Determination of Pest-Free Areas in Australia; Request for Comments, 56730-56731 [2011-23431]
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56730
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 76, No. 178
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0088]
Determination of Pest-Free Areas in
Australia; Request for Comments
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
We are advising the public
that we have received a request from the
Government of Australia to recognize
additional areas as pest-free areas for
Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis
capitata) or Queensland fruit fly
(Bactrocera tryoni). After reviewing the
documentation submitted in support of
this request, the Administrator of the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service has determined that these areas
meet the criteria in our regulations for
recognition as pest-free areas. We are
making that determination, as well as an
evaluation document we have prepared
in connection with this action, available
for review and comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments
that we receive on or before November
14, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov/
#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-00880001.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Send your comment to Docket No.
APHIS–2011–0088, Regulatory Analysis
and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.
Supporting documents and any
comments we receive on this docket
may be viewed at https://
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0088 or
in our reading room, which is located in
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:00 Sep 13, 2011
Jkt 223001
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Meredith C. Jones, Regulatory
Coordination Specialist, Regulatory
Coordination and Compliance, APHIS,
4700 River Road Unit 156, Riverdale,
MD 20737; (301) 734–7467.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
regulations in ‘‘Subpart—Fruits and
Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56–1 through
319.56–51, 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.
One of the designated phytosanitary
measures is that the fruits or vegetables
are imported from a pest-free area 1 in
the 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.
Under the regulations in § 319.56–5,
APHIS requires that determinations of
pest-free areas be made in accordance
with the criteria for establishing
freedom from pests found in
International Standards for
Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 4,
‘‘Requirements For the Establishment of
Pest Free Areas.’’ The international
standard was established by the
International Plant Protection
Convention of the United Nations’ Food
and Agriculture Organization and is
incorporated by reference in our
1 A list of pest-free-areas currently recognized by
APHIS can be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/
import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/
DesignatedPestFreeAreas.pdf.
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
regulations in 7 CFR 300.5. In addition,
APHIS must also approve the survey
protocol used to determine and
maintain pest-free status, as well as
protocols for actions to be performed
upon detection of a pest. Pest-free areas
are subject to audit by APHIS to verify
their status.
APHIS has received a request from the
Government of Australia to recognize
new areas of that country as being free
of Ceratitis capitata, the Mediterranean
fruit fly (Medfly), and to recognize other
areas of the country as being free of
Bactrocera tryoni, the Queensland fruit
fly. Specifically, the Government of
Australia asked that we recognize the
States of New South Wales, Northern
Territory, Queensland, South Australia,
Tasmania, and Victoria as free of Medfly
and the State of Western Australia as
free of Queensland fruit fly.
Each proposed pest-free area is free of
one of the fruit flies, but may have the
other fruit fly, so fruit from these areas
of Australia would still require a
quarantine treatment. However the
treatments required are different for
each fly, are less stringent than the
treatments for both flies, and therefore
are less damaging to the commodity.
In accordance with our regulations
and the criteria set out in ISPM No. 4,
we have reviewed and approved the
survey protocols and other information
provided by Australia relative to its
system to establish freedom,
phytosanitary measures to maintain
freedom, and system for the verification
of the maintenance of freedom. Because
this action concerns the expansion of a
currently recognized pest-free area in
Australia from which fruits and
vegetables are authorized for
importation into the United States, our
review of the information presented by
Australia in support of its request is
examined in a commodity import
evaluation document (CIED) titled
‘‘Recognition of Additional States as
Medfly and Queensland fruit fly PestFree Areas (PFA) for Australia.’’
The CIED 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
CIED by calling or writing to the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM
14SEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 178 / Wednesday, September 14, 2011 / Notices
Therefore, in accordance with
§ 319.56–5(c), we are announcing the
Administrator’s determination that the
States of New South Wales, Northern
Territory, Queensland, South Australia,
Tasmania, and Victoria meet the criteria
of § 319.56–5(a) and (b) with respect to
freedom from Medfly and the State of
Western Australia meets the criteria of
§ 319.56–5(a) and (b) with respect to
freedom from Queensland fruit fly. After
reviewing the comments we receive on
this notice, we will announce our
decision regarding the status of these
areas with respect to their freedom from
Medfly and Queensland fruit fly. If the
Administrator’s determination remains
unchanged, we will amend the list of
pest-free areas to list the States of New
South Wales, Northern Territory,
Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania,
and Victoria as free of Medfly and the
State of Western Australia as free of
Queensland fruit fly.
