and inspection at the production site be one of the main elements of plant protection employed by APHIS. These commenters stated that this would require a greater commitment to assigning trained personnel to work on location, perhaps stationing APHIS employees permanently at foreign sites of production. We implement preclearance procedures based on the type of restricted articles being precleared for importation and the level of APHIS involvement we believe is warranted. This may involve, as the commenter suggests, stationing APHIS employees permanently at foreign sites of production or treatment facilities, or sending APHIS personnel to production sites for specific tours of duty to survey and inspect at the appropriate times during the production process. It may also involve APHIS employees consulting with employees of the NPPO of the country of origin regarding standards or requirements for phytosanitary certification. For any preclearance program, the details of APHIS supervision are specified in the workplan developed between APHIS and the NPPO of the country of origin. One commenter was concerned that the proposed definition would not accommodate a bulb export program currently under development in which bulbs would be produced in certified fields in Germany and Poland, thus meeting the requirements in § 319.37– 5(a), and then moved to the Netherlands for processing prior to export. In this program, APHIS inspectors would preclear bulbs in the Netherlands, rather 2 ISPMs may be viewed on the World Wide Web at https://www.ippc.int/IPP/En/default.jsp. Click on the ‘‘Standards’’ link on the home page to view the ISPMs. 3 We published in the Federal Register a notice providing background information on bilateral workplans on May 10, 2006 (71 FR 27221–27224, Docket No. APHIS–2005–0085). grown or propagated only in the exporting country or area, or when it was grown in the exporting country or area after it entered the exporting country or area from another country or area under conditions that are equivalent to those that would be required by the United States if the plant were imported into the United States directly from any of the countries or areas where the plant was grown prior to its entry into the exporting country or area.’’ We received several comments on our proposed definition. Many of these commenters were concerned that the proposed definition might weaken our protections against the importation of potentially risky nursery stock. Three commenters asked us to clarify whether articles prohibited from another country would continue to be prohibited even after importation to a second country, regardless of the time that the articles remained in that country. Some commenters expressed concern that the proposed definition would be difficult to enforce, since the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of an exporting country would have to keep track of any plant material that entered its country in case it was reexported at some point in the future. Other commenters expressed general concern about whether the restrictions on the importation of nursery stock in general are adequate to prevent the introduction of plant pests, when it can be difficult to determine what pests a plant has been exposed to. We agree that these commenters have identified significant issues with our proposed definition of from. We are withdrawing that proposed change in this final rule. We will revisit this issue in a separate proposed rule. cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES Definition of Preclearance VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 than in the country of origin of the articles being exported. The program the commenter referred to has not yet been approved by the parties that would participate in it. If the program is approved, we will make any changes to our regulations that may be necessary for its implementation. We are making one change to our proposed definition of preclearance in this final rule. The proposed definition, taken directly from the IPPC Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms, referred to APHIS providing phytosanitary certification in the country in which an article of nursery stock to be imported is grown. However, under our arrangements with foreign NPPOs, only the foreign NPPO issues phytosanitary certificates; APHIS preclearance officers instead inspect articles to ensure that they meet the requirements of the regulations. Therefore, in this final rule, we have replaced the reference to phytosanitary certification with a reference to phytosanitary inspection. Plant Protection Act Definitions We proposed to add definitions of two terms to the regulations and to revise the definitions of three other terms to make those definitions consistent with the definitions found in title IV of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000, known as the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.). One of the terms that we proposed to add to the regulations was plant, which we proposed to define, following the Plant Protection Act, as: ‘‘Any plant (including any plant part) for or capable of propagation, including a tree, a tissue culture, a plantlet culture, pollen, a shrub, a vine, a cutting, a graft, a scion, a bud, a bulb, a root, and a seed.’’ One commenter recommended that the definition of plant include cell cultures in solution. The definition includes any plant (including any plant part) for or capable of propagation. This category includes cell cultures in solution, even though cell cultures in solution are not listed as examples of members of the category. (In the definition, the use of the term ‘‘includes’’ indicates that the list is not exhaustive.) We are not changing the proposed definition to include cell cultures in solution as an example because we believe it is important for the regulations to be consistent with the Plant Protection Act. Because the definition of plant that we proposed to add to the regulations is broader than the scope of the plants we regulate in the nursery stock regulations, we also proposed to add a definition of regulated plant to the regulations that would include only E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations those plants regulated in the nursery stock regulations. This proposed definition read: ‘‘Any gymnosperm, angiosperm, fern, or fern ally. Gymnosperms include cycads, conifers, and gingko. Angiosperms include any flowering plant. Fern allies include club moss, horsetail, whisk fern, spike moss, and quillwort.’’ One commenter asked why the term ‘‘regulated’’ was used and stated that the proposed definition appeared to be even broader than the proposed definition of plant. We are using the term ‘‘regulated’’ to make it clear that the scope of plants included in the nursery stock regulations is limited to the plants included in the definition of regulated plant. We believe that the meaning of the term ‘‘regulated’’ is apparent to most readers of the regulations. The definition of regulated plant is narrower in scope than the definition of plant; the former excludes nonvascular plants such as mosses and green algae, to name two examples. We are making one minor change to the proposed definition of regulated plant in this final rule. To make the last sentence of the definition of regulated plant consistent with the second sentence of the definition, we are making the examples in that sentence plural rather than singular. We also proposed to revise the definition of plant pest to make it consistent with the definition of that term in the Plant Protection Act. The definition had read: ‘‘The egg, pupal, and larval stages as well as any other living stage of: Any insects, mites, nematodes, slugs, snails, protozoa, or other invertebrate animals, bacteria, fungi, other parasitic plants or reproductive parts thereof, viruses, or any organisms similar to or allied with any of the foregoing, or any infectious substances, which can directly or indirectly injure or cause disease or damage in any plants or parts thereof, or any processed, manufactured, or other products of plants.’’ We proposed to revise it to read: ‘‘Any living stage of any of the following that can directly or indirectly injure, cause damage to, or cause disease in any plant or plant product: A protozoan, a nonhuman animal, a parasitic plant, a bacterium, a fungus, a virus or viroid, an infectious agent or other pathogen, or any article similar to or allied with any of these articles.’’ One commenter noted that the proposed definition, which included nonhuman animals, was broader in scope than the previous definition, which only included invertebrate animals. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 Again, our intention in revising the definition of plant pest was to make that definition consistent with the definition of that term in the Plant Protection Act. We have no intention of broadening the scope of the pests we regulate or issue permits for at this time. We are making one other minor change to the Plant Protection Actderived definitions we proposed. Like the current definition of regulated article, the definition of regulated article in the December 2005 proposed rule began: ‘‘Any class of nursery stock or other regulated plant, root, bulb, seed, or other plant product * * *’’ The words ‘‘class of nursery stock or other’’ are redundant, and we are removing them in this final rule. Plants In Vitro We proposed to remove several restrictions on plants in vitro. The IPPC’s 2002 Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms defines plants in vitro as ‘‘plants in an aseptic medium in a closed container.’’ Specifically: • We proposed to amend § 319.37– 3(a)(5) of the regulations to exempt shipments of plants in vitro from the requirement that lots of 13 or more articles offered for importation into the United States must be accompanied by a written permit issued by a Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) inspector. This exemption would not apply if importation of the plants is restricted or prohibited elsewhere in the nursery stock regulations. This would also mean that plants in vitro could enter the United States at any port of entry authorized in 7 CFR part 330 for articles not required to be imported under a written permit. • We also proposed to amend § 319.37–4(a) of the regulations to exempt plants in vitro from the requirement that restricted articles offered for importation into the United States be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin, unless their importation is restricted or prohibited elsewhere in the nursery stock regulations. These changes would make plants in vitro whose importation is not otherwise restricted or prohibited generally admissible into the United States. To accomplish these changes, we proposed to add a definition of plants in vitro to the regulations in § 319.37–1. The proposed definition was identical to the IPPC definition quoted above. Six commenters recommended that we not proceed with these proposed changes. The commenters focused on the fact that plants in vitro pose an extremely low risk only if they are PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 43505 produced from plants that have been determined to be free of plant pests and carefully monitored throughout the production process to ensure their continued freedom from plant pests. Along these lines, one commenter stated that some fastidious and cryptic organisms can survive the process if the source plant is infected. The commenter cited Odontoglossum ring spot virus and Cymbidium mosaic virus in orchids as good examples. This commenter further stated that the fact that a plant is growing in aseptic conditions does not imply that it is free of foliar nematodes. Other commenters noted that the proposed regulations placed no conditions on the importation of plants in vitro other than being imported in an aseptic medium; under the proposed regulations, there would be no way to verify that the proper production practices had been followed, or to trace the plants back to their production site if they proved to be affected by plant pests. Two commenters stated that plants in vitro should be generally admissible, but only if they are produced in accordance with a general clean stock program, as described in the December 2004 ANPR. Based on these comments, we are withdrawing the proposed changes that would have made plants in vitro generally admissible. They will continue to be subject to the permit and phytosanitary certificate requirements. We agree with the commenters who stated that plants in vitro produced in a program designed to ensure pest freedom would pose an extremely low risk of introducing a quarantine pest into the United States. We are considering developing such a program and adding it to the regulations. However, in order to verify that producers of plants in vitro comply with the requirements of such a program, we would need to require that articles produced in such a program be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. One commenter recommended that APHIS allow the importation of plants in vitro even if the importation of their genus or species is otherwise prohibited. This may be possible if the plants are produced in accordance with a program of the type described above. We will consider this issue as part of our deliberation on whether to develop such a program. In a related matter, we proposed to amend § 319.37–8(c) of the regulations, which had stated: ‘‘A restricted article growing solely in agar or in other transparent or translucent tissue culture medium may be imported established in E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 43506 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES such growing media.’’ We proposed to remove the requirement that the growing medium be transparent or translucent in order to allow the use of charcoal in the growing medium. Charcoal is commonly used by importers of plants in vitro as a detoxifying agent; if it is used as an additive in growing media, it will still be easy to determine whether the growing media meets the aseptic standard prescribed in the definition of plants in vitro, because any bacteria in the growing media would quickly reproduce and form a large mass. Therefore, we proposed to revise this paragraph to read: ‘‘Plants in vitro may be imported in their growing media.’’ Two commenters specifically addressed this issue, noting that our statement that bacteria in media would ‘‘quickly reproduce and form a large mass’’ assumes that the growing requirements in the regulations related to plant-associated bacteria are met when plants are produced in in vitro media. The commenters stated that this is not the case. The regulations do not contain any general requirements for plants produced in in vitro media. The previous requirement was intended to aid inspection of plants grown and imported in their growing media. If we become aware of any specific risks related to the importation of certain plants in growing media, we will amend the regulations accordingly to address those specific risks. However, as a general requirement, we believe the use of growing media with a charcoal additive will still allow for effective inspection of the growing media upon importation, for the reasons stated in the proposed rule. We are making no changes to the proposed rule in response to this comment. Because we are not adding a definition of plants in vitro to the regulations at this time, we need to revise our proposed wording. This final rule therefore modifies paragraph (c) of § 319.37–8 to read: ‘‘ A restricted article growing solely in agar or in other tissue culture medium may be imported established in such growing media.’’ Genus and Species Name on Phytosanitary Certificates The regulations in § 319.37–4(a) currently require that any restricted article offered for importation into the United States be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate of inspection, with certain exceptions. We proposed to additionally require that the phytosanitary certificate include the genus and species name of the restricted article that it accompanies. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 Several commenters stated that the proposed requirement did not make any allowance for plants gathered on plant exploration research expeditions, where species data may not be available; unnamed, recently discovered species; or interspecific or intergeneric hybrids, including naturally occurring seedlings from unknown parents. One of these commenters suggested that instead we use the language in the IPPC’s ISPM No. 12, ‘‘Guidelines for Phytosanitary Certificates,’’ which recommends that plants and plant products be identified on a phytosanitary certificate using accepted scientific names, at least to genus level but preferably to the species level. Another commenter suggested allowing the cultivar name of a plant to be provided as an alternative to the species name. One commenter suggested establishing a system through which plants whose taxonomic information was unknown could be imported under permit, with monitoring of the destination and disposal of the material. Other commenters opposed the change entirely. Two commenters asked why it was necessary to require species information to be listed in cases when our restrictions are applied at the genus level. Two other commenters stated that many genera of certain plant types can have dozens of species. These commenters expressed concern that the need for NPPO inspection staff to verify all plants in a consignment to the species level will cause unnecessary delays in the inspection and consequently the shipping process and will detract from the inspector’s primary objective to detect and identify diseases and insect pests. One of these commenters also expressed concern that use of the species name might cause identification errors that could result in delays when restricted articles are offered for importation. The commenters requested that the proposal be amended to require that only those species that have special requirements or are regulated by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species should be identified on the phytosanitary certificates by both genus and species. We agree with the commenters who stated that we need to provide for situations in which the species name is not known, and we understand the burden that listing species names can impose. However, some requirements in the regulations place restrictions on specific species or cultivars within a genus; for example, the regulations in § 319.37–5(b) restrict the importation of certain species within the genus Prunus based on whether they are immune to PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 plum pox virus, and the regulations in § 319.37–2(a) prohibit the importation of Berberis spp. except for species and cultivars that have been designated as resistant to black stem rust. Inspectors enforcing such regulations need to be able to quickly distinguish what species or cultivar is being offered for importation in order to determine whether the plants meet the requirements in the regulations. To ensure that inspectors have the information they need while accommodating the need for exceptions when species data are not available, we have changed the proposed requirement in this final rule. Instead of requiring that the genus and species name of a restricted article offered for importation be included on the phytosanitary certificate accompanying that article, this final rule requires that, when the regulations place restrictions on individual species or cultivars within a genus, the phytosanitary certificate must also identify the species or cultivar of the article it accompanies. Otherwise, identification of the species is strongly preferred, but not required. In cases in which species is not known, the phytosanitary certificate may identify the cultivar name of the restricted article it accompanies, except where the regulations place restrictions on individual species. Further, we are requiring that intergeneric and interspecific hybrids be designated by placing the multiplication sign ‘‘×’’ between the names of the parent taxa. If the hybrid is named, the multiplication sign may instead be placed before the name of an intergeneric hybrid or before the epithet in the name of an interspecific hybrid. We are not making an exception in the phytosanitary certificate regulations for unnamed or unknown articles, as the information we have indicates that they have been imported extremely infrequently. Persons wishing to import unnamed or unknown articles into the United States are encouraged to contact PPQ’s Permit Unit for information about importing such articles through a departmental permit. This would allow the unnamed or unknown articles to be imported for identification or research purposes, similar to the conditions described by one of the commenters. The regulations in this final rule indicate that we strongly prefer that species be listed on the phytosanitary certificate, even when listing species is not required. We continue to request this information for data-gathering purposes. We need to know the number, size, and volume of imports of nursery stock in order to better assess what overall risks presented by plants for E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES planting need to be better addressed. This effort is part of the Q–37 revision mentioned earlier in this document. In addition, requesting that species information be entered where known is consistent with IPPC guidelines, as discussed earlier. In discussing this change, the preamble of the proposed rule stated that ‘‘having the genus and species name available would allow inspectors to easily identify restricted articles presented for importation and thus better assess any risks that may be associated with their importation.’’ One commenter stated that a risk assessment should be performed prior to importation of the articles in question, unless it is meant to give the individual inspector a management tool to make a selection of the products presented for importation. As the commenter stated, our inspectors are not conducting risk assessments at the ports; rather, they make decisions about how to apply the regulations, which are the result of risk assessments. The phytosanitary certificates that have accompanied restricted articles may not have enough information to allow an inspector to determine what restrictions apply to its importation in cases where restrictions apply to species or cultivars within a genus. The proposed change was intended to address this problem. We appreciate the opportunity to clarify this point. One commenter, addressing the fact that we need data on which species are imported to further our efforts to revise the nursery stock regulations, stated that the data should be obtained from forms other than the phytosanitary certificate. The Paperwork Reduction Act obligates us to minimize paperwork burden on stakeholders; requiring genus and species data to be submitted on a different form would be an unjustifiable duplicate paperwork burden. We are making no further changes to the proposed rule in response to these comments. Phytosanitary Certificates for Bulbs From the Netherlands We proposed to amend paragraph § 319.37–4(a) of the regulations, which requires that most restricted articles imported into the United States be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate, to allow small individual shipments of bulbs from the Netherlands to enter with a special certificate related to a phytosanitary certificate. The special certificate would list a serial number that would refer to a phytosanitary certificate held by the NPPO of the Netherlands. The special VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 certificate would also list the scientific name of the bulb, the bulbs’ country of origin, and an expiration date after which the special certificate could no longer be used in lieu of a phytosanitary certificate. We proposed that the expiration date for the special certificates would be 4 weeks after the issuance of the phytosanitary certificate held by the NPPO of the Netherlands. Commercial shipments of bulbs from the Netherlands must be precleared for entry into the United States by a PPQ inspector. In addition, under § 319.37– 5(a), all bulbs imported from the Netherlands must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration that the bulbs offered for importation were grown on land that has been sampled and microscopically inspected by the plant protection organization of the Netherlands and found to be free from the potato cyst nematodes Globodera rostochiensis (Woll.) Behrens and G. pallida (Stone) Behrens within the past 12 months. The proposed special certificate would accompany small individual shipments of bulbs imported into the United States in passenger baggage; the special certificate would be easier for individuals to obtain than a full phytosanitary certificate. The clearance process at the port of entry would continue to serve as an additional mitigation against the risk of introduction of nematodes into the United States. One commenter was concerned that, while the special certificate would be linked to a phytosanitary certificate issued, held, and retrievable upon request by the NPPO of the Netherlands, the proposed regulations did not contain any provisions linking the bulbs imported under the special certificate to the requirements of § 319.37–5(a). Thus, the commenter stated, bulbs imported under the proposed special certificate might have originated in someone’s backyard. Two other commenters stated that the proliferation of special certificates could allow these documents to be misused and thus increase the risk of introduction of potato cyst nematodes into the United States. All bulbs imported from the Netherlands are subject to the requirements in § 319.37–5(a). Special certificates would be assigned to lots of bulbs inspected and certified under the phytosanitary certificate issued for that particular lot as part of the preclearance process. A phytosanitary certificate would not be issued for a lot of bulbs unless the bulbs in the lot meet all the requirements in the regulations for PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 43507 importation into the United States. The special certificates will serve as an indication that the bulbs have been inspected and certified, and they will be related to a specific phytosanitary certificate in all cases. Any fraud committed using the special certificates would be investigated by APHIS’ Investigation and Enforcement Services. We do not believe it would be prudent to specifically refer to § 319.37– 5(a) in the regulations governing the issuance and use of the special certificates, as the phytosanitary certification requirements for bulbs from the Netherlands may change over time and thus may be contained in different sections of the regulations. We are making no changes to the proposed rule in response to these comments. One commenter cited high rejection rates in recent years for shipments of bulbs from the Netherlands and stated that using special certificates would not be advisable if the phytosanitary certificates were already suspect. Our records do not indicate high rejection rates either for bulbs that are inspected and precleared in the Netherlands or for bulbs from the Netherlands that have been inspected and released at a U.S. port of entry. Bulbs entering the United States with a special certificate would have been inspected by the NPPO of the Netherlands. The special certificate indicates that the bulbs have been inspected and a phytosanitary certificate was issued for the lot of bulbs. The special certificate is traceable to the actual phytosanitary certificate on file in the Netherlands. These bulbs would also be subject to inspection when the passenger arrives at a United States port of entry. If there are phytosanitary problems with bulbs under the special certificate, we would notify the NPPO of the Netherlands for corrective action. One commenter, the Netherlands NPPO, stated that the proposed program agreed to by APHIS and the Netherlands NPPO had specified that the special certificates would be valid for 6 weeks, rather than 4. The commenter is correct, and we have made that change in this final rule. The Netherlands NPPO also stated that it and APHIS had agreed to a workplan that states that no phytosanitary certificates, either originals or copies, will accompany shipments of bulbs that have been precleared in the Netherlands; they are given to the APHIS inspector in the Netherlands or mailed to APHIS offices. However, the language in § 319.37–5(a) states that the phytosanitary certificate must accompany the bulbs ‘‘at the time of arrival at the port of first arrival in the E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 43508 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations United States,’’ which contradicts the workplan. The commenter is correct that the specific language ‘‘at the time of arrival at the port of first arrival in the United States’’ would not allow the program to work as proposed. We are removing that language from § 319.37–5(a) in this final rule. The phytosanitary requirements in § 319.37–5(a) will remain otherwise unchanged. One commenter expressed concern that the current preclearance program for bulbs from the Netherlands only addresses the specific nematode pests cited earlier. The commenter stated that imported bulbs can carry other pests that are of concern to nurseries, commercial flower growers, State departments of agriculture, and industries other than the nursery industry. The commenter cited Ditylenchus dipsaci and D. destructor as two pests that are of concern to the potato industry and that are regulated by some State departments of agriculture. The commenter urged APHIS to expend more effort on ensuring that regulated nonquarantine pests are not imported into the United States via bulbs and other nursery stock. At this time, APHIS has not identified any regulated nonquarantine pests and has not established regulations for their official control. In order for APHIS to restrict the importation of regulated nonquarantine pests under the IPPC, we would have to identify regulated nonquarantine pests (including providing scientific justification for regulating them) and establish official control mechanisms. We have not yet done so. We are considering whether to develop procedures for identifying such pests and whether to establish regulations to control their importation. We cannot take any action against regulated nonquarantine pests in this final rule. cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES Importation of Certain Seeds From Canada We proposed to add a new paragraph (d) to § 319.37–4 of the regulations to allow seed exported from Canada that meets certain conditions to be imported into the United States without a phytosanitary certificate. To be eligible for this exemption, Canadian exporters of seed would have to register with and participate in a seed export program that would be established by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). One commenter asked whether Canada would establish a similar program to allow U.S. seed to be exported to Canada without a phytosanitary certificate. