Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk Analysis for the Importation of Dropwort Leaves With Stems From South Korea Into the Continental United States, 65560-65561 [E7-22760]

Download as PDF 65560 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 224 / Wednesday, November 21, 2007 / Notices Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulation 1041–1. Equal opportunity practices, in line with the USDA policies, will be followed in all appointments to the Committee. To ensure that the recommendations of the Committee have taken into account the needs of the diverse groups served by the Department, membership should include, to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. Done in Washington, DC, this 14th day of November 2007. Kevin Shea, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. E7–22739 Filed 11–20–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–34–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS–2007–0143] Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk Analysis for the Importation of Dropwort Leaves With Stems From South Korea Into the Continental United States Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation of dropwort leaves with stems from South Korea into the continental United States. Based on that analysis, we believe that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of dropwort leaves with stems from South Korea. We are making the pest risk analysis available for review and comment. DATES: We will consider all comments we receive on or before January 22, 2008. You may submit comments by either of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov, select ‘‘Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’’ from the agency drop-down menu, then click ‘‘Submit.’’ In the Docket ID column, select Docket No. APHIS–2007–0143 to submit or view public comments and to view pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES ADDRESSES: VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:56 Nov 20, 2007 Jkt 214001 supporting and related materials available electronically. Information on using Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the comment period, is available through the site’s ‘‘User Tips’’ link. • Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. APHIS–2007–0143, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737– 1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS–2007–0143. Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on this docket in our reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 690–2817 before coming. Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its programs is available on the Internet at https://www.aphis.usda.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Alex Belano, Import Specialist, Commodity Import Analysis and Operations, Plant Health Programs, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; (301) 734– 8758. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the regulations in ‘‘Subpart-Fruits and Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56 through 319.56–47, referred to below as the regulations), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits or restricts the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the world to prevent plant pests from being introduced into and spread within the United States. Section 319.56–4 of the regulations contains a performance-based process for approving the importation of commodities that, based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, can be safely imported subject to one or more of the designated phytosanitary measures listed in paragraph (b) of that section. These measures are: • The fruits or vegetables are subject to inspection upon arrival in the United States and comply with all applicable provisions of § 319.56–3; • The fruits or vegetables are imported from a pest-free area in the PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 country of origin that meets the requirements of § 319.56–5 for freedom from that pest and are accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate stating that the fruits or vegetables originated in a pest-free area in the country of origin; • The fruits or vegetables are treated in accordance with 7 CFR part 305; • The fruits or vegetables are inspected in the country of origin by an inspector or an official of the national plant protection organization of the exporting country, and have been found free of one or more specific quarantine pests identified by the risk analysis as likely to follow the import pathway; and/or • The fruits or vegetables are a commercial consignment. APHIS received a request from the Government of South Korea to allow the importation of dropwort leaves with stems from South Korea into the continental United States. We have completed a pest risk assessment to identify pests of quarantine significance that could follow the pathway of importation into the United States and, based on that pest risk assessment, have prepared a risk management analysis to identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied to the commodities to mitigate the pest risk. We have concluded that dropwort leaves with stems can be safely imported into the continental United States from South Korea using one or more of the five designated phytosanitary measures listed in § 319.56–4(b). Therefore, in accordance with § 319.56–4(c), we are announcing the availability of our pest risk analysis for public review and comment. The pest risk analysis may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site or in our reading room (see ADDRESSES above for instructions for accessing Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of the reading room). You may request paper copies of the pest risk analysis by calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the subject of the pest risk analysis when requesting copies. After reviewing the comments we receive, we will announce our decision regarding the import status of dropwort leaves with stems from South Korea in a subsequent notice. If the overall conclusions of the analysis and the Administrator’s determination of risk remain unchanged following our consideration of the comments, then we will begin issuing permits for importation of dropwort leaves with stems from South Korea into the continental United States subject to the requirements specified in the risk management analysis. E:\FR\FM\21NON1.SGM 21NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 224 / Wednesday, November 21, 2007 / Notices 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. Done in Washington, DC, this 14th day of November 2007. Kevin Shea, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. E7–22760 Filed 11–20–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–34–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Umatilla National Forest, Grant County, Oregon; Farley Analysis Area Vegetation Management Project Forest Service, USDA. Notice