Importation of Plants for Planting; Risk-Based Sampling and Inspection Approach and Propagative Monitoring and Release Program, 65165-65166 [2011-27173]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 203 / Thursday, October 20, 2011 / Notices
number of responses multiplied by the
reporting burden per response.)
All responses to this notice will be
summarized and included in the request
for OMB approval. All comments will
also become a matter of public record.
Done in Washington, DC, this 14th day of
October 2011.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–27172 Filed 10–19–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0092]
Importation of Plants for Planting;
Risk-Based Sampling and Inspection
Approach and Propagative Monitoring
and Release Program
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
We are advising the public of
our decision to implement a risk-based
sampling approach for the inspection of
imported plants for planting. In our
previous approach, we inspected 2
percent of consignments of imported
plants for planting regardless of
previous evidence of the risk posed by
the plants for planting. The risk-based
sampling and inspection approach will
allow us to target high-risk plants for
planting for more extensive inspection
to help ensure that plants for planting
infested with quarantine pests do not
enter the United States, while providing
a speedier inspection process for lowerrisk plants for planting. In addition, for
taxa of plants for planting that pose an
extremely low risk, we are establishing
a Propagative Monitoring and Release
Program under which consignments of
those taxa will be periodically
monitored but not every consignment
will be inspected.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Gordon Muraoka, National Plant
Inspection Station Coordinator, PPQ,
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133,
Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734–0932;
or Dr. Mary Palm, Senior Mycologist
and Lab Director, National Identification
Services, Molecular Diagnostic Lab,
PPQ, APHIS, B–580, BARC-East,
Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, MD
20705; (301) 504–7154.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
regulations in 7 CFR part 319 prohibit
or restrict the importation of certain
sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:59 Oct 19, 2011
Jkt 226001
plants and plant products into the
United States to prevent the
introduction of plant pests that are not
already established in the United States
or plant pests that may be established
but are under official control to
eradicate or contain them within the
United States.
The regulations in ‘‘Subpart—Plants
for Planting,’’ §§ 319.37 through 319.37–
14 (referred to below as the regulations),
restrict the importation of plants for
planting. Plants for planting is defined
in § 319.37–1 as plants intended to
remain planted, to be planted or
replanted. The definition of plant in that
section includes 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.
All plants for planting imported into
the United States must be presented for
inspection. Inspectors examine the
plants for planting to determine whether
they show any visual evidence of being
infested with quarantine pests or
infected with quarantine pathogens.
After inspection, the plants may be
allowed entry into the United States
(with treatment, if necessary),
destroyed, or reexported, depending on
the results of the inspection.
Plants for planting that are required to
be imported under a written permit
under § 319.37–3(a)(1) through (a)(6)
and that are not from Canada must be
imported or offered for importation at a
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
plant inspection station. Under
§ 319.37–3(a)(5), lots of 13 or more
articles (other than seeds, bulbs, or
sterile cultures of orchid plants) from
any country or locality except Canada
may be imported into the United States
only after issuance of a written permit.
Therefore, most consignments of plants
for planting must be imported or offered
for importation at a USDA plant
inspection station. Such stations are
listed in § 319.37–14. Plants for planting
that are offered for inspection at a USDA
plant inspection station are inspected by
Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ)
inspectors.
This notice announces our decision to
standardize our approach to sampling
and inspecting consignments of plants
for planting offered for importation at
USDA plant inspection stations based
on the pest risk presented by the plants
for plant for planting.
To this point, PPQ inspectors have
inspected a minimum of 2 percent of
every consignment of plants for planting
presented for inspection. We have
assessed our sampling and inspection
methods and found that we can use our
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
65165
resources more effectively by targeting
our efforts towards plants for planting
that are known to present a higher risk,
based on past inspection results for
those plants for planting. Such an
approach would be consistent with
International Standard for Phytosanitary
Measures (ISPM) #31, ‘‘Methodologies
for Sampling of Consignments.’’ 1
Therefore, we are standardizing our
sampling and inspection approach to
adjust the intensity of our inspection of
imported plants for planting based on
the risk they present of introducing
quarantine pests into the United States.