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 We evaluated the Canadian request for a seed export program on the basis of whether such importation would increase the risk of introducing a seedborne plant pest into the United States. Our evaluation concluded that, under the conditions specified in the proposal, the absence of a phytosanitary certificate would not increase that risk. Whether Canada would reciprocate was not a subject of our evaluation. One commenter asked whether imposing these requirements on the importation of Canadian seed was unlawful discrimination against Canadian seed exports. This change liberalizes trade by removing the requirement for a phytosanitary certificate while providing other conditions that maintain phytosanitary security. We proposed this change at the request of the Canadian NPPO, so we are assuming that they do not believe that this change discriminates against seed exports from their country. Canadian seed exporters still have the option of obtaining a phytosanitary certificate for each shipment they export to the United States. One commenter, the Canadian NPPO, requested that the United States exempt small shipments of commercially packaged seed from all phytosanitary requirements to facilitate their export to the United States. The commenter stated that the risk presented by such packages should be minimal due to the small quantity of seeds being shipped under such an exemption. We have not previously received a proposal for such an exemption, and we cannot make such a change without giving the public an opportunity to comment on it. We are making no changes in response to this comment. We will note that such a change would be inconsistent with the regulations that set out conditions for importing small lots of seed without a phytosanitary certificate, which we established in a final rule published in the Federal Register on April 13, 2006 (71 FR 19097–19102, Docket No. 02–119–2). Related to the rule establishing conditions for the importation of small lots of seed without a phytosanitary certificate, we are making one change to the proposed rule text in this final rule. We had proposed to add the Canadian seed program in a new paragraph (d) in § 319.37–4. Since the publication of the proposed rule, the final rule establishing conditions under which small lots of seed may be imported without a phytosanitary certificate added a new paragraph (d) to § 319.37–4 that sets out those conditions. Accordingly, this final rule adds the Canadian seed program in PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 a new paragraph (e). We have also made minor adjustments to the language in proposed paragraph (a) to reflect this change. Blueberry Plants From Canada We proposed to add a new paragraph § 319.37–5(t) to the regulations to require that phytosanitary certificates that accompany Vaccinium corymbosum (blueberry) plants that are imported from Canada must contain an additional declaration stating that the plants are free of blueberry scorch carlavirus. Blueberry scorch carlavirus causes blueberry scorch disease, the primary symptom of which is blighting of both flowers and new vegetative growth at peak bloom. Blighted blossoms fail to produce fruit, and infected plants in general are less vigorous than healthy plants. Bushes, once infected, may show symptoms each year. Initially, only one or few branches may have blighted flowers and leaves, but after a few years the entire bush may show symptoms. We proposed to require this additional declaration on the phytosanitary certificate accompanying V. corymbosum plants because virulent strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus have been found that exist only in Canada. One commenter stated that other plants can serve as hosts of blueberry scorch carlavirus, including huckleberry and cranberry plants. We agree with this commenter. In this final rule, we are expanding the scope of the additional declaration requirement to include all Vaccinium spp., not just V. corymbosum. One commenter asked us to change the proposed regulations so that they stated that the declaration of freedom has to be based on annual testing of the ‘‘mother’’ plants used for propagation rather than just visual inspection. Another commenter addressed the same issue in noting that the virus has a 2year latent period. We agree with these commenters. In this final rule, we are requiring that Vaccinium spp. from Canada be grown in an approved certification program for blueberry scorch carlavirus. APHIS would evaluate certification programs for blueberry scorch carlavirus upon request. One commenter pointed out an inconsistency in our proposal: The proposed declaration applied broadly to all strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus, but the preamble to the proposed rule expressed concern about specific virulent strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus that have been found only in Canada. The commenter E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations asserted that restricting importation for all strains of the virus is not justified, as some strains of the virus are also found in the United States and are not under official control. We agree with this comment. In this final rule, we are requiring that Vaccinium spp. imported into the United States be grown in an approved certification program and tested free of only the BC–1 and BC–2 strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus. Canadian government information indicates that these strains are distinct from the Northwest strain (present in the States of Oregon and Washington) and the East Coast strain (first identified in New Jersey and present in that and some surrounding States).4 To our knowledge, the BC–1 and BC–2 strains are not present in the United States. These strains are more aggressive than the strains that are present in the United States, having infected approximately 30 percent of blueberry production fields in British Columbia since 2000. With these changes, paragraph (t) of § 319.37–5 reads as follows in this final rule: ‘‘For any Vaccinium spp. plants from Canada, the phytosanitary certificate of inspection required by § 319.37–4 must contain an additional declaration that the articles were produced in an approved certification program and found by the national plant protection organization of Canada to be free of the BC–1 and BC–2 strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus.’’ In practice, these requirements will likely mean that Vaccinium spp. imported from Canada will be free of all strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus, not just the BC–1 and BC–2 strains, as testing for specific strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus is time- and resourceintensive. However, if Vaccinium spp. from Canada were tested for specific strains and found to be infected with strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus other than BC–1 and BC–2, we would allow their importation. Two commenters stated that the movement of blueberry plants between Canada and the United States, in both directions, is common and has occurred for many years. The commenters stated that the fields of blueberry in the Canadian province of British Columbia that are known to be infected are just one-quarter mile north of the CanadaUnited States border. Because the virus is spread through the movement of virus-carrying aphids as well as through the movement of propagative materials, these commenters asserted that any regulations to restrict movement are unwarranted. 4 See https://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/blsv.htm. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 One of these commenters stated that the CFIA has conducted extensive surveying in the province of British Columbia; additional surveying would be required in suspect U.S. States to determine the true range of these new strains of the virus. The other stated that the commenter’s organization was unaware of a risk assessment or national survey having been conducted by the United States to determine whether the strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus that are of concern are present in the United States. While blueberry plants have moved between Canada and the United States, their importation into the United States has also been subject in many cases to State regulations that require them to be free of blueberry scorch carlavirus. (As one of these commenters noted, the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Lands has worked with the State departments of agriculture in Oregon and Washington to develop a certification program for the propagation of blueberry plants based on testing and isolation.) Surveys that have been conducted at the State level in the United States have not detected the BC–1 or BC–2 strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus. We will continue to survey for these strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus, and we will revisit our regulations if either of the BC–1 or BC–2 strains is detected in the United States. We recognize that aphids can transport the virus across the U.S.Canada border, but this transport is only in the immediate area of the border. Infected Vaccinium spp. plants are the principal means of long-distance spread to the major U.S. blueberry-producing areas. We believe restrictions on the importation of Vaccinium spp. from Canada are justified to prevent the introduction of the BC–1 and BC–2 strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus into the United States. We are making no changes in response to these comments. One commenter noted that Vaccinium spp. can serve as hosts for Phytophthora ramorum (sudden oak death) and asked that we not overlook P. ramorum in promulgating restrictions on the importation of Vaccinium spp. We are developing a separate interim rule that will place restrictions on the importation of Vaccinium spp. due to the presence of P. ramorum in certain countries. Temporary, emergency restrictions are already in place to prevent the introduction of P. ramorum in imported host plants. One commenter asked that APHIS expand the regulations to include restrictions to prevent the introduction PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 43509 of other blueberry diseases, such as blueberry shock virus. Blueberry shock virus is present in the United States, and we do not have an official program to control its spread; therefore, we would not be justified in placing restrictions on the importation of blueberries to prevent its introduction. We are not currently aware of any blueberry diseases that are not present in the United States and that are present in other countries from which the United States imports blueberries that are not already addressed in the regulations. We welcome suggestions regarding other blueberry diseases that may be appropriate for us to address in the regulations. Programs for Importation of Approved Plants From the Canary Islands and From Israel We proposed to add new paragraphs (u) and (v) to § 319.37–5 to establish programs to govern the importation of approved plants from the Canary Islands of Spain and from Israel, respectively. Under this proposal, the NPPO of the country of origin, the growers in the country of origin, and APHIS would jointly implement safeguards to ensure that the relevant quarantine pests are not present in shipments of approved plants. In the case of the Canary Islands, the approved plants would be Pelargonium (geranium) spp., and the pests of concern are Helicoverpa armigera, the cotton bollworm; Chrysodeixis chalcites, the tomato looper; and Syngrapha circumflexa (syn. Cornutiplusia circumflexa).5 In the case of Israel, all plants except bulbs, dormant perennials, and seeds that are imported into the United States would be required to be imported under this program. The main pest of concern in Israel is Spodoptera littoralis, the Egyptian cotton leafworm, although other quarantine pests are found in Israel and must be excluded from shipments of plants imported under this program. Four commenters were concerned that the pests listed in these proposed programs did not include Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 (potato brown rot), a bacterial disease for which APHIS has established regulations in § 319.37–5(r). One of these commenters asked APHIS to amend the proposed regulations to indicate that the R. solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 regulations in § 319.37–5(r) superseded 5 The proposed rule referred to this pest as Cornutiplusia circumflexa. We have since determined that its proper name is Syngrapha circumflexa, and we have updated the final rule accordingly. E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES 43510 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations the proposed regulations. Two of these commenters also stated that quarantinesignificant potato cyst nematodes and other exotic cyst-forming nematodes occur in the Canary Islands and Israel. These commenters expressed hope that the phytosanitary requirements for export of Pelargonium spp. and other plants to the United States also include rigorous exclusionary measures to prevent the contamination of plants and packing material with cysts of these nematode pests. Another commenter asked if there were any other pests of concern associated with the importation of these plants from the Canary Islands and Israel. The importation of Pelargonium spp. from the Canary Islands and from Israel is subject to all requirements in the nursery stock regulations; none of the regulations in the nursery stock subpart supersede each other, and all must be complied with in order to import nursery stock into the United States. The proposed regulatory text stated that the importation of plants from the Canary Islands and from Israel would be subject to the requirements of ‘‘this section,’’ i.e., § 319.37–5, which includes the requirements in paragraph (r) of § 319.37–5 as well as the proposed requirements. Both Spain and Israel are countries where R. solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 is not known to occur. If R. solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 was detected in these countries, we would enforce the regulations in § 319.37– 5(r)(3) as well as the relevant regulations elsewhere in § 319.37–5. Similarly, plants imported from the Canary Islands and Israel would have to meet all other applicable requirements in the regulations, including any restrictions based on the presence of potato cyst nematodes in those countries. We would ensure that all relevant requirements would be met in the workplan that APHIS develops with the NPPO of the country of origin and, if necessary, the grower. All nursery stock imported under these programs will be inspected at a USDA plant inspection station, and appropriate action will be taken if a quarantine pest is found. One commenter was concerned about the level of APHIS involvement in the proposed programs. The commenter cited proposed provisions in which APHIS would inspect and approve production sites and packing materials and proposed provisions in which APHIS, along with the NPPO of the country of origin, would monitor compliance with the program requirements and decide whether to reinstate growers who had violated those requirements. The commenter VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 referred to the text of the IPPC 6 and stated that Articles IV and V.2 of that document grant responsibility for performing such tasks solely to the NPPO of the country in which production of the exported articles takes place. The commenter stated that, apart from very specific risk situations, the monitoring of programs in the exporting country should solely be the responsibility of the exporting country’s NPPO. The commenter considered the proposed involvement of APHIS to present an unnecessary and unjustified interference with the exporting countries’ responsibilities. Both the Canary Islands program and the Israel program have been proposed because the high-risk plant pests addressed by these programs were frequently intercepted at U.S. ports of entry in shipments of plants from the Canary Islands and Israel. Because these programs have been agreed to by the relevant parties, and specifically because the foreign NPPOs involved have agreed that APHIS labor is necessary to help administer the programs, we do not believe that it would be appropriate to change the programs at this point. If, in the future, the foreign NPPOs wish to assume a more active role, we will entertain discussions with them regarding roles and responsibilities. We received three comments specifically addressing the trust funds that we proposed to require as a means of funding APHIS involvement in these programs. One commenter supported our proposed use of the trust funds. Another commenter was concerned that other countries have begun requiring similar trust funds for commodities exported from the United States to those countries, and suggested that we think about other cost recovery mechanisms. A third commenter stated that the proposed rule may lead to substantial increase in the costs for the export of plant material to the United States, as there would be additional expenses for bilateral cooperation and the involvement of APHIS experts. As a consequence, this commenter stated, only large companies that can afford the additional financial and administrative burden for such a program may be able to export plant material to the United States in the future. This development would be in contrast to the IPPC requirement that importing countries take the least restrictive measures possible in order to reach a minimum 6 The text of the IPPC may be viewed on the Internet at https://www.ippc.int/IPP/En/default.jsp. Click on the ‘‘Convention text’’ link under ‘‘Convention’’ on the home page to view the IPPC. PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 impediment to the international movement of commodities. In addition, the commenter questioned why the costs would have to be paid in advance. The trust fund requirement is common practice under many other APHIS import regulations that require APHIS to assist in certification (e.g., importing Pelargonium spp. and Solanum spp. from areas where R. solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 is known to exist under § 319.37–5(r), or importing Hass avocados from Mexico for consumption under § 319.56–2ff). The trust fund is intended to ensure that the government of the country in which the articles are produced or its designated representative bears the costs of monitoring and inspection, rather than U.S. taxpayers. (The government of the country in which the articles are produced is, of course, free to pass this cost on to production sites producing plants for export to the United States.) Given that the NPPOs for the Canary Islands and Israel have agreed that APHIS involvement is necessary to ensure that plants exported from those countries are free of quarantine pests, we believe that we are in fact requiring the least restrictive measures possible. Requiring that APHIS subsidize the production of plants grown in foreign countries for export to the United States by providing its labor free of charge would, we believe, be a misallocation of APHIS’ limited resources. The commenter asking us to consider other cost recovery mechanisms did not suggest any alternatives. Of the options for cost recovery we have considered, we have determined that the trust fund is the simplest and most direct means of cost recovery. We are making no changes to the proposed rule in response to these comments. Kenaf Seed From Mexico We proposed to allow kenaf seed from Mexico to be imported into pink bollworm generally infested areas in the United States without treatment. Under the current regulations in § 319.37–6(a), seeds of Hibiscus spp. (hibiscus, rose mallow) from any foreign country or locality, at the time of importation into the United States, must be treated for possible infestation with Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (pink bollworm) in accordance with the applicable provisions of 7 CFR part 305. However, the movement of untreated kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) seed from Mexico into pink bollworm generally infested areas of the United States (listed under our domestic pink bollworm quarantine and regulations in 7 CFR 301.52–2a, and currently the States of Arizona, New Mexico, and E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations Texas, and several counties in California) would pose little or no risk of increasing the area of pink bollworm infestation. Under our domestic pink bollworm quarantine regulations in § 301.52, these generally infested areas are quarantined to prevent the spread of pink bollworm, and kenaf seed is a regulated article under § 301.52(b) that may not be moved interstate from any quarantined area except under the conditions described in § 301.52–3. We proposed that kenaf seed from Mexico imported into pink bollworm generally infested areas would be subject to inspection, and, immediately upon release, would be subject to the domestic pink bollworm quarantine regulations in §§ 301.52 through 301.52–10, Subpart—Pink Bollworm. Two commenters asked whether APHIS could allow Mexican kenaf seed to be imported into pink bollworm generally infested areas without allowing other kenaf seed from other countries to be imported into those areas as well. As we stated in the proposal, we have reviewed the pests associated with kenaf seed in Mexico and found that the pink bollworm is the only pest of concern. We would provide similar treatment for kenaf seed imports from other countries only if it could be determined that the pink bollworm is the only pest of concern associated with kenaf seed in those countries as well and that the seed could be imported directly into the generally infested areas. Two commenters stated that the proposal appeared to indicate that APHIS has domestic regulations that could allow the distribution of pink bollworm on kenaf seed. These commenters suggest that we first correct what appeared to them to be permissive domestic regulations prior to allowing the importation of kenaf seed into the United States from Mexico. The commenters asserted that there is no guarantee that potentially infested kenaf seed would not be moved to areas free of the pink bollworm. We would only allow the importation of untreated kenaf seed from Mexico into generally infested areas for pink bollworm. In the generally infested areas, we are not pursuing eradication of pink bollworm. Instead, we have placed restrictions on the interstate movement of commodities whose movement could spread pink bollworm from generally infested areas to areas where we are pursuing eradication of pink bollworm or areas where pink bollworm is not known to occur. Once Mexican kenaf seed enters the United States, it would be subject to the domestic pink VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 bollworm regulations. These regulations are designed to prevent the movement of potentially infested kenaf seed, whether it has originated in a foreign country or domestically, from generally infested areas unless it is moved under conditions that would prevent the spread of pink bollworm, as listed in § 301.52–4(a). Any violations would be investigated by APHIS’ Investigation and Enforcement Services. We are making no changes to the proposed regulations in response to these comments. We also proposed to reorganize the regulations in § 319.37–6 into a table. The proposed table had one row for each of the six paragraphs in § 319.37– 6. However, some of the paragraphs addressed multiple genera, and it could be confusing to list multiple genera in one row in a table. In this final rule, we have listed each genus in § 319.37–6 in a separate row in the table. In an effort to provide further clarity, we have also revised the proposed table entry for ‘‘Rutaceae seeds’’ to read ‘‘Rutaceae, seeds of all species in the family.’’ Finally, the proposed listing for the pests addressed by treating Guizotia abyssinica (niger) seeds, which stated that the treatment was intended to address Cuscuta spp., was incomplete; we have expanded the listing to include the other noxious weeds listed in 7 CFR 360.200. Postentry Quarantine Requirements for Hydrangea spp. We proposed to add a new provision in § 319.37–7(d)(7)(ii) allowing importers of Hydrangea spp. from all countries and localities except Canada and Japan who are operating under a postentry quarantine agreement to grow any article of Hydrangea spp. or increase therefrom for a period of 9 months after the importation of the plants, rather than 2 years as had been previously required. Two commenters asked questions about the evidence leading us to the proposed reduction in the quarantine period, requesting that a risk assessment be made available. One of these commenters stated that the postentry quarantine period should be established on the basis of a risk assessment for importing Hydrangea spp. from each country of origin. We determined that the 9-month postentry quarantine period was adequate based on a review of the available literature. We appreciate the opportunity to expand on our reasons for determining that a 9-month postentry quarantine period is adequate for Hydrangea spp. PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 43511 The pest of concern for imported Hydrangea spp. is Pucinnia glyceriae (Aecidium hydrangeae-paniculatae). This pest is a rust fungus known as a heteroecious macrocyclic rust. This means that this rust has four different life stages in its life cycle, with two of those stages occurring on Hydrangea spp. and the other two stages on Glyceria spp., a genus within Poaceae, the grass family. Both hosts are necessary in order for the pathogen to complete its life cycle. The spores produced by this pathogen on Hydrangea can not reinfect Hydrangea but have to land and germinate on Glyceria spp.; infections on Hydrangea are caused only by spores produced on the Glyceria spp. host. The regulations only allow the importation of Hydrangea spp. from countries where A. hydrangeaepaniculatea is not known to occur, which means that the Hydrangea spp. plants imported into postentry quarantine would not be expected to be infected with the pest. In the event that an article of Hydrangea spp. was imported with an infection, however, the pathogen would only survive if the article of Hydrangea spp. were grown in postentry quarantine with Glyceria spp., which are not known to be grown in cultivation. If such conditions nevertheless prevailed, the pathogen would reveal itself in large lesions on the leaves of the Hydrangea plant early within a growing season, which is typically 9 months. In general, the country of origin of a plant is irrelevant to the question of how long a period is required for a pest to express itself in a plant. Three commenters recommended that the 9-month postentry quarantine period include the three most rustconducive months of the year, to facilitate expression of the pest. We agree with these commenters that Hydrangea spp. should be grown in conditions that will facilitate expression of the pest. Plants in postentry quarantine are usually grown outside during the quarantine period. The 9month postentry quarantine period would thus contain periods conducive to developing symptoms of A. hydrangeae-paniculatea. In most regions of the United States, the outdoor growing season is less than 9 months. Given these facts, we believe it is not necessary to explicitly require in the regulations that the Hydrangea spp. be grown in rust-conducive conditions. Two commenters expressed concern that R. solanacearum may be a pest of Hydrangea spp. that we have not addressed. They cited recent problems with latent bacterial wilt in the ‘‘Lady E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 43512 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES in Red’’ cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla as raising concerns about whether a 9-month postentry quarantine period would be adequate to manifest this pathogen under normal production practices. Although no R. solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 has been detected in any Hydrangea spp., these commenters suggested that APHIS require that the mother plants of imported Hydrangea spp. be regularly indexed for R. solanacearum. We appreciate the commenters’ concerns. Because no R. solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 has been found in Hydrangea spp., we have no basis for establishing regulations to prevent the introduction of that pest via the importation of Hydrangea spp. If R. solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 were found in Hydrangea spp., we would likely address it through a systems approach (as we do for Pelargonium spp. and Solanum spp. in § 319.37–5(r)) rather than through postentry quarantine. Postentry Quarantine Requirements for Chrysanthemum spp., Dendranthema spp., Leucanthemella serotina, and Nipponanthemum nipponicum The regulations in § 319.37–7(a) designate as restricted articles any articles of Chrysanthemum spp., Dendranthema spp, Leucanthemella serotina, and Nipponanthemum nipponicum that meet the conditions for importation in § 319.37–5(c) and that are imported from any foreign locality except Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, Iceland, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Republic of South Africa, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia; the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom); and all countries, territories, and possessions of countries located in part or entirely between 90° and 180° East longitude. Articles designated as restricted articles in § 319.37–7(a) must be grown in postentry quarantine under the conditions described in paragraphs (c) and (d) of § 319.37–7. Paragraph (d)(7)(ii) currently requires that any restricted articles of Chrysanthemum spp., Dendranthema spp, Leucanthemella serotina, and VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 Nipponanthemum nipponicum be grown in postentry quarantine for a period of 6 months. We proposed to reduce this postentry quarantine growing period to 2 months if the restricted articles are grown in accordance with the requirements of an APHIS-approved best management practices program. We proposed this change because we had reviewed evidence indicating that the pest of concern with regard to imported articles of Chrysanthemum spp., Dendranthema spp, Leucanthemella serotina, and Nipponanthemum nipponicum, chrysanthemum white rust (CWR), will express symptoms within 2 months, meaning that 2 months would be an adequate postentry quarantine period for these articles. We proposed to reduce the postentry quarantine period for restricted articles of Chrysanthemum spp., Dendranthema spp., Leucanthemella serotina, and Nipponanthemum nipponicum to 2 months only if the articles are grown in accordance with the requirements of an APHIS-approved best management practices program as an additional safeguard. Sixteen commenters addressed the proposed change to the postentry quarantine requirements for articles of Chrysanthemum spp., Dendranthema spp., Leucanthemella serotina, and Nipponanthemum nipponicum. While many commenters supported the change, many commenters were confused regarding whether the best management practices program was intended to apply to production in the country of origin or postentry quarantine in the United States. In addition, some commenters disputed our conclusion that 2 months was an adequate amount of time for CWR to express itself in postentry quarantine. Based on these comments, we are withdrawing the proposed change. We will revisit the issue in a separate proposed rule, providing information on the issues commenters raised and revising the proposed regulatory text to clarify our intentions. Plants in Growing Media From Certain Areas in Canada We proposed to amend § 319.37–8(b) of the regulations to allow the importation of restricted articles in growing media from two areas in Canada from which such importation is currently prohibited if those articles are grown under certain conditions. Paragraph (b) of § 319.37–8 allows the importation of restricted articles from Canada in any growing medium, except restricted articles from Newfoundland PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 or from that portion of the Municipality of Central Saanich in the Province of British Columbia east of the West Saanich Road. Restricted articles from these areas may not enter in growing media because of the presence of potato cyst nematodes (G. rostochiensis and G. pallida) in those parts of Canada. We determined that restricted articles that are grown in approved growing media and are isolated in such a manner as to prevent the restricted articles from being infested with potato cyst nematodes may be imported safely into the United States from these areas. Therefore, we are proposing to allow the importation of restricted articles in approved growing media from these areas in Canada if the phytosanitary certificate accompanying the articles contains an additional declaration stating that the restricted articles were produced in a production site approved by the NPPO of Canada as capable of isolating the plants from potato cyst nematode infestation and that the restricted articles were isolated from potato cyst nematode infestation throughout their production. Two commenters were concerned that the sanitary conditions required for the production of the restricted articles to be shipped in growing media may not always provide complete protection to the United States from the introduction of cysts of potato cyst nematodes, which can easily contaminate plant shipments. Because we are requiring specifically that the plants be grown in a manner to prevent infestation by potato cyst nematodes, we believe the proposed regulations addressed this concern. We are confident that we can work with the Canadian NPPO to develop measures that will be sufficient to protect restricted articles imported under these regulations from potato cyst nematode infestation. Two commenters stated that other countries where potato cyst nematodes are present may feel discriminated against and ask to be allowed to export restricted articles under the same conditions. Such countries are free to request that they be allowed to export restricted articles under the same conditions. If we can determine that the only quarantine pests associated with restricted articles to be exported from such a country are potato cyst nematodes, we will work with the NPPO of that country to develop conditions under which those restricted articles can be isolated from potato cyst nematodes during production and thus be authorized for importation into the United States. For many countries infested with potato cyst nematodes, our regulations in E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES § 319.37–5(a) provide a means for exporting nematode host material to the United States under adequate safeguards. One commenter asked whether Canada would enact similar regulations to allow the export to Canada of restricted articles from the nematodeinfested areas of the State of New York. Since outbreaks of potato cyst nematodes occurred recently in Quebec and Idaho, Canada and the United States have harmonized our regulations with regard to the importation of potential hosts of potato cyst nematodes. Currently, restricted articles from the nematode-infested areas of the States of New York and Idaho may be exported to Canada under certain conditions. We are making one change to the proposed regulatory text. The proposed rule referred to an additional declaration stating that the restricted article was produced in a production site approved by the NPPO of Canada as capable of isolating the plants from infestation by potato cyst nematodes (G. rostochiensis and G. pallida) and that the restricted article was isolated from potato cyst nematode infestation throughout its production. During the deliberations on how to harmonize our potato cyst nematode-related regulations, the NPPO of Canada and APHIS agreed to similar, but simpler, text for the additional declaration. This final rule requires the additional declaration agreed to in the bilateral negotiations, which states simply that the plants were grown in a manner to prevent infestation by potato cyst nematodes (G. rostochiensis and G. pallida). Additions to the List of Approved Growing Media We proposed to add unused clay pots and new wooden baskets to the list of growing media approved for epiphytic plants found in § 319.37–8(d). Such media are used by many nurseries, and we proposed these additions at the request of importers. We believe that unused clay pots and new wooden baskets would be as safe as the current approved growing media. One commenter suggested that ‘‘new’’ would be a better word than ‘‘unused’’ to describe the clay pots. We agree and have incorporated that change into this final rule. Several commenters expressed concern that the wooden baskets we proposed to allow might be affected by wood-boring pests, and that importing epiphytic plants established in new wooden baskets might thus introduce such pests into the United States. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 We did not make it clear in the proposal that new wooden baskets imported into the United States as growing media for epiphytic plants would have to comply with the existing regulations governing the importation of logs, lumber, and other unmanufactured wood articles in §§ 319.40–1 through 319.40–11. This final rule explicitly indicates that new wooden baskets must meet the requirements found in those regulations. Therefore, new wooden baskets will have to be imported under conditions designed to prevent the introduction of wood-boring pests into the United States. Federal Plant Inspection Stations and Other Ports of Entry We proposed to update the list of Federal plant inspection stations in § 319.37–14 to correct addresses, remove plant inspection stations no longer in use, and add new plant inspection stations. In addition, we proposed to remove the ports of entry that do not have plant inspection stations from the list in § 319.37–14 and instead indicate that restricted articles not required to be imported at a plant inspection station may enter the United States through any Customs designated port of entry. We also proposed to make several other updates to the regulations. We did not receive any comments on our reorganization of § 319.37–14 itself. One commenter asked APHIS to confirm that the requirement that plants which are required to be imported under a written permit must be offered for import at a plant inspection station, if not precleared, does not apply to articles from Canada as described in § 319.37–3(a)(7). Articles from Canada described in § 319.37–3(a)(7) are not required to be imported with a permit, and thus do not need to be imported into the United States through a plant inspection station. One commenter suggested that, given the recent reassignment of some inspection responsibilities from APHIS to the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, it would be advisable to change ‘‘Federal plant inspection stations’’ to ‘‘APHIS/PPQ plant inspection stations’’ in the regulations, to make it clear what organization operates the plant inspection stations. We agree with this commenter that using the term ‘‘Federal’’ could create confusion. However, rather than the term suggested by the commenter, we would prefer to use the term ‘‘USDA plant inspection stations,’’ as this term is used internally in APHIS. We have made this change in the final rule. PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 43513 In addition, the addresses for the USDA plant inspection stations in Miami, Agana, and Seattle have changed. We are updating them in this final rule. We are also amending the entry for San Diego to indicate that plants imported into San Ysidro may also be sent to this plant inspection station for inspection. Finally, we are amending the entry for Baltimore to clarify that only niger seed may be imported into this port for treatment. Miscellaneous Changes One commenter asked us to correct an error in the regulations: Fragaria spp. is listed in the postentry quarantine regulations in § 319.37–7 as eligible for postentry quarantine from several countries, but importation of Fragaria spp. is prohibited from all countries other than Canada and Israel under § 319.37–2. The commenter recommended that we remove the entry for Fragaria spp. from § 319.37–7. We are doing so in this final rule. In addition, we are correcting one other error in the regulations. The regulations in § 319.37–12 state that a restricted article for importation into the United States shall not be packed in the same container as an article prohibited importation into the United States by 7 CFR part 319 or part 321. Part 321 no longer exists; therefore, we are removing the reference to it in this final rule. In a final rule published in the Federal Register on April 3, 2007 (72 FR 15805–15812, Docket No. 03–016–3) and effective on May 3, 2007, in the table in § 319.37–7(a)(3), we inadvertently removed Canada from the lists of countries in the entries for Chrysanthemum spp., Leucanthemella serotina, and Nipponanthemum nipponicum, thus erroneously indicating that postentry quarantine is required for these articles when they are imported from Canada. This final rule corrects that error. Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12866. The rule has been determined to be not significant for the purposes of Executive Order 12866 and, therefore, has not been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget. In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 604, we have performed a final regulatory flexibility analysis, which is set out below, regarding the effects of this final rule on small entities. Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to regulate the importation of plants, plant products, and other articles to prevent the E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 43514 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES introduction of plant pests and noxious weeds. We are amending the regulations on importing nursery stock to eliminate various restrictions on the importation of kenaf seed; to establish programs for the importation of approved plants from the Canary Islands and from Israel; to require an additional declaration on the phytosanitary certificate accompanying blueberry plants imported from Canada; to require that phytosanitary certificates include the genus and species names of the restricted articles they accompany when possible; to change the phytosanitary certificate requirements for several restricted articles; to reduce the postentry quarantine growing period for Hydrangea spp.; and to update the list of ports of entry and Federal plant inspection stations. The potential economic effects of the changes in this document are discussed below, by topic. In our proposed rule, we stated that we did not have all the data necessary for a comprehensive analysis of the effects of this rule on small entities. Specifically, we lacked data regarding the number and kind of small entities that may incur benefits or costs from implementation of certain changes in this rule. In our proposed rule, we invited comments on these issues. However, none of the comments we received addressed these economic issues. Several changes we are making, such as adding and changing definitions and reorganizing § 319.37–14, are administrative in nature and are not expected to have any impact on any U.S. entities, whether small or large. This analysis examines the economic effects of changes that could potentially have economic effects. Rubus spp. From Europe There are more than 400 species of Rubus in the temperate areas of the world. These are divided into subcategories that include dewberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Most species of Rubus grow as shrubs or trailing vines with thorny points. We are adding Rubus spp. from Europe not meeting the conditions for importation in § 319.37–5(f) to the list of prohibited articles in § 319.37–2(a). Rubus stunt agent (Phytoplasma) is a leafhopperborne agent that causes damage to foliage and flowers. Rubus stunt agent has caused direct damage to European fruits through yield loss.7 This amendment to § 319.37–2 will have no effect on domestic producers and 7 Gordon S.C., et al. Progress towards Integrated Crop Management (ICM) for European raspberry production. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 consumers, while safeguarding the multi-million dollar U.S. berry production industry (2002).8 Genus and Species Name on Phytosanitary Certificates We are requiring that the phytosanitary certificate that must accompany any restricted article presented for importation into the United States under § 319.37–4(a) include the genus name of the restricted article that it accompanies. The regulations will indicate that including the species name is strongly preferred, and required if the regulations include restrictions based on species within a genus, as in § 319.37–5(b). Although this information is not currently required to be given to APHIS, this information is already available for the vast majority of importers and exporters on the invoices that typically also accompany restricted articles presented for importation into the United States. For this reason, we believe that this change will not have a significant impact on any entities, whether large or small. Phytosanitary Certificates for Bulbs From the Netherlands We are amending the regulations to allow bulbs from the Netherlands to enter the United States with a special certificate in lieu of a phytosanitary certificate. The special certificate will list special identification information for the shipment, including a serial number referring to the phytosanitary certificate on file in the Netherlands. The United States imported $185 million worth of bulbs and tubers from the Netherlands in 2005. This change will expedite entry of bulbs and tubers from the Netherlands when they are carried in small amounts by individuals. We have no reason to expect that this change will have a significant effect on domestic producers and consumers of bulbs and tubers. Importation of Certain Seeds From Canada We are amending § 319.37–4 to exempt certain Canadian seeds from the requirement for a phytosanitary certificate. Certain seeds from specific establishments in Canada will be able to enter the United States with proper identification and an alternative document in lieu of the required phytosanitary certificate. The alternative document will be an export certification label and a document agreed upon by APHIS and CFIA. This change will 8 National Agricultural Statistical Survey (NASS), Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts: Price and Value for the United States, 2000–2002. PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 eliminate redundant paperwork requirements in the nursery stock regulations and the Federal Seed Act regulations in 7 CFR part 361. The United States imported $128.5 million worth of planting seeds from Canada in 2004 while exporting $20.6 million planting seeds to Canada. The United States exported $263.3 million worth of planting seeds to the world in 2004 and imported $423 million worth of planting seeds from the world in 2004.9 This amendment will allow the United States and Canada to trade seed more freely, benefiting both countries, with negligible impacts to domestic producers and consumers of seeds. Vaccinium spp. Plants From Canada We are amending § 319.37–5 to require that Vaccinium spp. plants from Canada be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the articles were produced in an approved certification program and found by the national plant protection organization of Canada to be free of the BC–1 and BC– 2 strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus. Blueberry production in the United States was worth $324 million in 2005.10 This additional declaration will help to safeguard U.S. producers from virulent strains of the virus that only exist in Canada while continuing to allow imports of blueberry plants from Canada. This amendment will have a negligible impact on domestic producers and consumers of blueberry plants. Importation of Pelargonium spp. Plants From the Canary Islands We are amending the regulations to require that Pelargonium spp. plants from the Canary Islands be grown under certain conditions and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. A phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration confirming that those growing conditions have been met for Pelargonium spp. plants will minimize risk that organisms such as Helicoverpa armigera, Chrysodeixis chalcites and Syngrapha circumflexa (syn. Cornutiplusia circumflexa) might enter the United States via the importation of these plants. In 2005, the total number of U.S. growers of floriculture crops (including geraniums) was 10,563, according to USDA/NASS; 4,412 of these growers received $100,000 or more in annual sales. The rest (6,151 growers) received less than $100,000 in annual sales that 9 Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), 2004. Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts: Price and Value by Crop. 10 NASS, E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations year. The Small Business Administration considers a grower of floriculture crops to be small if it has less than $750,000 in annual sales, so at least 6,151 small entities, and probably more, could be affected by this change. The United States is a net importer of floriculture crops (including geraniums). Specifically, in 2005 the United States imported $578 million worth of floriculture crops and exported $304 million of floriculture crops. In 2006, the United States imported a $695 value of floriculture crops and imported $331 million value. No export data are currently available for the Canary Islands regarding plant cuttings. Given that, we expect the potential amount of U.S. imports of geraniums from the Canary Islands to be very small. We do not expect this change to have a significant impact on any U.S. entities, including growers of geraniums, regardless of their size. Importation of Approved Plants From Israel We are amending the regulations to require that plants from Israel be grown under certain conditions and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate along with an additional declaration confirming that those growing conditions have been met. Plants from Israel run the risk of harboring plant pests such as Spodoptera littoralis and other pests that could be introduced to the United States. S. littoralis is associated with cotton production losses around the world. Without control measures, S. littoralis could inflict heavy damage to both the yield and quality of U.S. cotton production. Israel exported $10.2 million worth of plant cuttings to the United States in 2004, while the United States exported $9.5 million worth of cuttings to the world.11 This change will help to safeguard the $5.57 billion worth of U.S. cotton production (2005).12 We have no reason to expect that this change will have a significant effect on importers of plants from Israel or on domestic cotton producers and consumers. Treatment of Regulated Articles Under the regulations in § 319.37– 4(b), any restricted article may be sampled and inspected by an inspector under preclearance inspection arrangements in the country in which the article was grown, and must undergo any treatment contained in 7 CFR part 305 that is ordered by the inspector. We are adding a paragraph to § 319.37–6 to explicitly indicate that treatment of regulated articles of nursery stock may be administered outside the United States. We believe that this change will not have any significant impact on any U.S. entities, whether small or large. Kenaf Seed From Mexico The regulations in § 319.37–6(a) have required seeds of Hibiscus spp. (hibiscus, rose mallow) from any foreign country or locality, at the time of importation into the United States, to be treated for possible infestation with pink bollworm in accordance with the applicable provisions of 7 CFR part 305. We are providing an exception to the restriction for seeds of kenaf from Mexico that are imported into pink bollworm generally infested areas in the United States. The States of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, and specific 43515 counties in California are pink bollworm generally infested areas. With this change, shipments of untreated kenaf seed from Mexico will be authorized entry into those pink bollworm generally infested areas subject to inspection. Immediately upon release, those shipments will be subject to the domestic pink bollworm quarantine regulations in §§ 301.52 through 301.52–10, Subpart—Pink Bollworm. Allowing the importation of untreated kenaf seed from Mexico into pink bollworm generally infested areas may have economic effects on some U.S. entities; however, if effects occur, they will be small, given that the United States imports mainly processed kenaf and very little seed and raw fiber.13 For example, on average between 1999 and 2001, the United States imported 0.3 percent of world imports of raw (seeds are included) kenaf (table 1). U.S. demand for imported kenaf seed from Mexico is not expected to increase significantly as a result of the change. Kenaf is an annual herbaceous plant of the Malvaceae family, and its flowers are closely related to those of cotton, okra, and hollyhock. Latin America, including Mexico, produces about 5 percent of the world’s kenaf seed and fiber (table 2). Kenaf seed can grow in many parts of the United States, but it generally needs a long, warm growing season to produce the necessary yield to make it a profitable crop. Such a climate can only be found in the southern United States. Primary production areas in the United States are Texas (Lower Rio Grande Valley), Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida. An estimated 8,000 acres of kenaf was grown in the United States in 1997.14 TABLE 1.