of intent to prepare an environment impact statement. AGENCY: pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES ACTION: SUMMARY: The U.S. Department Agriculture—Forest Service proposes to conduct vegetation management activities on approximately 167,500 acres of upland forest sites in the Farley Analysis Area to restore sustainable forest conditions in the Desolation Creek watershed. The proposed action will use a range of mechanical harvest and non-harvest thinning and prescribed fire activities to alter species composition, stand structure, and fire regime condition class to re-create conditions that are consistent with the historic range of variably for forests of the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon, and to capture the commercial value of forest raw materials for the benefit of local economies. The Farley Analysis Area encompasses the Desolation Creek watershed which covers 69,672 acres of diverse mountainous, mostly forested landscapes ranging in elevation from 7,765 ft at its headwaters to 2810 ft at its confluence with the North Fork John Day River near Dale, Oregon. It includes both National Forest and privatelyowned lands; private lands comprise about 18 percent of the total area, mostly at lower elevations at the western end of the watershed. Development and implementation of these actions will be conducted in accordance with the National Forest Management Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Council on Environmental Quality regulations, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, and with the Umatilla National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan and scientific recommendations of the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project. VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:56 Nov 20, 2007 Jkt 214001 Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received by November 21, 2007. The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and be available to the public for review by February 2008. The Final EIS is scheduled to be completed by April 2008. ADDRESSES: Send written comments to the Responsible Official, Kevin D. Martin, Forest Supervisor, Umatilla National Forest, 2517 S.W. Hailey Avenue, Pendleton, OR 97801. Send electronic comments to: commentspacificnorthwest-umatilla@fs.fed.us. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael A. Beckwith, Technical WriterEditor, North Fork John Day Ranger District, 401 Main Street, Ukiah, OR 97880, phone (541) 427–5335. E-mail: mabeckwith@fs.fed.us. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose and Need. Since the early 1900s, fire has been aggressively excluded from forest ecosystems throughout the Nation. From the mid to late 1900s, timber harvest practices in the interior Columbia Basin have emphasized removal primarily of mature ponderosa pine. The result has been a shift in forest conditions toward dense stands of Douglas and grand fir containing large amounts of dead and decaying wood that now are subject to insect infestations, disease, and very large wildfires, in contrast to the more open stands of fire-adapted species (such as ponderosa pine) that would be expected to occur historically. In addition, in 1996 the Bull, Summit and Tower wildfires in and near the Farley Analysis Area involved mature lodgepole pine forests that had experienced substantial insect mortality. These fires were uncharacteristically intense and covered large area (over 130,000 acres) because, as a result of past fire suppression and timber harvest practices, the forests had become more dense (more trees per acre) and contained a larger amount of dead wood than would have existed historically. These fires resulted in greater loss of old forest structure, wildlife cover and habitat, riparian structure and vegetation, erosion and detrimental effects to soils over very large areas than would have been anticipated historically. The Desolation Watershed Analysis (1999) found that almost 60 percent of upland-forest sites in the Farley area exhibit moderate or high departures from the characteristic species composition, structure and stand density conditions than would have existed historically. These conditions are outside the range of historic DATES: PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 65561 variability for forests in the Blue Mountains and are not sustainable over the long-term, with the end result likely to be very large, destructive wildfires. Therefore, the purpose and need for the Farley Vegetation Management Project is to improve the long-term sustainability of upland forests by reducing stand densities and fuel loads, restoring appropriate species composition, altering forest structure and fire regime condition class, regenerating mature lodgepole stands that currently exits, and to capture the commercial value of raw wood materials for the benefits of local economies. Proposed Action. The Forest Service proposes to conduct mechanical harvest and non-harvest thinning, prescribed fire, fuels treatment, and reforestation activities on approximately 17,460 acres in the Farley Analysis Area in accordance with the resource management objectives and standards set forth in the Umatilla National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (1990) and the scientific recommendations of the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project (1996). These activities are anticipated to yield approximately 60,000 hundred cubic feet of merchantable material. Approximately 100 miles of open and seasonally open roads will be required for the proposed action, including construction of approximately 40 miles of new system and temporary roads, and approximately 50 miles of reconstruction and maintenance of existing forest system roads. Approximately 2 miles of existing road will be closed and/or decommissioned at the conclusion of the proposed activities. The proposed action requires amendments to the Forest Plan with respect to connectivity among stands exhibiting old forest structure, scenic values, and total area (at the specific stand, subwatershed and watershed level) allowed to be in the less than 20 year old age class. Implementation of the proposed actions could begin in late 2008. Possible Alternatives. Alternatives will include the proposed action, no action, and additional alternatives that respond to issues generated during the scoping process. The agency will give notice of the full environmental analysis and decision-making process so interested and affected people may participate and contribute to the final decision. Scoping. Correspondence with tribes, government agencies, organizations, and individuals who have indicated interest E:\FR\FM\21NON1.SGM 21NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 21, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65560-65561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22760]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2007-0143]