Done in Washington, DC, this 7th day of
September 2011.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–23431 Filed 9–13–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0089]
Oral Rabies Vaccine Trial; Availability
of an Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
We are advising the public
that an environmental assessment and
finding of no significant impact have
been prepared by the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service relative to an
oral rabies vaccination field trial in
West Virginia. Based on its finding of no
significant impact, the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service has
determined that an environmental
impact statement need not be prepared.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Dennis Slate, Rabies Program
Coordinator, Wildlife Services, APHIS,
59 Chennell Drive, Suite 7, Concord, NH
03301; (603) 223–9623. To obtain copies
of the environmental assessment or
finding of no significant impact, contact
Ms. Beth Kabert, Environmental
Coordinator, Wildlife Services, 140–C
Locust Grove Road, Pittstown, NJ 08867;
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:00 Sep 13, 2011
Jkt 223001
(908) 735–5654, fax (908) 735–0821, or
e-mail beth.e.kabert@aphis.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Wildlife Services (WS) program
in the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) cooperates
with Federal agencies, State and local
governments, and private individuals to
research and implement the best
methods of managing conflicts between
wildlife and human health and safety,
agriculture, property, and natural
resources. Wildlife-borne diseases that
can affect domestic animals and humans
are among the types of conflicts that
APHIS–WS addresses. Wildlife is the
dominant reservoir of rabies in the
United States.
On August 8, 2011, we published in
the Federal Register (76 FR 48119–
48120, Docket No. APHIS–2011–0089) a
notice 1 in which we announced the
availability, for public review and
comment, of an environmental
assessment (EA) that examined the
potential environmental impacts
associated with the proposed field trial
to test the safety and efficacy of an
experimental oral rabies vaccine for
wildlife in West Virginia.
We solicited comments on the EA for
30 days ending September 7, 2011. We
received 13 comments by that date.
They were from private citizens and
representatives of public health,
agriculture, and natural resources
agencies in the United States and
Canada. Nine of the commenters fully
supported the proposed field trial. The
remaining commenters presented
specific questions or suggestions
regarding the field trial or the
experimental vaccine. All the
comments, and APHIS’ responses to
those comments, are presented in an
appendix to the EA (see footnote 1).
In this document, we are advising the
public of our finding of no significant
impact (FONSI) regarding the
implementation of a field trial to test the
safety and efficacy of the AdRG1.3
wildlife rabies vaccine in Greenbrier,
Summers, and Monroe Counties, WV,
including portions of U.S. Forest
Service National Forest System lands,
but excluding Wilderness Areas. The
finding, which is based on the EA,
reflects our determination that the
distribution of this experimental
wildlife rabies vaccine will not have a
significant impact on the quality of the
human environment.
1 To view the notice, EA, risk assessments, the
comments we received, and the FONSI, go to
https://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/
component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS–
2011–0089.
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
56731
The EA and FONSI may be viewed on
the APHIS Web site at https://www.
aphis.usda.gov/regulations/ws/ws_
nepa_environmental_documents.shtml
and on the Regulations.gov Web site
(see footnote 1). Copies of the EA and
FONSI are also available for public
inspection at USDA, room 1141, South
Building, 14th Street and Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, between
8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except holidays. Persons
wishing to inspect copies are requested
to call ahead on (202) 690–2817 to
facilitate entry into the reading room. In
addition, copies may be obtained as
described under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
The EA and FONSI have been
prepared in accordance with: (1) The
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq.), (2) regulations of the
Council on Environmental Quality for
implementing the procedural provisions
of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3)
USDA regulations implementing NEPA
(7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part
372).
Done in Washington, DC, this 8th day of
September 2011.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–23587 Filed 9–13–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Fremont and Winema Resource
Advisory Committee
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of meeting/field tour.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Fremont and Winema
Resource Advisory Committee will meet
in Bly, Oregon and travel to various
project sites along the North Fork of the
Sprague River, for the purpose of
monitoring and viewing active and
completed Title II watershed restoration
projects. The committee operates in
compliance with the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, under the provisions of
Title II of the Secure Rural Schools and
Community Self-Determination Act
(Pub. L. 110–343) of 2000 (reauthorized
in 2008).