—WORLD IMPORTS OF RAW KENAF SEEDS AND FIBERS [Metric tons] Calendar year 1999 cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES United States ........................................................................................................................................... Mexico ...................................................................................................................................................... Rest of the world ..................................................................................................................................... World ........................................................................................................................................................ 11 FAS., U.S. Trade Statistics, Israel and U.S., plant cuttings code # 06021, 2001. 12 USDA–NASS, U.S. cotton production value 2005. 13 The primary focus of the kenaf development has been on the newsprint industry with its annual VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 world production near the 30 million tons level (Scott & Taylor, 1990). U.S. publishers and other users account for nearly half of the world’s total consumption of the processed kenaf. Annual production of newsprint in the United States is approximately 5 million tons. Traditionally, imports of processed kenaf have accounted for PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 2000 2001 2,400 0 330,300 332,700 800 0 288,200 289,000 500 0 272,200 272,700 about 60 percent of U.S. consumption and demand has steadily increased at about 2.5 percent annually. 14 Economic Research Service, USDA, FLO–2002, May 2002. Floriculture and Nursery Crops. Situation and Outlook Yearbook. E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 43516 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations TABLE 2.—WORLD PRODUCTION OF RAW KENAF SEEDS AND FIBERS [Metric tons] Crop year 1999–2000 2000–2001 2001–2002 7,000 25,400 427,100 459,500 7,000 24,100 388,300 419,400 7,000 12,500 409,800 440,500 Developed countries 1 .............................................................................................................................. Latin America 2 ......................................................................................................................................... Rest of the world ..................................................................................................................................... World ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 Developed countries include Europe, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and former Soviet Republics. America includes Mexico. Source: Food & Agriculture Organization of the U.N., Commodities and Trade Division, Current Situation & Short Term Outlook for Hard Fibers, Kenaf, Jute, & Allied Fibers Statistics, December 2002. 2 Latin The number and size of the entities that will be affected by this change is unknown. cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES Postentry Quarantine Requirements for Hydrangea spp. We are reducing the amount of time imported Hydrangea spp. from countries other than Canada and Japan must be grown in postentry quarantine conditions from 2 years to 9 months. This change might affect the volume of Hydrangea spp. imported into the United States because it will decrease the cost associated with growing Hydrangea spp. in postentry quarantine conditions after importation into the United States. Hydrangeas are summer-flowering shrubs which are usually shipped in the late fall through early winter, after they have received a cold storage treatment. There are seven main Hydrangea species in the world. Only two, H. arborescens and H. quercifolia, are native to the United States; the other five are native to Asia.15 The popularity and production of hydrangeas have both been increasing in the past few years in the United States and so has demand for them. Thus, the shorter quarantine period for imported Hydrangea spp. will benefit the U.S. public. However, it is difficult to measure the size of any possible economic impact of this change in postentry quarantine duration for imported hydrangeas due to lack of information about how much the cost of quarantine would decrease with a reduction in the quarantine period. In addition, we have no data number and size of small entities that will be affected by this change. Plants in Growing Media from Certain Areas in Canada We are amending § 319.37–8(b) to allow the importation of restricted articles from areas of Canada that are infested with potato cyst nematodes as 15 H. aspera, H. involucrata, H. macrophylla, H. paniculata, H. anomala. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 long as they are grown in approved media and isolated from potato cyst nematodes. APHIS has determined that restricted articles from these areas that are grown in approved media can be isolated in such a manner as to prevent the introduction of potato cyst nematodes. These articles will be allowed to be imported if they are grown in approved media and are accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the plants were grown in a manner to prevent infestation by potato cyst nematodes. Allowing these restricted articles to enter under these conditions will increase the flexibility of imports while protecting the United States against potato cyst nematode infestation. We have no reason to expect that this change would have a significant effect on domestic producers and consumers of nursery stock. Additions to the List of Approved Growing Media We are amending § 319.37–8(d) to allow new clay pots and new wooden baskets to be used as a growing media for epiphytic plants. New wooden baskets used as growing media will have to meet the relevant requirements for the importation of logs, lumber, and other untreated wood products in §§ 319.40–1 through 319.40–11. No trade information is currently available for clay pots and wooden baskets. Establishing epiphytic plants on new clay pots and new wooden baskets is a standard nursery practice. Importers have requested that APHIS amend the regulations to allow them to import plants on wooden baskets and clay pots. Neither medium is believed to pose a pest risk. We have no reason to expect that this change will have a significant effect on domestic producers and consumers of nursery stock. PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 USDA Plant Inspection Stations and Other Ports of Entry We are adding a plant inspection station in Linden, NJ, to the list of USDA plant inspection stations in § 319.37–14. Adding this facility to the list of USDA plant inspection stations will make importation of nursery stock more convenient and possibly less costly for domestic sellers and consumers without reducing the effectiveness of the regulations. This final rule contains new information collection or recordkeeping requirements (see ‘‘Paperwork Reduction Act’’ below). Executive Order 12988 This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform. This rule: (1) Preempts all State and local laws and regulations that are inconsistent with this rule; (2) has no retroactive effect; and (3) does not require administrative proceedings before parties may file suit in court challenging this rule. Paperwork Reduction Act In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the information collection or recordkeeping requirements included in this rule have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB control number 0579–0279. E-Government Act Compliance The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is committed to compliance with the E-Government Act to promote the use of the Internet and other information technologies, to provide increased opportunities for citizen access to Government information and services, and for other purposes. For information pertinent to E-Government Act compliance related to this rule, please contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles, APHIS’ Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 734–7477. E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 43517 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations Lists of Subjects § 319.37–1 7 CFR Part 319 * Coffee, Cotton, Fruits, Imports, Logs, Nursery stock, Plant diseases and pests, Quarantine, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Rice, Vegetables. 7 CFR Part 330 Customs duties and inspection, Imports, Plant diseases and pests, Quarantine, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Transportation. 7 CFR Part 340 Administrative practice and procedure, Biotechnology, Genetic engineering, Imports, Packaging and containers, Plant diseases and pests, Transportation. I Accordingly, we are amending 7 CFR parts 319, 330, and 340 as follows: PART 319—FOREIGN QUARANTINE NOTICES 1. The authority citation for part 319 continues to read as follows: I Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701–7772, and 7781–7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3. § 319.28 [Amended] 2. In § 319.28, the introductory text of paragraph (b)(7) is amended by removing the word ‘‘listed’’ and adding the word ‘‘identified’’ in its place. I 3. Section 319.37–1 is amended as follows: I a. By removing the definition for bulbs. I b. By adding new definitions, in alphabetical order, for bulb, plant, preclearance, regulated plant, and State to read as set forth below. I c. By revising the definitions for inspector, person, plant pest, restricted article, and United States to read as set forth below. I Definitions. * * * * Bulb. The portion of a plant commonly known as a bulb, bulbil, bulblet, corm, cormel, rhizome, tuber, or pip, and including fleshy roots or other underground fleshy growths, a unit of which produces an individual plant. * * * * * Inspector. Any individual authorized by the Administrator of APHIS or the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, to enforce the regulations in this part. * * * * * Person. Any individual, partnership, corporation, association, joint venture, or other legal entity. * * * * * Plant. Any plant (including any plant part) for or capable of propagation, including a tree, a tissue culture, a plantlet culture, pollen, a shrub, a vine, a cutting, a graft, a scion, a bud, a bulb, a root, and a seed. Plant pest. Any living stage of any of the following that can directly or indirectly injure, cause damage to, or cause disease in any plant or plant product: A protozoan, a nonhuman animal, a parasitic plant, a bacterium, a fungus, a virus or viroid, an infectious agent or other pathogen, or any article similar to or allied with any of these articles. * * * * * Preclearance. Phytosanitary inspection and/or clearance in the country in which the articles were grown, performed by or under the regular supervision of APHIS. * * * * * Regulated plant. Any gymnosperm, angiosperm, fern, or fern ally. Gymnosperms include cycads, conifers, and gingko. Angiosperms include any flowering plant. Fern allies include club mosses, horsetails, whisk ferns, spike mosses, and quillworts. Restricted article. Any regulated plant, root, bulb, seed, or other plant product for or capable of propagation, excluding any prohibited articles listed in § 319.37–2(a) or (b) of this subpart, and excluding any articles regulated in §§ 319.8 through 319.24 or 319.41 through 319.74–4 and any articles regulated in part 360 of this chapter. * * * * * State. Any of the several States of the United States, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United States, or any other territory or possession of the United States. * * * * * United States. All of the States. I 4. Section 319.37–2 is amended as follows: I a. In the table in paragraph (a), by adding new entries for ‘‘Pelargonium spp. plants not meeting the requirements for importation in § 319.37–5(u)’’, ‘‘Plants (except bulbs, dormant perennials, and seeds) not meeting the requirements for importation in § 319.37–5(v)’’, ‘‘Rubus spp. not meeting the conditions for importation in § 319.37–5(f)’’, and ‘‘Vaccinium spp. plants not meeting the conditions for importation in § 319.37– 5(t)’’, in alphabetical order, to read as set forth below. I b. In paragraph (c)(2), by removing the words ‘‘Plant Germplasm Quarantine Center, Building 320’’ and adding the words ‘‘National Plant Germplasm Inspection Station, Building 580’’ in their place; and by removing the words ‘‘at a port of entry designated by an asterisk in § 319.37–14(b)’’ and adding the words ‘‘through any Federal plant inspection station listed in § 319.37–14’’ in their place. § 319.37–2 Prohibited articles. (a) * * * Foreign places from which prohibited Plant pests existing in the palces named and capable of being transported with the prohibited article * * * Pelargonium spp. plants not meeting the conditions for importation in § 319.37–5(u). cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES Prohibited article (includes seeds only if specifically mentioned) * Canary Islands (Spain) ...... * * * Helicoverpa armigera, Chrysodeixis chalcites, and Syngrapha circumflexa (syn. Cornutiplusia circumflexa). * * * Plants (except bulbs, dormant herbaceous perennials, and seeds) not meeting the conditions for importation in § 319.37–5(v). * Israel ................................... * * * Spodoptera littoralis and other quarantine pests. * * * Rubus spp. not meeting the conditions for importation in § 319.37–5(f). * Europe ................................ * Rubus stunt agent VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 * * 43518 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations Prohibited article (includes seeds only if specifically mentioned) Foreign places from which prohibited * * * Vaccinium spp. plants not meeting the conditions for importation in § 319.37–5(t). * Canada ............................... * * * * * § 319.37–3 * * * [Amended] 5. Section 319.37–3 is amended as follows: I a. In paragraph (a)(3), by removing the word ‘‘spp.’’ the first time it occurs. I b. In paragraph (a)(8), by removing the words ‘‘Castanea spp. (chestnut) or’’. I c. In paragraph (b), in the introductory text of the paragraph and in footnote 4, by removing the words ‘‘Port Operations’’ and adding the words ‘‘Permits, Registrations, Imports and Manuals’’ in their place. I 6. Section 319.37–4 is amended as follows: I a. By revising paragraph (a) to read as set forth below. I b. By adding a new paragraph (e) to read as set forth below. I c. By revising the OMB citation at the end of the section to read as set forth below. I cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES § 319.37–4 Inspection, treatment, and phytosanitary certificates of inspection. (a) Phytosanitary certificates of inspection. Any restricted article offered for importation into the United States must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate of inspection. The phytosanitary certificate must identify the genus of the article it accompanies. When the regulations in this subpart place restrictions on individual species or cultivars within a genus, the phytosanitary certificate must also identify the species or cultivar of the article it accompanies. Otherwise, identification of the species is strongly preferred, but not required. Intergeneric and interspecific hybrids must be designated by placing the multiplication sign ‘‘x’’ between the names of the parent taxa. If the hybrid is named, the multiplication sign may instead be placed before the name of an intergeneric hybrid or before the epithet in the name of an interspecific hybrid. Phytosanitary certificates are not required for the following restricted articles: (1) Greenhouse-grown plants from Canada imported in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section. These plants must be accompanied by a certificate of inspection in the form of a label in accordance with paragraph VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 * Plant pests existing in the palces named and capable of being transported with the prohibited article * * * Blueberry scorch carlavirus (strains BC–1 and BC–2). * (c)(1)(iv) of this section attached to each carton of the articles and to an airway bill, bill of lading, or delivery ticket accompanying the articles. (2) Small lots of seed imported in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section. (3) Seeds from Canada imported in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section. Each carton of seed must be labeled as required by paragraph (e)(2)(ii) of this section. Each shipment of seed must be accompanied by the documents in paragraphs (e)(2)(iii)(A) and (e)(2)(iii)(B) of this section, as necessary. (4) Bulbs from the Netherlands accompanied by a special certificate that lists a serial number, the scientific name of the bulb, the country of its origin, and a date on which the special certificate expires. The serial number must refer to a phytosanitary certificate issued, held, and retrievable upon request by the national plant protection organization of the Netherlands. The expiration date must be 6 weeks after the issuance of the phytosanitary certificate held by the national plant protection organization of the Netherlands. Shipments of bulbs from the Netherlands accompanied by this certificate may be imported into the United States without preclearance by APHIS. * * * * * (e) Certain seeds from Canada. Seeds imported from Canada may be imported without a phytosanitary certificate if the following conditions are met: (1) The Canadian Food Inspection Agency shall: (i) Establish and administer a seed export program under which Canadian exporters of seed may operate; (ii) Assign a unique identification number to each exporting establishment enrolled in and approved by the seed inspection program; (iii) Provide APHIS with a current list of the establishments participating in its seed export program and their names, locations, telephone numbers, and establishment identification numbers at the start of the shipping season, and provide regular updates to that list throughout the shipping season; (iv) Enter into an agreement with APHIS that specifies the documents that PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 * * must accompany shipments of seeds under the seed export program: (A) Agricultural and vegetable seeds, as listed in the Federal Seed Act regulations in part 361 of this chapter, must be accompanied by a document certifying that the relevant provisions of the Federal Seed Act have been followed; (B) Other seeds must be accompanied by a document certifying that the seeds have been inspected. (2) Each seed exporter participating in the seed export program shall enter into an agreement with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in which the exporter agrees to: (i) Practice any and all safeguards the Canadian Food Inspection Agency may prescribe in order to ensure that seed exported to the United States is free of plant pests and that seed that does not meet the requirements for exportation to the United States is separated from seed that does; (ii) Include an export certification document with each shipment indicating the common name of the seed, the country of origin of the seed, the establishment identification number assigned to the exporting establishment under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s seed export program, and the lot number in addition to all other information required to be present by § 361.3 of this chapter. (iii) Include other shipping documents as required with each shipment: (A) Shipments of agricultural and vegetable seeds, as listed in the Federal Seed Act, must be accompanied by a document certifying that the relevant provisions of the Federal Seed Act regulations in part 361 of this chapter have been followed, as agreed upon by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and APHIS; (B) Shipments of other seeds must be accompanied by a document certifying that the seeds have been inspected, as agreed upon by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and APHIS. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control numbers 0579–0285 and 0579–0279) I 7. Section 319.37–5 is amended as follows: E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations a. In paragraph (a), by removing the words ‘‘at the time of arrival at the port of first arrival in the United States’’ and by revising the country list at the end of the paragraph to read as set forth below. I b. In paragraph (b)(1), by removing the words ‘‘Federal Republic of Germany,’’ and by adding the word ‘‘Germany,’’ after the word ‘‘France,’’. I c. In the introductory text of paragraph (j)(1) and in paragraph (j)(1)(i), by removing the words ‘‘Federal Republic of’’. I d. By adding new paragraphs (t), (u), and (v) to read as set forth below. I e. By revising the OMB citation at the end of the section to read as set forth below. I cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES § 319.37–5 Special foreign inspection and certification requirements. (a) * * * Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Azores, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada (only that portion comprising Newfoundland and that portion of the Municipality of Central Saanich in the Province of British Columbia east of the West Saanich Road), Channel Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Crete, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Faeroe Islands), Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Mexico, Republic of Moldova, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, South Africa, Spain (including Canary Islands), Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela. * * * * * (t) For any Vaccinium spp. plants from Canada, the phytosanitary certificate of inspection required by § 319.37–4 must contain an additional declaration that such article was produced in an approved certification program and found by the national plant protection organization of Canada to be free of the BC–1 and BC–2 strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus. (u) Special foreign inspection and certification requirements for Pelargonium spp. plants from the Canary Islands. Pelargonium spp. plants from the Canary Islands may only be imported into the United States in accordance with the requirements of this section, to prevent the plant pests VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 Helicoverpa armigera, Chrysodeixis chalcites, and Syngrapha circumflexa (syn. Cornutiplusia circumflexa) from entering the United States. (1) Phytosanitary certificate. The phytosanitary certificate of inspection required by § 319.37–4 that accompanies Pelargonium spp. plants from the Canary Islands must contain additional declarations that the plants were produced in an approved Spanish (Canary Island) production site, that the production site is operated by a grower participating in the export program for Pelargonium spp. plants established by the national plant protection organization of Spain, and that the plants were grown under conditions specified by APHIS as described in this paragraph § 319.37–5(u) to prevent infestation with Helicoverpa armigera, Chrysodeixis chalcites, and Syngrapha circumflexa (syn. Cornutiplusia circumflexa). (2) Grower registration and agreement. Persons in the Canary Islands who produce Pelargonium spp. plants for export to the United States must: (i) Be registered and approved by the national plant protection organization of Spain; and (ii) Enter into an agreement with the national plant protection organization of Spain whereby the producer agrees to participate in and follow the export program for Pelargonium spp. plants established by the national plant protection organization of Spain. (3) Growing requirements. Growers in the Canary Islands who produce Pelargonium spp. plants for export to the United States must meet the following requirements for inclusion in the export program for Pelargonium spp. plants established by the national plant protection organization of Spain: (i) Pelargonium spp. plants destined for export to the United States must be produced in a production site devoted solely to production of such plants. (ii) The production sites in which such plants are produced must be registered with the national plant protection organization of Spain. Such production sites must employ safeguards agreed on by APHIS and the national plant protection organization of Spain, including, but not limited to, prescribed mesh screen size (if the production site is a screenhouse) and automatically closing doors, to ensure the exclusion of H. armigera. (iii) Each production site in which plants destined for export to the United States are grown must have at least one blacklight trap for 1 year following any of the following events: PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 43519 (A) The construction of the production site; (B) The entry of the production site into the approved plants export program; (C) The replacement of the covering of the production site; or (D) The detection and repair of a break or tear in the plastic or screening in the production site. (4) Inspections. Inspections undertaken in the export program for Pelargonium spp. plants established by the national plant protection organization of Spain will include, but may not be limited to, the following: (i) The national plant protection organization of Spain will inspect the plants and the production site during the growing season and during packing. (ii) Packing materials and shipping containers for the plants must be inspected and approved by APHIS to ensure that they do not introduce pests of concern to the plants. (iii) Either APHIS or the national plant protection organization of Spain will inspect the production site of the plants to ensure that they meet standards of sanitation agreed upon by APHIS and the national plant protection organization of Spain. (iv) Inspectors from both APHIS and the national plant protection organization of Spain will have access to the production site as necessary to ensure that growers are employing the proper safeguards against infestation of H. armigera, C. chalcites, and S. circumflexa and that those safeguards are correctly implemented. (v) The national plant protection organization of Spain will provide APHIS with access to the list of registered and approved growers at least annually. (5) Ineligibility for participation. (i) Growers will be ineligible for participation in the export program for Pelargonium spp. plants established by the national plant protection organization of Spain and their production sites will lose approved status if: (A) Live Syngrapha circumflexa (syn. Cornutiplusia circumflexa), or any other moth of the family Noctuidae, are found in a production site; (B) Live Syngrapha circumflexa (syn. Cornutiplusia circumflexa), or any other moth of the family Noctuidae, are found in a shipment of plants; or (C) Growers violate the requirements set out in this section and by the export program established by the national plant protection organization of Spain. (ii) A grower may be reinstated, and the grower’s production sites may regain approved status, by requesting E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES 43520 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations reapproval and submitting a detailed report describing the corrective actions taken by the grower. Reapproval will only be granted upon concurrence from the national plant protection organization of Spain and APHIS. (6) Termination. APHIS may terminate the entire