We will evaluate the risk associated
with combinations of taxa of plants for
planting and countries from which they
are exported and assign risk ratings to
those articles.
Plants for planting determined to
present an extremely low risk will be
inspected under the Propagative
Monitoring and Release Program
(PMRP). Taxa of plants for planting
included in this program will be
periodically monitored at plant
inspection stations. Not every
consignment of plants for planting
included in the PRMP will be inspected,
but those consignments that are
inspected will be inspected at normal
levels to confirm the plants’ continued
eligibility for the PMRP.
Subsequently, we will also implement
a risk-based sampling plan for all other
plants for planting. We will implement
this approach initially by considering
all taxa of plants for planting to be high
risk. All plants for planting will be
sampled at high risk rates until we have
gathered sufficient data to establish that
the plants for planting present a
medium or low risk.
If a taxon of plants for planting from
a certain country is determined to
present a medium or low risk, it will be
sampled at the plant inspection stations
at a less intensive rate than high-risk
plants for planting. We will continue to
sample some consignments of the taxon
at higher rates to monitor whether the
taxon should still be considered to be
medium or low risk. We will update our
categorizations of taxa regularly in
response to data from all inspections.
This approach will allow us to target
our resources towards taxa of plants for
planting that pose the greatest risk and
thus to provide greater security against
the introduction of quarantine pests into
the United States.
1 ISPMs are developed under the auspices of the
International Plant Protection Convention, to which
the United States is a signatory. To view this and
other ISPMs on the Internet, go to https://
www.ippc.int/ and click on the ‘‘Adopted
Standards’’ link under the ‘‘Core activities’’
heading.
E:\FR\FM\20OCN1.SGM
20OCN1
65166
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 203 / Thursday, October 20, 2011 / Notices
For importers of plants for planting,
this approach may increase or decrease
inspection time at the plant inspection
station, depending on the risk level of
the material. We believe this new
sampling and inspection approach will
result in increased effectiveness and
that the difference in inspection time
will be an incentive for importers to
present high-quality, pest-free plants for
planting for inspection at plant
inspection stations.
We plan to implement the PMRP on
October 17, 2011. The risk-based
sampling will be implemented
following further analysis of the
sampling protocol.
Done in Washington, DC, this 14th day of
October 2011.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011–27173 Filed 10–19–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0091]
International Sanitary and
Phytosanitary Standard-Setting
Activities
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
In accordance with legislation
implementing the results of the Uruguay
Round of negotiations under the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, we are
informing the public of the international
standard-setting activities of the World
Organization for Animal Health, the
Secretariat of the International Plant
Protection Convention, and the North
American Plant Protection Organization,
and we are soliciting public comment
on the standards to be considered.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov/
#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-00910001.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Send your comment to Docket No.
APHIS–2011–0091, 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://
sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:59 Oct 19, 2011
Jkt 226001
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0091 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: For
general information on the topics
covered in this notice, contact Mr. John
Greifer, Associate Deputy Administrator
for SPS Management, International
Services, APHIS, room 1132, USDA
South Building, 14th Street and
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20250; (202) 720–7677.
For specific information regarding
standard-setting activities of the World
Organization for Animal Health, contact
Dr. Michael David, Director,
International Animal Health Standards
Team, National Center for Import and
Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road,
Unit 33, Riverdale, MD 20737–1231;
(301) 734–5324.
For specific information regarding the
standard-setting activities of the
International Plant Protection
Convention or the North American Plant
Protection Organization, contact Ms.
Julie E. Aliaga, Program Director,
International Phytosanitary Standards,
PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 140,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 734–
0763.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The World Trade Organization (WTO)
was established as the common
international institutional framework for
governing trade relations among its
members in matters related to the
Uruguay Round Agreements. The WTO
is the successor organization to the
General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade. U.S. membership in the WTO
was approved by Congress when it
enacted the Uruguay Round Agreements
Act (Pub. L. 103–465), which was
signed into law on December 8, 1994.