DATES: The tour will be held on Oct 6,
2011 9 a.m.–14 p.m.
ADDRESS: The tour will commence from
Bly, OR onto the Fremont-Winema
Forest and along the North Fork of the
Sprague River including a private ranch.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\14SEN1.SGM
14SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56730-56731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23431]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 178 / Wednesday, September 14, 2011 /
Notices
[[Page 56730]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2011-0088]
Determination of Pest-Free Areas in Australia; Request for
Comments
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have received a request
from the Government of Australia to recognize additional areas as pest-
free areas for Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) or
Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni). After reviewing the
documentation submitted in support of this request, the Administrator
of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that
these areas meet the criteria in our regulations for recognition as
pest-free areas. We are making that determination, as well as an
evaluation document we have prepared in connection with this action,
available for review and comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
November 14, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0088-0001.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2011-0088, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may
be viewed at https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2011-
0088 or in our reading room, which 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Meredith C. Jones, Regulatory
Coordination Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, APHIS,
4700 River Road Unit 156, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-7467.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the regulations in ``Subpart--Fruits
and Vegetables'' (7 CFR 319.56-1 through 319.56-51, 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. One of the designated phytosanitary measures is
that the fruits or vegetables are imported from a pest-free area \1\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A list of pest-free-areas currently recognized by APHIS can
be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/DesignatedPestFreeAreas.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under the regulations in Sec. 319.56-5, APHIS requires that
determinations of pest-free areas be made in accordance with the
criteria for establishing freedom from pests found in International
Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 4, ``Requirements For
the Establishment of Pest Free Areas.'' The international standard was
established by the International Plant Protection Convention of the
United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization and is incorporated
by reference in our regulations in 7 CFR 300.5. In addition, APHIS must
also approve the survey protocol used to determine and maintain pest-
free status, as well as protocols for actions to be performed upon
detection of a pest. Pest-free areas are subject to audit by APHIS to
verify their status.
APHIS has received a request from the Government of Australia to
recognize new areas of that country as being free of Ceratitis
capitata, the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), and to recognize other
areas of the country as being free of Bactrocera tryoni, the Queensland
fruit fly. Specifically, the Government of Australia asked that we
recognize the States of New South Wales, Northern Territory,
Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria as free of Medfly
and the State of Western Australia as free of Queensland fruit fly.
Each proposed pest-free area is free of one of the fruit flies, but
may have the other fruit fly, so fruit from these areas of Australia
would still require a quarantine treatment. However the treatments
required are different for each fly, are less stringent than the
treatments for both flies, and therefore are less damaging to the
commodity.
In accordance with our regulations and the criteria set out in ISPM
No. 4, we have reviewed and approved the survey protocols and other
information provided by Australia relative to its system to establish
freedom, phytosanitary measures to maintain freedom, and system for the
verification of the maintenance of freedom. Because this action
concerns the expansion of a currently recognized pest-free area in
Australia from which fruits and vegetables are authorized for
importation into the United States, our review of the information
presented by Australia in support of its request is examined in a
commodity import evaluation document (CIED) titled ``Recognition of
Additional States as Medfly and Queensland fruit fly Pest-Free Areas
(PFA) for Australia.''
The CIED 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 CIED by calling or
writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
[[Page 56731]]
Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 319.56-5(c), we are announcing
the Administrator's determination that the States of New South Wales,
Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria
meet the criteria of Sec. 319.56-5(a) and (b) with respect to freedom
from Medfly and the State of Western Australia meets the criteria of
Sec. 319.56-5(a) and (b) with respect to freedom from Queensland fruit
fly. After reviewing the comments we receive on this notice, we will
announce our decision regarding the status of these areas with respect
to their freedom from Medfly and Queensland fruit fly. If the
Administrator's determination remains unchanged, we will amend the list
of pest-free areas to list the States of New South Wales, Northern
Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria as free
of Medfly and the State of Western Australia as free of Queensland
fruit fly.
Done in Washington, DC, this 7th day of September 2011.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-23431 Filed 9-13-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