program if there are repeated violations of procedural or biological requirements. (7) Trust fund. The government of Spain must enter into a trust fund agreement with APHIS before each growing season. The government of Spain or its designated representative is required to pay in advance all estimated costs that APHIS expects to incur through its involvement in overseeing the execution of paragraph (u) of this section. These costs will include administrative expenses incurred in conducting the services enumerated in paragraph (u) of this section and all salaries (including overtime and the Federal share of employee benefits), travel expenses (including per diem expenses), and other incidental expenses incurred by the inspectors in performing these services. The government of Spain or its designated representative is required to deposit a certified or cashier’s check with APHIS for the amount of the costs estimated by APHIS. If the deposit is not sufficient to meet all costs incurred by APHIS, the agreement further requires the government of Spain or its designated representative to deposit with APHIS a certified or cashier’s check for the amount of the remaining costs, as determined by APHIS, before the services will be completed. After a final audit at the conclusion of each shipping season, any overpayment of funds would be returned to the government of Spain or its designated representative or held on account until needed. (v) Special foreign inspection and certification requirements for plants from Israel. Plants from Israel, except bulbs, dormant perennials, and seeds, may only be imported into the United States in accordance with the regulations in this section, to prevent Spodoptera littoralis and other quarantine pests found in Israel from entering the United States. (1) Phytosanitary certificate. The phytosanitary certificate of inspection required by § 319.37–4 that accompanies plants from Israel at the time of arrival at the port of first arrival in the United States must contain additional declarations that the plants were produced in an approved Israeli production site, that the production site is operated by a grower participating in the export program for plants established by the national plant VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 protection organization of Israel, and that the plants were grown under conditions specified by APHIS as described in this paragraph § 319.37– 5(v) to prevent infestation or contamination with Spodoptera littoralis or other quarantine pests. (2) Grower registration and agreement. Persons in Israel who produce plants for export to the United States must: (i) Be registered and approved by the national plant protection organization of Israel; and (ii) Enter into an agreement with the national plant protection organization of Israel whereby the producer agrees to participate in and follow the export program for plants established by the national plant protection organization of Israel. (3) Growing requirements. Growers in Israel who produce plants for export to the United States must meet the following requirements for inclusion in the export program for plants established by the national plant protection organization of Israel: (i) Plants destined for export to the United States must come from a production site devoted solely to production of such plants. (ii) The production sites in which such plants are produced must be registered with the national plant protection organization of Israel. These production sites must employ safeguards agreed on by APHIS and the national plant protection organization of Israel to prevent the entry of S. littoralis, including, but not limited to, insectproof screening over openings and double or airlock-type doors. Any rips or tears in the insect-proof screening must be repaired immediately. (iii) Each production site in which plants destined for export to the United States are grown must have at least one blacklight trap for 1 year following any of the following events: (A) The construction of the production site; (B) The entry of the production site into the approved plants export program; (C) The replacement of the covering of the production site; or (D) The detection and repair of a break or tear in the plastic or screening in the production site. (4) Inspections. Inspections undertaken in the export program for plants established by the national plant protection organization of Israel will include, but may not be limited to, the following: (i) The national plant protection organization of Israel will inspect the plants and the production site weekly to PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 ensure that no quarantine pests are present. (ii) Plants must be inspected to ensure that they are free of quarantine pests before being allowed into the screened area of the production site. (iii) The national plant protection organization of Israel will inspect the plants to ensure that no quarantine pests are present prior to export. (iv) Packing materials and shipping containers for the plants must be inspected and approved by APHIS to ensure that they do not introduce pests of concern to the plants. (v) Either APHIS or the national plant protection organization of Israel will inspect the production site of the plants to ensure that they meet standards of sanitation approved by APHIS. (vi) Inspectors from both APHIS and the national plant protection organization of Israel will have access to the production site as necessary to ensure that growers are employing the safeguards and procedures prescribed by the program and that those safeguards and procedures are correctly implemented. (vii) The national plant protection organization of Israel will provide APHIS with access to the list of registered and approved growers at least annually. (5) Ineligibility for participation. (i) Growers will be ineligible for participation in the export program for plants established by the national plant protection organization of Israel and their production sites will lose approved status if: (A) Live Spodoptera littoralis are found in a production site; (B) Live Spodoptera littoralis are found at port inspection two times during the shipping season in shipments from the same grower; or (C) Growers violate the requirements set out in this section and by the export program established by the national plant protection organization of Israel. (ii) A grower may be reinstated, and the grower’s production sites may regain approved status, by requesting reapproval and submitting a detailed report describing the corrective actions taken by the grower. Reapproval will only be granted upon concurrence from the national plant protection organization of Israel and APHIS. (6) Termination. APHIS may terminate the entire program if there are repeated violations of procedural or biological requirements. (7) Trust fund. The government of Israel must enter into a trust fund agreement with APHIS before each growing season. The government of Israel or its designated representative is E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations required to pay in advance all estimated costs that APHIS expects to incur through its involvement in overseeing the execution of paragraph (v) of this section. These costs will include administrative expenses incurred in conducting the services enumerated in paragraph (v) of this section and all salaries (including overtime and the Federal share of employee benefits), travel expenses (including per diem expenses), and other incidental expenses incurred by the inspectors in performing these services. The government of Israel or its designated representative is required to deposit a certified or cashier’s check with APHIS for the amount of the costs estimated by APHIS. If the deposit is not sufficient to meet all costs incurred by APHIS, the agreement further requires the government of Israel or its designated representative to deposit with APHIS a certified or cashier’s check for the amount of the remaining costs, as determined by APHIS, before the services will be completed. After a final audit at the conclusion of each shipping season, any overpayment of funds would be returned to the government of Israel or its designated representative or held on account until needed. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control numbers 0579–0049, 0579–0176, 0579–0221, 0579–0246, 0579– 0257, and 0579–0279) 43521 8. Section 319.37–6 is revised to read as follows. I § 319.37–6 Specific treatment and other requirements. (a) The following seeds and bulbs may be imported into the United States from designated countries and localities only if they have been treated for the specified pests in accordance with part 305 of this chapter. Seeds and bulbs treated prior to importation outside the United States must be treated in accordance with § 319.37–13(c). An inspector may require treatment within the United States of articles that have been treated prior to importation outside the United States if such treatment is determined to be necessary: Seed/bulb Country/locality Pest(s) for which treatment is required Abelmoschus spp. (okra) seeds. Allium sativum (garlic) bulbs All ................................................................................................................... Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (pink bollworm). Brachycerus spp. and Dyspessa ulula (Bkh.). Castanea seeds .................. Guizotia abyssinica (niger) seeds. Hibiscus spp. (hibiscus, rose mallow) seeds. Lathyrus spp. (sweet pea, peavine) seeds. Lens spp. (lentil) seeds ....... Quercus seeds .................... Rutaceae, seeds of all species in the family. cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES Vicia spp. (fava bean, vetch) seeds. Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Morocco, Portugal, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Republic of South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. All except Canada and Mexico ...................................................................... All (see paragraph (c) of this section) ........................................................... All, with the exception of kenaf seed (Hibiscus cannabinus) from Mexico that is to be imported into pink bollworm generally infested areas listed in § 301.52–2a of this chapter. All except North America and Central America ............................................ All except North America and Central America ............................................ All except Canada and Mexico ...................................................................... Afghanistan, Andaman Islands, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Caroline Islands, Comoro Islands, Fiji Islands, Home Island in Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kampuchea, Korea, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, People’s Republic of China, Philippines, Reunion Island, Rodriquez Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Thursday Island, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Vietnam, Yemen (Sanaa), and Zaire. All except North America and Central America ............................................ (b) Seeds and bulbs that are treated within the United States must be treated at the time of importation into the United States. (c) Seeds of Guizotia abyssinica (niger seed) that are treated prior to shipment to the United States at a facility that is VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 approved by APHIS 8 and that operates in compliance with a written agreement between the treatment facility owner and the plant protection service of the exporting country, in which the treatment facility owner agrees to 8 Criteria for the approval of heat treatment facilities are contained in part 305 of this chapter. PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 Curculio elephas (Cyllenhal), C. nucum L., Cydia (Laspeyresia) splendana Hubner, Pammene fusciana L. (Hemimene juliana (Curtis)) and other insect pests of chestnut and acorn. Cuscuta spp., and other noxious weeds listed in 7 CFR 360.200. Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (pink bollworm). Insects of the family Bruchidae. Insects of the family Bruchidae. Curculio elephas (Cyllenhal), C. nucum L., Cydia (Laspeyresia) splendana Hubner, Pammene fusciana L. (Hemimene juliana (Curtis)) and other insect pests of chestnut and acorn. Xanthomonas axonopodis, pv. citri (citrus canker). Insects of the family Bruchidae. comply with the provisions of this section and allow inspectors and representatives of the plant protection service of the exporting country access to the treatment facility as necessary to monitor compliance with the regulations. Treatments must be E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 43522 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations certified in accordance with the conditions described in § 319.37–13(c). (d) Shipments of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) seed from Mexico that are imported into pink bollworm generally infested areas listed in § 301.52–2a shall be subject to inspection, and shall immediately, upon release, be subject to the domestic pink bollworm quarantine regulations in §§ 301.52 through 301.52–10, ‘‘Subpart—Pink Bollworm,’’ of this chapter. 9. Section 319.37–7 is amended as follows: I a. In the table in paragraph (a)(3), in the entries for Chrysanthemum spp., Leucanthemella serotina, and Nipponanthemum nipponicum, by adding the word ‘‘Canada,’’ after the word ‘‘Brunei,’’. I b. In the table in paragraph (a)(3), by removing the entry for ‘‘Fragaria spp.’’. I c. In the table in paragraph (a)(3), by revising the entries for ‘‘Jasminum spp.’’ I Restricted article (excluding seeds) * * * * * * * * * * * * * (d) * * * (7) * * * (ii) To grow the article or increase therefrom only in a greenhouse or other enclosed building, and to comply with the above conditions for a period of 6 months after importation for an article of Chrysanthemum spp., Dendranthema spp, Leucanthemella serotina, and Nipponanthemum nipponicum, for a period of 1 year after importation for an article of Dianthus spp. (carnation, sweet-william), and for a period of 9 months after importation for an article of Hydrangea spp. * * * * * I 10. Section 319.37–8 is amended as follows: I a. By revising paragraph (b) to read as set forth below. I b. In paragraph (c), by removing the words ‘‘transparent or translucent’’. I c. By revising paragraph (d) to read as set forth below. § 319.37–8 Growing media. cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES * * * * * (b)(1) A restricted article from Canada may be imported in any growing medium, except as restricted in paragraph (b)(2) of this section. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 e. By removing paragraph (g). § 319.37–7 Postentry quarantine. (a) * * * (3) * * * * * * [Amended] 11. In § 319.37–10, the introductory text of paragraph (b) is amended by removing the word ‘‘listed’’ and adding the word ‘‘identified’’ in its place. I § 319.37–12 * All except Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, and Slovakia. (2) A restricted article from Newfoundland or from that portion of the Municipality of Central Saanich in the Province of British Columbia east of the West Saanich Road may only be imported in an approved growing medium if the phytosanitary certificate accompanying it contains an additional declaration that that the plants were grown in a manner to prevent infestation by potato cyst nematodes (Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida). * * * * * (d) Epiphytic plants (including orchid plants) established solely on tree fern slabs, coconut husks, coconut fiber, new clay pots, or new wooden baskets may be imported on such growing media. New wooden baskets must meet all applicable requirements in §§ 319.40–1 through 319.40–11. * * * * * § 319.37–10 * All except Canada, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, India, and the Philippines. * * * I * Sorbus spp. (mountain ash) .......................................................................................... * d. By revising paragraph (d)(7)(ii) to read as set forth below. I Foreign country(ies) or locality(ies) from which imported Jasminum spp. jasmine) ............................................................................................... * and ‘‘Sorbus spp.’’ to read as set forth below. [Amended] * * 13. Section 319.37–14 is revised to read as follows. I § 319.37–14 Ports of entry. Any restricted article required to be imported under a written permit pursuant to § 319.37–3(a)(1) through (6) of this subpart, if not precleared, may be imported or offered for importation only at a USDA plant inspection station listed below. Ports of entry through which restricted articles must pass before arriving at these USDA plant inspection stations are listed in the second column. Any other restricted article that is not required to be imported under a written permit pursuant to § 319.37–3(a)(1) through (6) of this subpart may be imported or offered for importation at any Customs designated port of entry indicated in 19 CFR 101.3(b)(1). Exceptions may be listed in § 330.104 of this chapter. Articles that are required to be imported under a written permit that are also precleared in the country of export are not required to enter at an inspection station and may enter through any Customs port of entry. Exceptions may be listed in § 330.104 of this chapter. 12. Section 319.37–12 is amended by removing the words ‘‘or part 321’’. I PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations 43523 LIST OF USDA PLANT INSPECTION STATIONS State Port of entry Federal plant inspection station Arizona ..................... Nogales ................................................. California .................. Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Pedro Plant Inspection Station, 9 North Grand Avenue, Room 120, Nogales, AZ 85621. Los Angeles Inspection Station, 11840 S. La Cienega Blvd., Hawthorne, CA 90250. Plant Inspection Station, 9777 Via de la Amistad, Room 140, San Diego, CA 92154. Plant Inspection Station, 389 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 2, South San Francisco, CA 94080. Plant Inspection Station, 3500 NW., 62nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33122. Mailing address: P.O. Box 660520, Miami, FL 33266. San Diego, San Ysidro ......................... Oakland, San Francisco ........................ Florida ...................... Georgia ..................... Guam ........................ Miami, (Note: Restricted articles may be moved from Fort Lauderdale to Miami under U.S. Customs bond). Orlando .................................................. Atlanta ................................................... Agana .................................................... Hawaii ....................... Honolulu (Airport) .................................. Louisiana .................. Maryland ................... New Orleans ......................................... Baltimore ............................................... New Jersey .............. New York .................. Elizabeth, New York (Maritime), Newark. Jamaica (JFK) ....................................... Puerto Rico .............. San Juan ............................................... Texas ........................ Houston ................................................. Los Indios .............................................. Washington .............. Seattle ................................................... § 319.59–2 [Amended] § 319.75–8 14. Section 319.59–2 is amended as follows: I a. In paragraph (b)(1), by removing the words ‘‘Plant Germplasm Quarantine Center, Building 320’’ and adding the words ‘‘National Plant Germplasm Inspection Station, Building 580’’ in their place; and by removing the words ‘‘at any port of entry with an asterisk listed in § 319.37–14(b)’’ and adding the words ‘‘through any USDA plant inspection station listed in § 319.37–14’’ in their place. I b. In paragraph (b)(2), by removing the words ‘‘Plant Germplasm Quarantine Center’’ and adding the words ‘‘National Plant Germplasm Inspection Station’’ in their place. I cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES § 319.75 [Amended] I 15. In §19.75, paragraph (c)(2) is amended by removing the words ‘‘Plant Germplasm Quarantine Center, Building 320’’ and adding the words ‘‘National Plant Germplasm Inspection Station, Building 580’’ in their place; and by removing the words ‘‘at a port of entry designated by an asterisk in § 319.37– 14(b);’’ and adding the words ‘‘through any USDA plant inspection station listed in § 319.37–14;’’ in their place. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:24 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 Plant Inspection Station, 9317 Tradeport Drive, Orlando, FL 32827. Hartsfield Perishable Complex, 1270 Woolman Place, Atlanta, GA 30354. 905 East Sunset Blvd., Tiyan, Barringada, GU 96913. Mailing address: P.O. Box 8769, Tamuning, GU 96931. Honolulu Inspection Station, Honolulu International Airport, 300 Rodgers Blvd., #57, Honolulu, HI 96819–1897. Plant Inspection Station, 900 East Airline Service Road A, Kenner, LA 70063. (Only niger seed may be imported into the Port of Baltimore, after which it may be moved for treatment at a local treatment facility). Frances Krim Memorial Inspection Station, 2500 Brunswick Avenue, Building G, Linden, NJ 07036. Plant Inspection Station, 230–59 International Airport Centers Boulevard, Building C, Suite 100, Room 109, Jamaica, NY 11413. Plant Inspection Station, 150 Central Sector, Building C–2, Warehouse 3, Carolina, PR 00979. Plant Inspection Station, 19581 Lee Road, Humble, TX 77338. Plant Inspection Station, P.O. Drawer Box 393, 100 Los Indios Boulevard, Los Indios, TX 78567. 835 S. 192nd Street, Suite 1600, Sea-Tac, WA 98148. [Amended] LIST OF EXCEPTIONS TO CUSTOMS DESIGNATED PORTS OF ENTRY 16. § 319.75–8 is amended by removing the word ‘‘listed’’ and adding the word ‘‘identified’’ in its place. I State [Reserved] ................. PART 330—FEDERAL PLANT PEST REGULATIONS; GENERAL; PLANT PESTS; SOIL, STONE, AND QUARRY PRODUCTS; GARBAGE 17. The authority citation for part 330 continues to read as follows: I Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701–7772, 7781– 7786, and 8301–8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3. 18. Section 330.104 is amended by revising all of the text after the first sentence to read as follows: I § 330.104 [Reserved] PART 340—INTRODUCTION OF ORGANISMS AND PRODUCTS ALTERED OR PRODUCED THROUGH GENETIC ENGINEERING WHICH ARE PLANT PESTS OR WHICH THERE IS REASON TO BELIEVE ARE PLANT PESTS 19. The authority citation for part 340 continues to read as follows: I Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781– 7786; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3. § 340.4 [Amended] 20. In § 340.4, paragraph (f)(11)(i) is amended by removing the words ‘‘at a port of entry which is designated by an asterisk in 7 CFR 319.37–14(b);’’ and adding the words ‘‘through any USDA plant inspection station listed in § 319.37–14 of this chapter;’’ in their place. I Ports of entry. * * * The ports of entry shall be those named in 19 CFR 101.3(b)(1), except as otherwise provided by administrative instructions or by permits issued in accordance with this part, and except those ports of entry listed below. PO 00000 Port of entry § 340.7 [Amended] 21. In § 340.7, the introductory text of paragraph (b) is amended by removing the words ‘‘at a port of entry designated I Frm 00021 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1 43524 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules and Regulations by an asterisk in 7 CFR 319.37–14(b)’’ and adding the words ‘‘through any USDA plant inspection station listed in § 319.37–14 of this chapter’’ in their place. Done in Washington, DC, this 30th day of July 2007. W. Ron DeHaven, Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. E7–15124 Filed 8–3–07; 8:45 am] Division, Flight Standards Service, Federal Aviation Administration, Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, 6500 South MacArthur Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73169 (Mail Address: P.O. Box 25082, Oklahoma City, OK 73125) telephone: (405) 954–4164. Federal Aviation Administration This amendment to part 95 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 95) amends, suspends, or revokes IFR altitudes governing the operation of all aircraft in flight over a specified route or any portion of that route, as well as the changeover points (COPs) for Federal airways, jet routes, or direct routes as prescribed in part 95. 14 CFR Part 95 The Rule [Docket No. 30564; Amdt. No. 469] The specified IFR altitudes, when used in conjunction with the prescribed changeover points for those routes, ensure navigation aid coverage that is adequate for safe flight operations and free of frequency interference. The reasons and circumstances that create the need for this amendment involve matters of flight safety and operational efficiency in the National Airspace System, are related to published aeronautical charts that are essential to the user, and provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace. In addition, those various reasons or circumstances require making this amendment effective before the next scheduled charting and publication date of the flight information to assure its timely availability to the user. The effective date of this amendment reflects those considerations. In view of the close and immediate relationship between these regulatory changes and safety in air commerce, I find that notice and public procedure before adopting this amendment are impracticable and contrary to the public interest and that good cause exists for making the BILLING CODE 3410–34–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IFR Altitudes; Miscellaneous Amendments Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Final rule. AGENCY: cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with RULES SUMMARY: This amendment adopts miscellaneous amendments to the required IFR (instrument flight rules) altitudes and changeover points for certain Federal airways, jet routes, or direct routes for which a minimum or maximum en route authorized IFR altitude is prescribed. This regulatory action is needed because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace under instrument conditions in the affected areas. DATES: Effective Date: 0901 UTC, August 30, 2007. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald P. Pate, Flight Procedure Standards Branch (AMCAFS–420), Flight Technologies and Programs VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:09 Aug 03, 2007 Jkt 211001 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 amendment effective in less than 30 days. Conclusion The FAA has determined that this regulation only involves an established body of technical regulations for which frequent and routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current. It, therefore—(1) is not a ‘‘significant regulatory action’’ under Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a ‘‘significant rule’’ under DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034; February 26, 1979); and (3) does not warrant preparation of a regulatory evaluation as the anticipated impact is so minimal. For the same reason, the FAA certifies that this amendment will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 95 Airspace, Navigation (air). Issued in Washington, DC, on July 30, 2007. James J. Ballough, Director, Flight Standards Service. Adoption of the Amendment Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, part 95 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 95) is amended as follows effective at 0901 UTC, August 30, 2007. I PART 95—[AMENDED] 1. The authority citation for part 95 continues to read as follows: I Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40103, 40106, 40113, 40114, 40120, 44502, 44514, 44719, 44721. 2. Part 95 is amended to read as follows: I BILLING CODE 4910–13–P E:\FR\FM\06AUR1.SGM 06AUR1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 150 (Monday, August 6, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 43503-43524]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15124]