The WTO Agreements, which
established the WTO, entered into force
with respect to the United States on
January 1, 1995. The Uruguay Round
Agreements Act amended Title IV of the
Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (19
U.S.C. 2531 et seq.). Section 491 of the
Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as
amended (19 U.S.C. 2578), requires the
President to designate an agency to be
responsible for informing the public of
the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS)
standard-setting activities of each
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
international standard-setting
organization. The designated agency
must inform the public by publishing an
annual notice in the Federal Register
that provides the following information:
(1) The SPS standards under
consideration or planned for
consideration by the international
standard-setting organization; and (2)
for each SPS standard specified, a
description of the consideration or
planned consideration of that standard,
a statement of whether the United States
is participating or plans to participate in
the consideration of that standard, the
agenda for U.S. participation, if any, and
the agency responsible for representing
the United States with respect to that
standard.
‘‘International standard’’ is defined in
19 U.S.C. 2578b as any standard,
guideline, or recommendation: (1)
Adopted by the Codex Alimentarius
Commission (Codex) regarding food
safety; (2) developed under the auspices
of the World Organization for Animal
Health (OIE, formerly known as the
Office International des Epizooties)
regarding animal health and welfare,
and zoonoses; (3) developed under the
auspices of the Secretariat of the
International Plant Protection
Convention (IPPC) in cooperation with
the North American Plant Protection
Organization (NAPPO) regarding plant
health; or (4) established by or
developed under any other international
organization agreed to by the member
countries of the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or the
member countries of the WTO.
The President, pursuant to
Proclamation No. 6780 of March 23,
1995 (60 FR 15845), designated the
Secretary of Agriculture as the official
responsible for informing the public of
the SPS standard-setting activities of
Codex, OIE, IPPC, and NAPPO. The
United States Department of
Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) informs the
public of Codex standard-setting
activities, and USDA’s Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
informs the public of OIE, IPPC, and
NAPPO standard-setting activities.
FSIS publishes an annual notice in
the Federal Register to inform the
public of SPS standard-setting activities
for Codex. Codex was created in 1962 by
two United Nations organizations, the
Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) and the World Health
Organization. It is the major
international organization for
encouraging international trade in food
and protecting the health and economic
interests of consumers.
E:\FR\FM\20OCN1.SGM
20OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 203 (Thursday, October 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65165-65166]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-27173]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2011-0092]
Importation of Plants for Planting; Risk-Based Sampling and
Inspection Approach and Propagative Monitoring and Release Program
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our decision to implement a
risk-based sampling approach for the inspection of imported plants for
planting. In our previous approach, we inspected 2 percent of
consignments of imported plants for planting regardless of previous
evidence of the risk posed by the plants for planting. The risk-based
sampling and inspection approach will allow us to target high-risk
plants for planting for more extensive inspection to help ensure that
plants for planting infested with quarantine pests do not enter the
United States, while providing a speedier inspection process for lower-
risk plants for planting. In addition, for taxa of plants for planting
that pose an extremely low risk, we are establishing a Propagative
Monitoring and Release Program under which consignments of those taxa
will be periodically monitored but not every consignment will be
inspected.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Gordon Muraoka, National Plant
Inspection Station Coordinator, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133,
Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-0932; or Dr. Mary Palm, Senior
Mycologist and Lab Director, National Identification Services,
Molecular Diagnostic Lab, PPQ, APHIS, B-580, BARC-East, Powder Mill
Road, Beltsville, MD 20705; (301) 504-7154.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 that are
not already established in the United States or plant pests that may be
established but are under official control to eradicate or contain them
within the United States.
The regulations in ``Subpart--Plants for Planting,'' Sec. Sec.
319.37 through 319.37-14 (referred to below as the regulations),
restrict the importation of plants for planting. Plants for planting is
defined in Sec. 319.37-1 as plants intended to remain planted, to be
planted or replanted. The definition of plant in that section includes
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.