Notice of Availability of a Pest Risk Analysis for the 
Importation of Dropwort Leaves With Stems From South Korea Into the 
Continental United States

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk 
analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation of 
dropwort leaves with stems from South Korea into the continental United 
States. Based on that analysis, we believe that the application of one 
or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to 
mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or 
noxious weeds via the importation of dropwort leaves with stems from 
South Korea. We are making the pest risk analysis available for review 
and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments we receive on or before January 
22, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://
www.regulations.gov, select ``Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service'' from the agency drop-down menu, then click ``Submit.'' In the 
Docket ID column, select Docket No. APHIS-2007-0143 to submit or view 
public comments and to view supporting and related materials available 
electronically. Information on using Regulations.gov, including 
instructions for accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing 
the docket after the close of the comment period, is available through 
the site's ``User Tips'' link.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies 
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. APHIS-
2007-0143, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 
3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state 
that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0143.
    Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on this 
docket in our reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of 
the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to 
help you, please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
    Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its 
programs is available on the Internet at https://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Alex Belano, Import Specialist, 
Commodity Import Analysis and Operations, Plant Health Programs, PPQ, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-
8758.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the regulations in ``Subpart-Fruits 
and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 319.56 through 319.56-47, referred to below as 
the regulations), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits or restricts 
the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United States from 
certain parts of the world to prevent plant pests from being introduced 
into and spread within the United States.
    Section 319.56-4 of the regulations contains a performance-based 
process for approving the importation of commodities that, based on the 
findings of a pest risk analysis, can be safely imported subject to one 
or more of the designated phytosanitary measures listed in paragraph 
(b) of that section. These measures are:
     The fruits or vegetables are subject to inspection upon 
arrival in the United States and comply with all applicable provisions 
of Sec.  319.56-3;
     The fruits or vegetables are imported from a pest-free 
area in the country of origin that meets the requirements of Sec.  
319.56-5 for freedom from that pest and are accompanied by a 
phytosanitary certificate stating that the fruits or vegetables 
originated in a pest-free area in the country of origin;
     The fruits or vegetables are treated in accordance with 7 
CFR part 305;
     The fruits or vegetables are inspected in the country of 
origin by an inspector or an official of the national plant protection 
organization of the exporting country, and have been found free of one 
or more specific quarantine pests identified by the risk analysis as 
likely to follow the import pathway; and/or
     The fruits or vegetables are a commercial consignment.
    APHIS received a request from the Government of South Korea to 
allow the importation of dropwort leaves with stems from South Korea 
into the continental United States. We have completed a pest risk 
assessment to identify pests of quarantine significance that could 
follow the pathway of importation into the United States and, based on 
that pest risk assessment, have prepared a risk management analysis to 
identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied to the 
commodities to mitigate the pest risk. We have concluded that dropwort 
leaves with stems can be safely imported into the continental United 
States from South Korea using one or more of the five designated 
phytosanitary measures listed in Sec.  319.56-4(b). Therefore, in 
accordance with Sec.  319.56-4(c), we are announcing the availability 
of our pest risk analysis for public review and comment. The pest risk 
analysis may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site or in our 
reading room (see ADDRESSES above for instructions for accessing 
Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of the 
reading room). You may request paper copies of the pest risk analysis 
by calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the subject of the pest risk 
analysis when requesting copies.
    After reviewing the comments we receive, we will announce our 
decision regarding the import status of dropwort leaves with stems from 
South Korea in a subsequent notice. If the overall conclusions of the 
analysis and the Administrator's determination of risk remain unchanged 
following our consideration of the comments, then we will begin issuing 
permits for importation of dropwort leaves with stems from South Korea 
into the continental United States subject to the requirements 
specified in the risk management analysis.


[[Page 65561]]


    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.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 14th day of November 2007.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E7-22760 Filed 11-20-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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