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Rules and Regulations
                                                Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 150 / Monday, August 6, 2007 / Rules 
and Regulations

[[Page 43503]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

7 CFR Parts 319, 330, and 340

[Docket No. 03-002-3]
RIN 0579-AC51


Importation of Nursery Stock

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are amending the regulations on importing nursery stock to 
eliminate various restrictions on the importation of kenaf seed; to 
establish programs for the importation of approved plants from the 
Canary Islands and from Israel; to require an additional declaration on 
the phytosanitary certificate accompanying blueberry plants imported 
from Canada; to require that phytosanitary certificates include the 
genus names of the restricted articles they accompany, and the species 
names when restrictions apply to species within a genus; to change the 
phytosanitary certificate requirements for several restricted articles; 
to reduce the postentry quarantine growing period for Hydrangea spp.; 
and to update the list of ports of entry and Federal plant inspection 
stations. We are also making several other changes to update and 
clarify the regulations and improve their effectiveness. These changes 
are necessary to relieve restrictions that appear unnecessary, update 
existing provisions, and make the regulations easier to understand and 
implement.

DATES: Effective Date: September 5, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Arnold T. Tschanz, Senior Import 
Specialist, Commodity Import Analysis and Operations, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-5306.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The regulations in 7 CFR part 319 prohibit or restrict the 
importation of certain plants and plant products into the United States 
to prevent the introduction of plant pests. The regulations contained 
in ``Subpart--Nursery Stock, Plants, Roots, Bulbs, Seeds, and Other 
Plant Products,'' Sec. Sec.  319.37 through 319.37-14 (referred to 
below as the regulations), restrict, among other things, the 
importation of living plants, plant parts, and seeds for propagation.
    On December 15, 2005, we published in the Federal Register (70 FR 
74215-74235, Docket No. 03-002-1) a proposal \1\ to make several 
amendments to the nursery stock regulations. We solicited comments 
concerning the proposal for 60 days ending February 13, 2006. We 
reopened and extended the deadline for comments until March 31, 2006, 
in a document published in the Federal Register on February 28, 2006 
(71 FR 9978, Docket No. 03- 002-2). We received 25 comments by that 
date, from 23 commenters, including private citizens, State and local 
governments, industry organizations, individual industry companies, and 
foreign national plant protection organizations. The comments are 
discussed below by topic.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ To view the proposed rule and the comments we received, go 
to https://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/
main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2005-0081.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

General Comments

    Two commenters asked how the proposed rule fits into the ongoing 
revision of the nursery stock regulations, which was first discussed in 
an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) that was published in 
the Federal Register on December 10, 2004 (69 FR 71736-71744, Docket 
No. 03-069-1).
    We are continuing with our efforts to revise the nursery stock 
regulations. As the commenters noted, the revision will take several 
years to fully implement. We anticipate completing the revision in 
stages. As we implement the revisions, we will continue to enforce the 
current regulations. The changes in the proposed rule were designed to 
address specific issues that have arisen as we continue to enforce the 
regulations.
    One commenter expressed concern about the introduction of invasive 
species into the United States via the importation of nursery stock and 
stated that any species of nursery stock being imported into the United 
States should be studied for 1 year prior to importation. The commenter 
also suggested that a tax be imposed on the importation of nursery 
stock to help defray the cost of eradicating invasive species.
    As discussed in the December 2004 ANPR, we are considering whether 
to adopt more restrictive regulations for the importation of nursery 
stock. We may in the future elect to establish regulations that will 
allow us to take a precautionary approach to the importation of species 
that have not been imported before. In response to the commenter's 
second suggestion, APHIS does not have the authority to impose a tax on 
the importation of nursery stock; we are only authorized to charge user 
fees for services we provide.

Definition of From

    The definition of from in Sec.  319.37-1 currently provides that an 
article is considered to be ``from'' any country or locality in which 
it was grown. The current regulations also provide that an article 
imported into Canada from another country or locality shall be 
considered as being solely ``from'' Canada if it is imported into the 
United States directly from Canada after having been grown for at least 
1 year in Canada; has never been grown in a country from which it would 
be a prohibited article or from which it would be subject to special 
foreign inspection, certification, treatment, or other requirements; 
was not grown in a country or locality from which it would be subject 
to postentry quarantine requirements, unless it was grown in Canada 
under postentry growing conditions equivalent to those specified for 
the article in Sec.  319.37-7; and was not imported into Canada in 
growing media.
    We proposed to replace this definition with a new definition of 
from, in order to remove the language that imposed special restrictions 
on the importation of regulated articles from Canada. The proposed 
definition of from read: ``An article is considered to be ``from'' an 
exporting country or area when it was

[[Page 43504]]

grown or propagated only in the exporting country or area, or when it 
was grown in the exporting country or area after it entered the 
exporting country or area from another country or area under conditions 
that are equivalent to those that would be required by the United 
States if the plant were imported into the United States directly from 
any of the countries or areas where the plant was grown prior to its 
entry into the exporting country or area.''
    We received several comments on our proposed definition. Many of 
these commenters were concerned that the proposed definition might 
weaken our protections against the importation of potentially risky 
nursery stock. Three commenters asked us to clarify whether articles 
prohibited from another country would continue to be prohibited even 
after importation to a second country, regardless of the time that the 
articles remained in that country.
    Some commenters expressed concern that the proposed definition 
would be difficult to enforce, since the national plant protection 
organization (NPPO) of an exporting country would have to keep track of 
any plant material that entered its country in case it was reexported 
at some point in the future. Other commenters expressed general concern 
about whether the restrictions on the importation of nursery stock in 
general are adequate to prevent the introduction of plant pests, when 
it can be difficult to determine what pests a plant has been exposed 
to.
    We agree that these commenters have identified significant issues 
with our proposed definition of from. We are withdrawing that proposed 
change in this final rule. We will revisit this issue in a separate 
proposed rule.

Definition of Preclearance

    We proposed to add a definition of preclearance to Sec.  319.37-1. 
The definition we proposed to add is consistent with the definition of 
that term in the International Plant Protection Convention's (IPPC) 
2002 Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms (International Standards for 
Phytosanitary Measures [ISPM] publication number 5).\2\ The proposed 
definition read: ``Phytosanitary certification and/or clearance in the 
country in which the articles were grown, performed by or under the 
regular supervision of APHIS.'' Our intention was to clarify the 
conditions under which sampling and inspection can take place in the 
country of origin in a preclearance program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ ISPMs may be viewed on the World Wide Web at https://
www.ippc.int/IPP/En/default.jsp. Click on the ``Standards'' link on 
the home page to view the ISPMs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    One commenter supported the expression of our intent to provide 
regular supervision in preclearance and asked whether the word 
``regular'' meant that APHIS would supervise at set intervals, rather 
than a random basis.
    We have always provided regular supervision of inspection and 
clearance during preclearance according to the terms of the workplan 
developed between APHIS and the NPPO of the country of origin of the 
precleared articles.\3\ Typically, the workplan requires APHIS' 
participation in preclearance activities, either at set intervals or at 
specific points during the production process for the articles.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ We published in the Federal Register a notice providing 
background information on bilateral workplans on May 10, 2006 (71 FR 
27221-27224, Docket No. APHIS-2005-0085).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Two commenters recommended that preclearance sampling and 
inspection at the production site be one of the main elements of plant 
protection employed by APHIS. These commenters stated that this would 
require a greater commitment to assigning trained personnel to work on 
location, perhaps stationing APHIS employees permanently at foreign 
sites of production.
    We implement preclearance procedures based on the type of 
restricted articles being precleared for importation and the level of 
APHIS involvement we believe is warranted. This may involve, as the 
commenter suggests, stationing APHIS employees permanently at foreign 
sites of production or treatment facilities, or sending APHIS personnel 
to production sites for specific tours of duty to survey and inspect at 
the appropriate times during the production process. It may also 
involve APHIS employees consulting with employees of the NPPO of the 
country of origin regarding standards or requirements for phytosanitary 
certification. For any preclearance program, the details of APHIS 
supervision are specified in the workplan developed between APHIS and 
the NPPO of the country of origin.
    One commenter was concerned that the proposed definition would not 
accommodate a bulb export program currently under development in which 
bulbs would be produced in certified fields in Germany and Poland, thus 
meeting the requirements in Sec.  319.37-5(a), and then moved to the 
Netherlands for processing prior to export. In this program, APHIS 
inspectors would preclear bulbs in the Netherlands, rather than in the 
country of origin of the articles being exported.
    The program the commenter referred to has not yet been approved by 
the parties that would participate in it. If the program is approved, 
we will make any changes to our regulations that may be necessary for 
its implementation.
    We are making one change to our proposed definition of preclearance 
in this final rule. The proposed definition, taken directly from the 
IPPC Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms, referred to APHIS providing 
phytosanitary certification in the country in which an article of 
nursery stock to be imported is grown. However, under our arrangements 
with foreign NPPOs, only the foreign NPPO issues phytosanitary 
certificates; APHIS preclearance officers instead inspect articles to 
ensure that they meet the requirements of the regulations. Therefore, 
in this final rule, we have replaced the reference to phytosanitary 
certification with a reference to phytosanitary inspection.

Plant Protection Act Definitions

    We proposed to add definitions of two terms to the regulations and 
to revise the definitions of three other terms to make those 
definitions consistent with the definitions found in title IV of the 
Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000, known as the Plant Protection 
Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.). One of the terms that we proposed to add 
to the regulations was plant, which we proposed to define, following 
the Plant Protection Act, as: ``Any plant (including any plant part) 
for or capable of propagation, including a tree, a tissue culture, a 
plantlet culture, pollen, a shrub, a vine, a cutting, a graft, a scion, 
a bud, a bulb, a root, and a seed.''
    One commenter recommended that the definition of plant include cell 
cultures in solution.
    The definition includes any plant (including any plant part) for or 
capable of propagation. This category includes cell cultures in 
solution, even though cell cultures in solution are not listed as 
examples of members of the category. (In the definition, the use of the 
term ``includes'' indicates that the list is not exhaustive.) We are 
not changing the proposed definition to include cell cultures in 
solution as an example because we believe it is important for the 
regulations to be consistent with the Plant Protection Act.
    Because the definition of plant that we proposed to add to the 
regulations is broader than the scope of the plants we regulate in the 
nursery stock regulations, we also proposed to add a definition of 
regulated plant to the regulations that would include only

[[Page 43505]]

those plants regulated in the nursery stock regulations. This proposed 
definition read: ``Any gymnosperm, angiosperm, fern, or fern ally. 
Gymnosperms include cycads, conifers, and gingko. Angiosperms include 
any flowering plant. Fern allies include club moss, horsetail, whisk 
fern, spike moss, and quillwort.''
    One commenter asked why the term ``regulated'' was used and stated 
that the proposed definition appeared to be even broader than the 
proposed definition of plant.
    We are using the term ``regulated'' to make it clear that the scope 
of plants included in the nursery stock regulations is limited to the 
plants included in the definition of regulated plant. We believe that 
the meaning of the term ``regulated'' is apparent to most readers of 
the regulations. The definition of regulated plant is narrower in scope 
than the definition of plant; the former excludes nonvascular plants 
such as mosses and green algae, to name two examples.
    We are making one minor change to the proposed definition of 
regulated plant in this final rule. To make the last sentence of the 
definition of regulated plant consistent with the second sentence of 
the definition, we are making the examples in that sentence plural 
rather than singular.
    We also proposed to revise the definition of plant pest to make it 
consistent with the definition of that term in the Plant Protection 
Act. The definition had read: ``The egg, pupal, and larval stages as 
well as any other living stage of: Any insects, mites, nematodes, 
slugs, snails, protozoa, or other invertebrate animals, bacteria, 
fungi, other parasitic plants or reproductive parts thereof, viruses, 
or any organisms similar to or allied with any of the foregoing, or any 
infectious substances, which can directly or indirectly injure or cause 
disease or damage in any plants or parts thereof, or any processed, 
manufactured, or other products of plants.'' We proposed to revise it 
to read: ``Any living stage of any of the following that can directly 
or indirectly injure, cause damage to, or cause disease in any plant or 
plant product: A protozoan, a nonhuman animal, a parasitic plant, a 
bacterium, a fungus, a virus or viroid, an infectious agent or other 
pathogen, or any article similar to or allied with any of these 
articles.''
    One commenter noted that the proposed definition, which included 
nonhuman animals, was broader in scope than the previous definition, 
which only included invertebrate animals.
    Again, our intention in revising the definition of plant pest was 
to make that definition consistent with the definition of that term in 
the Plant Protection Act. We have no intention of broadening the scope 
of the pests we regulate or issue permits for at this time.
    We are making one other minor change to the Plant Protection Act-
derived definitions we proposed. Like the current definition of 
regulated article, the definition of regulated article in the December 
2005 proposed rule began: ``Any class of nursery stock or other 
regulated plant, root, bulb, seed, or other plant product * * *'' The 
words ``class of nursery stock or other'' are redundant, and we are 
removing them in this final rule.