All plants for planting imported into the United States must be
presented for inspection. Inspectors examine the plants for planting to
determine whether they show any visual evidence of being infested with
quarantine pests or infected with quarantine pathogens. After
inspection, the plants may be allowed entry into the United States
(with treatment, if necessary), destroyed, or reexported, depending on
the results of the inspection.
Plants for planting that are required to be imported under a
written permit under Sec. 319.37-3(a)(1) through (a)(6) and that are
not from Canada must be imported or offered for importation at a U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant inspection station. Under Sec.
319.37-3(a)(5), lots of 13 or more articles (other than seeds, bulbs,
or sterile cultures of orchid plants) from any country or locality
except Canada may be imported into the United States only after
issuance of a written permit. Therefore, most consignments of plants
for planting must be imported or offered for importation at a USDA
plant inspection station. Such stations are listed in Sec. 319.37-14.
Plants for planting that are offered for inspection at a USDA plant
inspection station are inspected by Plant Protection and Quarantine
(PPQ) inspectors.
This notice announces our decision to standardize our approach to
sampling and inspecting consignments of plants for planting offered for
importation at USDA plant inspection stations based on the pest risk
presented by the plants for plant for planting.
To this point, PPQ inspectors have inspected a minimum of 2 percent
of every consignment of plants for planting presented for inspection.
We have assessed our sampling and inspection methods and found that we
can use our resources more effectively by targeting our efforts towards
plants for planting that are known to present a higher risk, based on
past inspection results for those plants for planting. Such an approach
would be consistent with International Standard for Phytosanitary
Measures (ISPM) 31, ``Methodologies for Sampling of
Consignments.'' \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ ISPMs are developed under the auspices of the International
Plant Protection Convention, to which the United States is a
signatory. To view this and other ISPMs on the Internet, go to
https://www.ippc.int/ and click on the ``Adopted Standards'' link
under the ``Core activities'' heading.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Therefore, we are standardizing our sampling and inspection
approach to adjust the intensity of our inspection of imported plants
for planting based on the risk they present of introducing quarantine
pests into the United States. We will evaluate the risk associated with
combinations of taxa of plants for planting and countries from which
they are exported and assign risk ratings to those articles.
Plants for planting determined to present an extremely low risk
will be inspected under the Propagative Monitoring and Release Program
(PMRP). Taxa of plants for planting included in this program will be
periodically monitored at plant inspection stations. Not every
consignment of plants for planting included in the PRMP will be
inspected, but those consignments that are inspected will be inspected
at normal levels to confirm the plants' continued eligibility for the
PMRP.
Subsequently, we will also implement a risk-based sampling plan for
all other plants for planting. We will implement this approach
initially by considering all taxa of plants for planting to be high
risk. All plants for planting will be sampled at high risk rates until
we have gathered sufficient data to establish that the plants for
planting present a medium or low risk.
If a taxon of plants for planting from a certain country is
determined to present a medium or low risk, it will be sampled at the
plant inspection stations at a less intensive rate than high-risk
plants for planting. We will continue to sample some consignments of
the taxon at higher rates to monitor whether the taxon should still be
considered to be medium or low risk. We will update our categorizations
of taxa regularly in response to data from all inspections. This
approach will allow us to target our resources towards taxa of plants
for planting that pose the greatest risk and thus to provide greater
security against the introduction of quarantine pests into the United
States.
[[Page 65166]]
For importers of plants for planting, this approach may increase or
decrease inspection time at the plant inspection station, depending on
the risk level of the material. We believe this new sampling and
inspection approach will result in increased effectiveness and that the
difference in inspection time will be an incentive for importers to
present high-quality, pest-free plants for planting for inspection at
plant inspection stations.
We plan to implement the PMRP on October 17, 2011. The risk-based
sampling will be implemented following further analysis of the sampling
protocol.
Done in Washington, DC, this 14th day of October 2011.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-27173 Filed 10-19-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