Plants In Vitro

    We proposed to remove several restrictions on plants in vitro. The 
IPPC's 2002 Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms defines plants in vitro as 
``plants in an aseptic medium in a closed container.'' Specifically:
     We proposed to amend Sec.  319.37-3(a)(5) of the 
regulations to exempt shipments of plants in vitro from the requirement 
that lots of 13 or more articles offered for importation into the 
United States must be accompanied by a written permit issued by a Plant 
Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) inspector. This exemption would not 
apply if importation of the plants is restricted or prohibited 
elsewhere in the nursery stock regulations. This would also mean that 
plants in vitro could enter the United States at any port of entry 
authorized in 7 CFR part 330 for articles not required to be imported 
under a written permit.
     We also proposed to amend Sec.  319.37-4(a) of the 
regulations to exempt plants in vitro from the requirement that 
restricted articles offered for importation into the United States be 
accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin, 
unless their importation is restricted or prohibited elsewhere in the 
nursery stock regulations. These changes would make plants in vitro 
whose importation is not otherwise restricted or prohibited generally 
admissible into the United States.
    To accomplish these changes, we proposed to add a definition of 
plants in vitro to the regulations in Sec.  319.37-1. The proposed 
definition was identical to the IPPC definition quoted above.
    Six commenters recommended that we not proceed with these proposed 
changes. The commenters focused on the fact that plants in vitro pose 
an extremely low risk only if they are produced from plants that have 
been determined to be free of plant pests and carefully monitored 
throughout the production process to ensure their continued freedom 
from plant pests. Along these lines, one commenter stated that some 
fastidious and cryptic organisms can survive the process if the source 
plant is infected. The commenter cited Odontoglossum ring spot virus 
and Cymbidium mosaic virus in orchids as good examples. This commenter 
further stated that the fact that a plant is growing in aseptic 
conditions does not imply that it is free of foliar nematodes. Other 
commenters noted that the proposed regulations placed no conditions on 
the importation of plants in vitro other than being imported in an 
aseptic medium; under the proposed regulations, there would be no way 
to verify that the proper production practices had been followed, or to 
trace the plants back to their production site if they proved to be 
affected by plant pests. Two commenters stated that plants in vitro 
should be generally admissible, but only if they are produced in 
accordance with a general clean stock program, as described in the 
December 2004 ANPR.
    Based on these comments, we are withdrawing the proposed changes 
that would have made plants in vitro generally admissible. They will 
continue to be subject to the permit and phytosanitary certificate 
requirements. We agree with the commenters who stated that plants in 
vitro produced in a program designed to ensure pest freedom would pose 
an extremely low risk of introducing a quarantine pest into the United 
States. We are considering developing such a program and adding it to 
the regulations. However, in order to verify that producers of plants 
in vitro comply with the requirements of such a program, we would need 
to require that articles produced in such a program be accompanied by a 
phytosanitary certificate.
    One commenter recommended that APHIS allow the importation of 
plants in vitro even if the importation of their genus or species is 
otherwise prohibited.
    This may be possible if the plants are produced in accordance with 
a program of the type described above. We will consider this issue as 
part of our deliberation on whether to develop such a program.
    In a related matter, we proposed to amend Sec.  319.37-8(c) of the 
regulations, which had stated: ``A restricted article growing solely in 
agar or in other transparent or translucent tissue culture medium may 
be imported established in

[[Page 43506]]

such growing media.'' We proposed to remove the requirement that the 
growing medium be transparent or translucent in order to allow the use 
of charcoal in the growing medium. Charcoal is commonly used by 
importers of plants in vitro as a detoxifying agent; if it is used as 
an additive in growing media, it will still be easy to determine 
whether the growing media meets the aseptic standard prescribed in the 
definition of plants in vitro, because any bacteria in the growing 
media would quickly reproduce and form a large mass. Therefore, we 
proposed to revise this paragraph to read: ``Plants in vitro may be 
imported in their growing media.''
    Two commenters specifically addressed this issue, noting that our 
statement that bacteria in media would ``quickly reproduce and form a 
large mass'' assumes that the growing requirements in the regulations 
related to plant-associated bacteria are met when plants are produced 
in in vitro media. The commenters stated that this is not the case.
    The regulations do not contain any general requirements for plants 
produced in in vitro media. The previous requirement was intended to 
aid inspection of plants grown and imported in their growing media. If 
we become aware of any specific risks related to the importation of 
certain plants in growing media, we will amend the regulations 
accordingly to address those specific risks. However, as a general 
requirement, we believe the use of growing media with a charcoal 
additive will still allow for effective inspection of the growing media 
upon importation, for the reasons stated in the proposed rule. We are 
making no changes to the proposed rule in response to this comment.
    Because we are not adding a definition of plants in vitro to the 
regulations at this time, we need to revise our proposed wording. This 
final rule therefore modifies paragraph (c) of Sec.  319.37-8 to read: 
`` A restricted article growing solely in agar or in other tissue 
culture medium may be imported established in such growing media.''

Genus and Species Name on Phytosanitary Certificates

    The regulations in Sec.  319.37-4(a) currently require that any 
restricted article offered for importation into the United States be 
accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate of inspection, with certain 
exceptions. We proposed to additionally require that the phytosanitary 
certificate include the genus and species name of the restricted 
article that it accompanies.
    Several commenters stated that the proposed requirement did not 
make any allowance for plants gathered on plant exploration research 
expeditions, where species data may not be available; unnamed, recently 
discovered species; or interspecific or intergeneric hybrids, including 
naturally occurring seedlings from unknown parents. One of these 
commenters suggested that instead we use the language in the IPPC's 
ISPM No. 12, ``Guidelines for Phytosanitary Certificates,'' which 
recommends that plants and plant products be identified on a 
phytosanitary certificate using accepted scientific names, at least to 
genus level but preferably to the species level. Another commenter 
suggested allowing the cultivar name of a plant to be provided as an 
alternative to the species name. One commenter suggested establishing a 
system through which plants whose taxonomic information was unknown 
could be imported under permit, with monitoring of the destination and 
disposal of the material.
    Other commenters opposed the change entirely. Two commenters asked 
why it was necessary to require species information to be listed in 
cases when our restrictions are applied at the genus level. Two other 
commenters stated that many genera of certain plant types can have 
dozens of species. These commenters expressed concern that the need for 
NPPO inspection staff to verify all plants in a consignment to the 
species level will cause unnecessary delays in the inspection and 
consequently the shipping process and will detract from the inspector's 
primary objective to detect and identify diseases and insect pests. One 
of these commenters also expressed concern that use of the species name 
might cause identification errors that could result in delays when 
restricted articles are offered for importation. The commenters 
requested that the proposal be amended to require that only those 
species that have special requirements or are regulated by the 
Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species should be 
identified on the phytosanitary certificates by both genus and species.
    We agree with the commenters who stated that we need to provide for 
situations in which the species name is not known, and we understand 
the burden that listing species names can impose. However, some 
requirements in the regulations place restrictions on specific species 
or cultivars within a genus; for example, the regulations in Sec.  
319.37-5(b) restrict the importation of certain species within the 
genus Prunus based on whether they are immune to plum pox virus, and 
the regulations in Sec.  319.37-2(a) prohibit the importation of 
Berberis spp. except for species and cultivars that have been 
designated as resistant to black stem rust. Inspectors enforcing such 
regulations need to be able to quickly distinguish what species or 
cultivar is being offered for importation in order to determine whether 
the plants meet the requirements in the regulations.
    To ensure that inspectors have the information they need while 
accommodating the need for exceptions when species data are not 
available, we have changed the proposed requirement in this final rule. 
Instead of requiring that the genus and species name of a restricted 
article offered for importation be included on the phytosanitary 
certificate accompanying that article, this final rule requires that, 
when the regulations place restrictions on individual species or 
cultivars within a genus, the phytosanitary certificate must also 
identify the species or cultivar of the article it accompanies. 
Otherwise, identification of the species is strongly preferred, but not 
required. In cases in which species is not known, the phytosanitary 
certificate may identify the cultivar name of the restricted article it 
accompanies, except where the regulations place restrictions on 
individual species.
    Further, we are requiring that intergeneric and interspecific 
hybrids be designated by placing the multiplication sign ``x'' between 
the names of the parent taxa. If the hybrid is named, the 
multiplication sign may instead be placed before the name of an 
intergeneric hybrid or before the epithet in the name of an 
interspecific hybrid.
    We are not making an exception in the phytosanitary certificate 
regulations for unnamed or unknown articles, as the information we have 
indicates that they have been imported extremely infrequently. Persons 
wishing to import unnamed or unknown articles into the United States 
are encouraged to contact PPQ's Permit Unit for information about 
importing such articles through a departmental permit. This would allow 
the unnamed or unknown articles to be imported for identification or 
research purposes, similar to the conditions described by one of the 
commenters.
    The regulations in this final rule indicate that we strongly prefer 
that species be listed on the phytosanitary certificate, even when 
listing species is not required. We continue to request this 
information for data-gathering purposes. We need to know the number, 
size, and volume of imports of nursery stock in order to better assess 
what overall risks presented by plants for

[[Page 43507]]

planting need to be better addressed. This effort is part of the Q-37 
revision mentioned earlier in this document. In addition, requesting 
that species information be entered where known is consistent with IPPC 
guidelines, as discussed earlier.
    In discussing this change, the preamble of the proposed rule stated 
that ``having the genus and species name available would allow 
inspectors to easily identify restricted articles presented for 
importation and thus better assess any risks that may be associated 
with their importation.'' One commenter stated that a risk assessment 
should be performed prior to importation of the articles in question, 
unless it is meant to give the individual inspector a management tool 
to make a selection of the products presented for importation.
    As the commenter stated, our inspectors are not conducting risk 
assessments at the ports; rather, they make decisions about how to 
apply the regulations, which are the result of risk assessments. The 
phytosanitary certificates that have accompanied restricted articles 
may not have enough information to allow an inspector to determine what 
restrictions apply to its importation in cases where restrictions apply 
to species or cultivars within a genus. The proposed change was 
intended to address this problem. We appreciate the opportunity to 
clarify this point.
    One commenter, addressing the fact that we need data on which 
species are imported to further our efforts to revise the nursery stock 
regulations, stated that the data should be obtained from forms other 
than the phytosanitary certificate.
    The Paperwork Reduction Act obligates us to minimize paperwork 
burden on stakeholders; requiring genus and species data to be 
submitted on a different form would be an unjustifiable duplicate 
paperwork burden. We are making no further changes to the proposed rule 
in response to these comments.

Phytosanitary Certificates for Bulbs From the Netherlands

    We proposed to amend paragraph Sec.  319.37-4(a) of the 
regulations, which requires that most restricted articles imported into 
the United States be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate, to 
allow small individual shipments of bulbs from the Netherlands to enter 
with a special certificate related to a phytosanitary certificate. The 
special certificate would list a serial number that would refer to a 
phytosanitary certificate held by the NPPO of the Netherlands. The 
special certificate would also list the scientific name of the bulb, 
the bulbs' country of origin, and an expiration date after which the 
special certificate could no longer be used in lieu of a phytosanitary 
certificate. We proposed that the expiration date for the special 
certificates would be 4 weeks after the issuance of the phytosanitary 
certificate held by the NPPO of the Netherlands.
    Commercial shipments of bulbs from the Netherlands must be 
precleared for entry into the United States by a PPQ inspector. In 
addition, under Sec.  319.37-5(a), all bulbs imported from the 
Netherlands must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an 
additional declaration that the bulbs offered for importation were 
grown on land that has been sampled and microscopically inspected by 
the plant protection organization of the Netherlands and found to be 
free from the potato cyst nematodes Globodera rostochiensis (Woll.) 
Behrens and G. pallida (Stone) Behrens within the past 12 months.
    The proposed special certificate would accompany small individual 
shipments of bulbs imported into the United States in passenger 
baggage; the special certificate would be easier for individuals to 
obtain than a full phytosanitary certificate. The clearance process at 
the port of entry would continue to serve as an additional mitigation 
against the risk of introduction of nematodes into the United States.
    One commenter was concerned that, while the special certificate 
would be linked to a phytosanitary certificate issued, held, and 
retrievable upon request by the NPPO of the Netherlands, the proposed 
regulations did not contain any provisions linking the bulbs imported 
under the special certificate to the requirements of Sec.  319.37-5(a). 
Thus, the commenter stated, bulbs imported under the proposed special 
certificate might have originated in someone's backyard. Two other 
commenters stated that the proliferation of special certificates could 
allow these documents to be misused and thus increase the risk of 
introduction of potato cyst nematodes into the United States.
    All bulbs imported from the Netherlands are subject to the 
requirements in Sec.  319.37-5(a). Special certificates would be 
assigned to lots of bulbs inspected and certified under the 
phytosanitary certificate issued for that particular lot as part of the 
preclearance process. A phytosanitary certificate would not be issued 
for a lot of bulbs unless the bulbs in the lot meet all the 
requirements in the regulations for importation into the United States. 
The special certificates will serve as an indication that the bulbs 
have been inspected and certified, and they will be related to a 
specific phytosanitary certificate in all cases. Any fraud committed 
using the special certificates would be investigated by APHIS' 
Investigation and Enforcement Services.
    We do not believe it would be prudent to specifically refer to 
Sec.  319.37-5(a) in the regulations governing the issuance and use of 
the special certificates, as the phytosanitary certification 
requirements for bulbs from the Netherlands may change over time and 
thus may be contained in different sections of the regulations. We are 
making no changes to the proposed rule in response to these comments.
    One commenter cited high rejection rates in recent years for 
shipments of bulbs from the Netherlands and stated that using special 
certificates would not be advisable if the phytosanitary certificates 
were already suspect.
    Our records do not indicate high rejection rates either for bulbs 
that are inspected and precleared in the Netherlands or for bulbs from 
the Netherlands that have been inspected and released at a U.S. port of 
entry. Bulbs entering the United States with a special certificate 
would have been inspected by the NPPO of the Netherlands. The special 
certificate indicates that the bulbs have been inspected and a 
phytosanitary certificate was issued for the lot of bulbs. The special 
certificate is traceable to the actual phytosanitary certificate on 
file in the Netherlands. These bulbs would also be subject to 
inspection when the passenger arrives at a United States port of entry. 
If there are phytosanitary problems with bulbs under the special 
certificate, we would notify the NPPO of the Netherlands for corrective 
action.
    One commenter, the Netherlands NPPO, stated that the proposed 
program agreed to by APHIS and the Netherlands NPPO had specified that 
the special certificates would be valid for 6 weeks, rather than 4.
    The commenter is correct, and we have made that change in this 
final rule.
    The Netherlands NPPO also stated that it and APHIS had agreed to a 
workplan that states that no phytosanitary certificates, either 
originals or copies, will accompany shipments of bulbs that have been 
precleared in the Netherlands; they are given to the APHIS inspector in 
the Netherlands or mailed to APHIS offices. However, the language in 
Sec.  319.37-5(a) states that the phytosanitary certificate must 
accompany the bulbs ``at the time of arrival at the port of first 
arrival in the

[[Page 43508]]

United States,'' which contradicts the workplan.
    The commenter is correct that the specific language ``at the time 
of arrival at the port of first arrival in the United States'' would 
not allow the program to work as proposed. We are removing that 
language from Sec.  319.37-5(a) in this final rule. The phytosanitary 
requirements in Sec.  319.37-5(a) will remain otherwise unchanged.
    One commenter expressed concern that the current preclearance 
program for bulbs from the Netherlands only addresses the specific 
nematode pests cited earlier. The commenter stated that imported bulbs 
can carry other pests that are of concern to nurseries, commercial 
flower growers, State departments of agriculture, and industries other 
than the nursery industry. The commenter cited Ditylenchus dipsaci and 
D. destructor as two pests that are of concern to the potato industry 
and that are regulated by some State departments of agriculture. The 
commenter urged APHIS to expend more effort on ensuring that regulated 
nonquarantine pests are not imported into the United States via bulbs 
and other nursery stock.
    At this time, APHIS has not identified any regulated nonquarantine 
pests and has not established regulations for their official control. 
In order for APHIS to restrict the importation of regulated 
nonquarantine pests under the IPPC, we would have to identify regulated 
nonquarantine pests (including providing scientific justification for 
regulating them) and establish official control mechanisms. We have not 
yet done so. We are considering whether to develop procedures for 
identifying such pests and whether to establish regulations to control 
their importation. We cannot take any action against regulated 
nonquarantine pests in this final rule.

Importation of Certain Seeds From Canada

    We proposed to add a new paragraph (d) to Sec.  319.37-4 of the 
regulations to allow seed exported from Canada that meets certain 
conditions to be imported into the United States without a 
phytosanitary certificate. To be eligible for this exemption, Canadian 
exporters of seed would have to register with and participate in a seed 
export program that would be established by the Canadian Food 
Inspection Agency (CFIA).
    One commenter asked whether Canada would establish a similar 
program to allow U.S. seed to be exported to Canada without a 
phytosanitary certificate.
    We evaluated the Canadian request for a seed export program on the 
basis of whether such importation would increase the risk of 
introducing a seed-borne plant pest into the United States. Our 
evaluation concluded that, under the conditions specified in the 
proposal, the absence of a phytosanitary certificate would not increase 
that risk. Whether Canada would reciprocate was not a subject of our 
evaluation.
    One commenter asked whether imposing these requirements on the 
importation of Canadian seed was unlawful discrimination against 
Canadian seed exports.
    This change liberalizes trade by removing the requirement for a 
phytosanitary certificate while providing other conditions that 
maintain phytosanitary security. We proposed this change at the request 
of the Canadian NPPO, so we are assuming that they do not believe that 
this change discriminates against seed exports from their country. 
Canadian seed exporters still have the option of obtaining a 
phytosanitary certificate for each shipment they export to the United 
States.
    One commenter, the Canadian NPPO, requested that the United States 
exempt small shipments of commercially packaged seed from all 
phytosanitary requirements to facilitate their export to the United 
States. The commenter stated that the risk presented by such packages 
should be minimal due to the small quantity of seeds being shipped 
under such an exemption.
    We have not previously received a proposal for such an exemption, 
and we cannot make such a change without giving the public an 
opportunity to comment on it. We are making no changes in response to 
this comment. We will note that such a change would be inconsistent 
with the regulations that set out conditions for importing small lots 
of seed without a phytosanitary certificate, which we established in a 
final rule published in the Federal Register on April 13, 2006 (71 FR 
19097-19102, Docket No. 02-119-2).
    Related to the rule establishing conditions for the importation of 
small lots of seed without a phytosanitary certificate, we are making 
one change to the proposed rule text in this final rule. We had 
proposed to add the Canadian seed program in a new paragraph (d) in 
Sec.  319.37-4. Since the publication of the proposed rule, the final 
rule establishing conditions under which small lots of seed may be 
imported without a phytosanitary certificate added a new paragraph (d) 
to Sec.  319.37-4 that sets out those conditions. Accordingly, this 
final rule adds the Canadian seed program in a new paragraph (e). We 
have also made minor adjustments to the language in proposed paragraph 
(a) to reflect this change.

Blueberry Plants From Canada

    We proposed to add a new paragraph Sec.  319.37-5(t) to the 
regulations to require that phytosanitary certificates that accompany 
Vaccinium corymbosum (blueberry) plants that are imported from Canada 
must contain an additional declaration stating that the plants are free 
of blueberry scorch carlavirus.
    Blueberry scorch carlavirus causes blueberry scorch disease, the 
primary symptom of which is blighting of both flowers and new 
vegetative growth at peak bloom. Blighted blossoms fail to produce 
fruit, and infected plants in general are less vigorous than healthy 
plants. Bushes, once infected, may show symptoms each year. Initially, 
only one or few branches may have blighted flowers and leaves, but 
after a few years the entire bush may show symptoms.
    We proposed to require this additional declaration on the 
phytosanitary certificate accompanying V. corymbosum plants because 
virulent strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus have been found that 
exist only in Canada.
    One commenter stated that other plants can serve as hosts of 
blueberry scorch carlavirus, including huckleberry and cranberry 
plants.
    We agree with this commenter. In this final rule, we are expanding 
the scope of the additional declaration requirement to include all 
Vaccinium spp., not just V. corymbosum.
    One commenter asked us to change the proposed regulations so that 
they stated that the declaration of freedom has to be based on annual 
testing of the ``mother'' plants used for propagation rather than just 
visual inspection. Another commenter addressed the same issue in noting 
that the virus has a 2-year latent period.
    We agree with these commenters. In this final rule, we are 
requiring that Vaccinium spp. from Canada be grown in an approved 
certification program for blueberry scorch carlavirus. APHIS would 
evaluate certification programs for blueberry scorch carlavirus upon 
request.
    One commenter pointed out an inconsistency in our proposal: The 
proposed declaration applied broadly to all strains of blueberry scorch 
carlavirus, but the preamble to the proposed rule expressed concern 
about specific virulent strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus that 
have been found only in Canada. The commenter

[[Page 43509]]

asserted that restricting importation for all strains of the virus is 
not justified, as some strains of the virus are also found in the 
United States and are not under official control.
    We agree with this comment. In this final rule, we are requiring 
that Vaccinium spp. imported into the United States be grown in an 
approved certification program and tested free of only the BC-1 and BC-
2 strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus. Canadian government 
information indicates that these strains are distinct from the 
Northwest strain (present in the States of Oregon and Washington) and 
the East Coast strain (first identified in New Jersey and present in 
that and some surrounding States).\4\ To our knowledge, the BC-1 and 
BC-2 strains are not present in the United States. These strains are 
more aggressive than the strains that are present in the United States, 
having infected approximately 30 percent of blueberry production fields 
in British Columbia since 2000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ See https://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/blsv.htm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    With these changes, paragraph (t) of Sec.  319.37-5 reads as 
follows in this final rule: ``For any Vaccinium spp. plants from 
Canada, the phytosanitary certificate of inspection required by Sec.  
319.37-4 must contain an additional declaration that the articles were 
produced in an approved certification program and found by the national 
plant protection organization of Canada to be free of the BC-1 and BC-2 
strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus.''
    In practice, these requirements will likely mean that Vaccinium 
spp. imported from Canada will be free of all strains of blueberry 
scorch carlavirus, not just the BC-1 and BC-2 strains, as testing for 
specific strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus is time- and resource-
intensive. However, if Vaccinium spp. from Canada were tested for 
specific strains and found to be infected with strains of blueberry 
scorch carlavirus other than BC-1 and BC-2, we would allow their 
importation.
    Two commenters stated that the movement of blueberry plants between 
Canada and the United States, in both directions, is common and has 
occurred for many years. The commenters stated that the fields of 
blueberry in the Canadian province of British Columbia that are known 
to be infected are just one-quarter mile north of the Canada-United 
States border. Because the virus is spread through the movement of 
virus-carrying aphids as well as through the movement of propagative 
materials, these commenters asserted that any regulations to restrict 
movement are unwarranted.
    One of these commenters stated that the CFIA has conducted 
extensive surveying in the province of British Columbia; additional 
surveying would be required in suspect U.S. States to determine the 
true range of these new strains of the virus. The other stated that the 
commenter's organization was unaware of a risk assessment or national 
survey having been conducted by the United States to determine whether 
the strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus that are of concern are 
present in the United States.
    While blueberry plants have moved between Canada and the United 
States, their importation into the United States has also been subject 
in many cases to State regulations that require them to be free of 
blueberry scorch carlavirus. (As one of these commenters noted, the 
British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Lands has worked with the 
State departments of agriculture in Oregon and Washington to develop a 
certification program for the propagation of blueberry plants based on 
testing and isolation.) Surveys that have been conducted at the State 
level in the United States have not detected the BC-1 or BC-2 strains 
of blueberry scorch carlavirus. We will continue to survey for these 
strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus, and we will revisit our 
regulations if either of the BC-1 or BC-2 strains is detected in the 
United States. We recognize that aphids can transport the virus across 
the U.S.-Canada border, but this transport is only in the immediate 
area of the border. Infected Vaccinium spp. plants are the principal 
means of long-distance spread to the major U.S. blueberry-producing 
areas. We believe restrictions on the importation of Vaccinium spp. 
from Canada are justified to prevent the introduction of the BC-1 and 
BC-2 strains of blueberry scorch carlavirus into the United States. We 
are making no changes in response to these comments.
    One commenter noted that Vaccinium spp. can serve as hosts for 
Phytophthora ramorum (sudden oak death) and asked that we not overlook 
P. ramorum in promulgating restrictions on the importation of Vaccinium 
spp.
    We are developing a separate interim rule that will place 
restrictions on the importation of Vaccinium spp. due to the presence 
of P. ramorum in certain countries. Temporary, emergency restrictions 
are already in place to prevent the introduction of P. ramorum in 
imported host plants.
    One commenter asked that APHIS expand the regulations to include 
restrictions to prevent the introduction of other blueberry diseases, 
such as blueberry shock virus.
    Blueberry shock virus is present in the United States, and we do 
not have an official program to control its spread; therefore, we would 
not be justified in placing restrictions on the importation of 
blueberries to prevent its introduction. We are not currently aware of 
any blueberry diseases that are not present in the United States and 
that are present in other countries from which the United States 
imports blueberries that are not already addressed in the regulations. 
We welcome suggestions regarding other blueberry diseases that may be 
appropriate for us to address in the regulations.

Programs for Importation of Approved Plants From the Canary Islands and 
From Israel

    We proposed to add new paragraphs (u) and (v) to Sec.  319.37-5 to 
establish programs to govern the importation of approved plants from 
the Canary Islands of Spain and from Israel, respectively. Under this 
proposal, the NPPO of the country of origin, the growers in the country 
of origin, and APHIS would jointly implement safeguards to ensure that 
the relevant quarantine pests are not present in shipments of approved 
plants. In the case of the Canary Islands, the approved plants would be 
Pelargonium (geranium) spp., and the pests of concern are Helicoverpa 
armigera, the cotton bollworm; Chrysodeixis chalcites, the tomato 
looper; and Syngrapha circumflexa (syn. Cornutiplusia circumflexa).\5\ 
In the case of Israel, all plants except bulbs, dormant perennials, and 
seeds that are imported into the United States would be required to be 
imported under this program. The main pest of concern in Israel is 
Spodoptera littoralis, the Egyptian cotton leafworm, although other 
quarantine pests are found in Israel and must be excluded from 
shipments of plants imported under this program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ The proposed rule referred to this pest as Cornutiplusia 
circumflexa. We have since determined that its proper name is 
Syngrapha circumflexa, and we have updated the final rule 
accordingly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Four commenters were concerned that the pests listed in these 
proposed programs did not include Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 
2 (potato brown rot), a bacterial disease for which APHIS has 
established regulations in Sec.  319.37-5(r). One of these commenters 
asked APHIS to amend the proposed regulations to indicate that the R. 
solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 regulations in Sec.  319.37-5(r) 
superseded

[[Page 43510]]

the proposed regulations. Two of these commenters also stated that 
quarantine-significant potato cyst nematodes and other exotic cyst-
forming nematodes occur in the Canary Islands and Israel. These 
commenters expressed hope that the phytosanitary requirements for 
export of Pelargonium spp. and other plants to the United States also 
include rigorous exclusionary measures to prevent the contamination of 
plants and packing material with cysts of these nematode pests. Another 
commenter asked if there were any other pests of concern associated 
with the importation of these plants from the Canary Islands and 
Israel.
    The importation of Pelargonium spp. from the Canary Islands and 
from Israel is subject to all requirements in the nursery stock 
regulations; none of the regulations in the nursery stock subpart 
supersede each other, and all must be complied with in order to import 
nursery stock into the United States. The proposed regulatory text 
stated that the importation of plants from the Canary Islands and from 
Israel would be subject to the requirements of ``this section,'' i.e., 
Sec.  319.37-5, which includes the requirements in paragraph (r) of 
Sec.  319.37-5 as well as the proposed requirements.
    Both Spain and Israel are countries where R. solanacearum race 3 
biovar 2 is not known to occur. If R. solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 was 
detected in these countries, we would enforce the regulations in Sec.  
319.37-5(r)(3) as well as the relevant regulations elsewhere in Sec.  
319.37-5. Similarly, plants imported from the Canary Islands and Israel 
would have to meet all other applicable requirements in the 
regulations, including any restrictions based on the presence of potato 
cyst nematodes in those countries. We would ensure that all relevant 
requirements would be met in the workplan that APHIS develops with the 
NPPO of the country of origin and, if necessary, the grower. All 
nursery stock imported under these programs will be inspected at a USDA 
plant inspection station, and appropriate action will be taken if a 
quarantine pest is found.
    One commenter was concerned about the level of APHIS involvement in 
the proposed programs. The commenter cited proposed provisions in which 
APHIS would inspect and approve production sites and packing materials 
and proposed provisions in which APHIS, along with the NPPO of the 
country of origin, would monitor compliance with the program 
requirements and decide whether to reinstate growers who had violated 
those requirements. The commenter referred to the text of the IPPC \6\ 
and stated that Articles IV and V.2 of that document grant 
responsibility for performing such tasks solely to the NPPO of the 
country in which production of the exported articles takes place. The 
commenter stated that, apart from very specific risk situations, the 
monitoring of programs in the exporting country should solely be the 
responsibility of the exporting country's NPPO. The commenter 
considered the proposed involvement of APHIS to present an unnecessary 
and unjustified interference with the exporting countries' 
responsibilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ The text of the IPPC may be viewed on the Internet at 
https://www.ippc.int/IPP/En/default.jsp. Click on the ``Convention 
text'' link under ``Convention'' on the home page to view the IPPC.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Both the Canary Islands program and the Israel program have been 
proposed because the high-risk plant pests addressed by these programs 
were frequently intercepted at U.S. ports of entry in shipments of 
plants from the Canary Islands and Israel. Because these programs have 
been agreed to by the relevant parties, and specifically because the 
foreign NPPOs involved have agreed that APHIS labor is necessary to 
help administer the programs, we do not believe that it would be 
appropriate to change the programs at this point. If, in the future, 
the foreign NPPOs wish to assume a more active role, we will entertain 
discussions with them regarding roles and responsibilities.
    We received three comments specifically addressing the trust funds 
that we proposed to require as a means of funding APHIS involvement in 
these programs. One commenter supported our proposed use of the trust 
funds. Another commenter was concerned that other countries have begun 
requiring similar trust funds for commodities exported from the United 
States to those countries, and suggested that we think about other cost 
recovery mechanisms. A third commenter stated that the proposed rule 
may lead to substantial increase in the costs for the export of plant 
material to the United States, as there would be additional expenses 
for bilateral cooperation and the involvement of APHIS experts. As a 
consequence, this commenter stated, only large companies that can 
afford the additional financial and administrative burden for such a 
program may be able to export plant material to the United States in 
the future. This development would be in contrast to the IPPC 
requirement that importing countries take the least restrictive 
measures possible in order to reach a minimum impediment to the 
international movement of commodities. In addition, the commenter 
questioned why the costs would have to be paid in advance.
    The trust fund requirement is common practice under many other 
APHIS import regulations that require APHIS to assist in certification 
(e.g., importing Pelargonium spp. and Solanum spp. from areas where R. 
solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 is known to exist under Sec.  319.37-5(r), 
or importing Hass avocados from Mexico for consumption under Sec.  
319.56-2ff). The trust fund is intended to ensure that the government 
of the country in which the articles are produced or its designated 
representative bears the costs of monitoring and inspection, rather 
than U.S. taxpayers. (The government of the country in which the 
articles are produced is, of course, free to pass this cost on to 
production sites producing plants for export to the United States.)
    Given that the NPPOs for the Canary Islands and Israel have agreed 
that APHIS involvement is necessary to ensure that plants exported from 
those countries are free of quarantine pests, we believe that we are in 
fact requiring the least restrictive measures possible. Requiring that 
APHIS subsidize the production of plants grown in foreign countries for 
export to the United States by providing its labor free of charge 
would, we believe, be a misallocation of APHIS' limited resources.
    The commenter asking us to consider other cost recovery mechanisms 
did not suggest any alternatives. Of the options for cost recovery we 
have considered, we have determined that the trust fund is the simplest 
and most direct means of cost recovery. We are making no changes to the 
proposed rule in response to these comments.

Kenaf Seed From Mexico

    We proposed to allow kenaf seed from Mexico to be imported into 
pink bollworm generally infested areas in the United States without 
treatment. Under the current regulations in Sec.  319.37-6(a), seeds of 
Hibiscus spp. (hibiscus, rose mallow) from any foreign country or 
locality, at the time of importation into the United States, must be 
treated for possible infestation with Pectinophora gossypiella 
(Saunders) (pink bollworm) in accordance with the applicable provisions 
of 7 CFR part 305.
    However, the movement of untreated kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) seed 
from Mexico into pink bollworm generally infested areas of the United 
States (listed under our domestic pink bollworm quarantine and 
regulations in 7 CFR 301.52-2a, and currently the States of Arizona, 
New Mexico, and

[[Page 43511]]

Texas, and several counties in California) would pose little or no risk 
of increasing the area of pink bollworm infestation. Under our domestic 
pink bollworm quarantine regulations in Sec.  301.52, these generally 
infested areas are quarantined to prevent the spread of pink bollworm, 
and kenaf seed is a regulated article under Sec.  301.52(b) that may 
not be moved interstate from any quarantined area except under the 
conditions described in Sec.  301.52-3.
    We proposed that kenaf seed from Mexico imported into pink bollworm 
generally infested areas would be subject to inspection, and, 
immediately upon release, would be subject to the domestic pink 
bollworm quarantine regulations in Sec. Sec.  301.52 through 301.52-10, 
Subpart--Pink Bollworm.
    Two commenters asked whether APHIS could allow Mexican kenaf seed 
to be imported into pink bollworm generally infested areas without 
allowing other kenaf seed from other countries to be imported into 
those areas as well.
    As we stated in the proposal, we have reviewed the pests associated 
with kenaf seed in Mexico and found that the pink bollworm is the only 
pest of concern. We would provide similar treatment for kenaf seed 
imports from other countries only if it could be determined that the 
pink bollworm is the only pest of concern associated with kenaf seed in 
those countries as well and that the seed could be imported directly 
into the generally infested areas.
    Two commenters stated that the proposal appeared to indicate that 
APHIS has domestic regulations that could allow the distribution of 
pink bollworm on kenaf seed. These commenters suggest that we first 
correct what appeared to them to be permissive domestic regulations 
prior to allowing the importation of kenaf seed into the United States 
from Mexico. The commenters asserted that there is no guarantee that 
potentially infested kenaf seed would not be moved to areas free of the 
pink bollworm.
    We would only allow the importation of untreated kenaf seed from 
Mexico into generally infested areas for pink bollworm. In the 
generally infested areas, we are not pursuing eradication of pink 
bollworm. Instead, we have placed restrictions on the interstate 
movement of commodities whose movement could spread pink bollworm from 
generally infested areas to areas where we are pursuing eradication of 
pink bollworm or areas where pink bollworm is not known to occur. Once 
Mexican kenaf seed enters the United States, it would be subject to the 
domestic pink bollworm regulations. These regulations are designed to 
prevent the movement of potentially infested kenaf seed, whether it has 
originated in a foreign country or domestically, from generally 
infested areas unless it is moved under conditions that would prevent 
the spread of pink bollworm, as listed in Sec.  301.52-4(a). Any 
violations would be investigated by APHIS' Investigation and 
Enforcement Services. We are making no changes to the proposed 
regulations in response to these comments.
    We also proposed to reorganize the regulations in Sec.  319.37-6 
into a table. The proposed table had one row for each of the six 
paragraphs in Sec.  319.37-6. However, some of the paragraphs addressed 
multiple genera, and it could be confusing to list multiple genera in 
one row in a table. In this final rule, we have listed each genus in 
Sec.  319.37-6 in a separate row in the table. In an effort to provide 
further clarity, we have also revised the proposed table entry for 
``Rutaceae seeds'' to read ``Rutaceae, seeds of all species in the 
family.'' Finally, the proposed listing for the pests addressed by 
treating Guizotia abyssinica (niger) seeds, which stated that the 
treatment was intended to address Cuscuta spp., was incomplete; we have 
expanded the listing to include the other noxious weeds listed in 7 CFR 
360.200.

Postentry Quarantine Requirements for Hydrangea spp.

    We proposed to add a new provision in Sec.  319.37-7(d)(7)(ii)
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