Implementation of Revised Lacey Act Provisions, 6681-6683 [2015-02403]
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6681
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 80, No. 25
Friday, February 6, 2015
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–2014–0100]
Notice of Availability of Proposed
Changes to the National Poultry
Improvement Plan Program Standards
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
We are advising the public
that proposed changes to the National
Poultry Improvement Plan Program
Standards are available for review and
comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments
that we receive on or before March 9,
2015.
SUMMARY:
You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0100.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Send your comment to Docket No.
APHIS–2014–0100, Regulatory Analysis
and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.
The proposed standards and any
comments we receive may be viewed at
https://www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0100 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) 799–7039
before coming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Denise Brinson, DVM, Director,
National Poultry Improvement Plan, VS,
APHIS, USDA, 1506 Klondike Road,
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:52 Feb 05, 2015
Jkt 235001
Suite 101, Conyers, GA 30094–5104;
(770) 922–3496.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
National Poultry Improvement Plan
(NPIP, also referred to below as ‘‘the
Plan’’) is a cooperative Federal-StateIndustry mechanism for controlling
certain poultry diseases. The Plan
consists of a variety of programs
intended to prevent and control poultry
diseases. Participation in all Plan
programs is voluntary, but breeding
flocks, hatcheries, and dealers must first
qualify as ‘‘U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid
Clean’’ as a condition for participating
in the other Plan programs.
The Plan identifies States, flocks,
hatcheries, dealers, and slaughter plants
that meet certain disease control
standards specified in the Plan’s various
programs. As a result, customers can
buy poultry that has tested clean of
certain diseases or that has been
produced under disease-prevention
conditions.
The regulations in 9 CFR parts 145,
146, and 147 (referred to below as the
regulations) contain the provisions of
the Plan. The Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS, also referred
to as ‘‘the Service’’) of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA, also
referred to as ‘‘the Department’’) amends
these provisions from time to time to
incorporate new scientific information
and technologies within the Plan.
In the past, APHIS has updated the
regulations once every 2 years,
following the Biennial Plan Conference.
However, with the continual changes in
diagnostic science and testing
technology and in best practices for
maintaining sanitation, the biennial
update schedule has occasionally
resulted in the regulations becoming out
of date between updates. In some
instances, tests have also been difficult
to render properly in the regulations
due to the need to describe flow charts
or diagrams in a narrative format.
On July 9, 2014, we published in the
Federal Register (79 FR 38752–38768,
Docket No. APHIS–2011–0101) a final
rule 1 that, among other things, amended
the regulations by removing tests and
detailed testing procedures, as well as
sanitation procedures, from part 147,
and making these available in an NPIP
1 To view the final rule and related documents,
go to https://www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0101.
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Frm 00001
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Program Standards document.2 The rule
also amended the regulations to provide
for the Program Standards document to
be updated through the issuance of a
notice in the Federal Register followed
by a period of public comment. This
action was intended to make the NPIP
program more effective by streamlining
the provisions of the Plan, keeping those
provisions current with changes in the
poultry industry, and providing for the
use of new approved sampling and
testing procedures without the need for
rulemaking.
We are advising the public that we
have prepared updates to the NPIP
Program Standards document. The
proposed updates include changes to
blood testing procedures for
mycoplasma, bacteriological
examination procedure changes for
Salmonella, and the addition of new
approved diagnostic test kits. After
reviewing any comments we receive on
the proposed updates, we will publish
a second notice in the Federal Register
announcing our decision regarding the
proposed changes.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 8301–8317; 7 CFR
2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.
Done in Washington, DC, this 2nd day of
February 2015.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–02406 Filed 2–5–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2008–0119]
Implementation of Revised Lacey Act
Provisions
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Food, Conservation, and
Energy Act of 2008 amended the Lacey
Act to provide, among other things, that
importers submit a declaration at the
SUMMARY:
2 This document may be viewed on the NPIP Web
site at https://www.poultryimprovement.org/
documents/ProgramStandardsAugust2014.pdf, or
by writing to the Service at National Poultry
Improvement Plan, APHIS, USDA, 1506 Klondike
Road, Suite 101, Conyers, GA 30094.
E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM
06FEN1
6682
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices
time of importation for certain plants
and plant products. Enforcement of the
declaration requirement began on April
1, 2009, and products requiring a
declaration are being phased-in. The
purpose of this notice is to inform the
public of another phase of the Federal
Government’s enforcement schedule.
DATES: We will consider all comments
that we receive on or before April 7,
2015.
You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2008-0119.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Send your comment to Docket No.
APHIS–2008–0119, 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-2008-0119 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) 799–7039
before coming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Parul Patel, Senior Agriculturalist,
Regulations, Permits, and Manuals,
PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 60,
Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; (301) 851–
2351.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
ADDRESSES:
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Background
The Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. 3371 et
seq.), first enacted in 1900 and
significantly amended in 1981, is the
United States’ oldest wildlife protection
statute. The Act combats trafficking in
illegally taken wildlife, fish, and plants.
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act
of 2008 amended the Lacey Act by
expanding its protection to a broader
range of plants and plant products
(Section 8204, Prevention of Illegal
Logging Practices). As amended, the
Lacey Act makes it unlawful to import,
export, transport, sell, receive, acquire,
or purchase in interstate or foreign
commerce any plant, with some limited
exceptions, taken in violation of the
laws of a U.S. State or any foreign law
that protects plants. The Lacey Act also
makes it unlawful to make or submit
any false record, account, or label for, or
any false identification of, any plant.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:52 Feb 05, 2015
Jkt 235001
In addition, Section 3 of the Lacey
Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 3372),
makes it unlawful to import certain
plants and plant products without an
import declaration. The declaration
must contain, among other things, the
scientific name of the plant, value of the
importation, quantity of the plant, and
name of the country from where the
plant was harvested. For paper and
paperboard products containing
recycled content, the declaration also
must include the average percent of
recycled content without regard for
species or country of harvest. Currently,
enforcement of the declaration
requirement is being phased in, as
described in two notices we published
in the Federal Register,1 the first on
February 3, 2009 (74 FR 5911–5913,
Docket No. APHIS–2008–0119) and the
second on September 2, 2009 (74 FR
45415–45418, Docket No. APHIS–2008–
0119).
In our February 2009 notice, we
committed to providing affected
individuals and industry with at least 6
months’ notice for any products that
would be added to the phase-in
schedule. The phased-in enforcement
schedule began April 1, 2009. The most
recent phase (IV) began on April 1,
2010. The enforcement schedule is
available on the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Web
site at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/
plant_health/lacey_act/. We continue to
consider the applicability of the
declaration requirement to products not
included in the current phase-in
schedule and we invite public comment
on how the declaration requirement
should be enforced as to these products.
Phase V of the enforcement schedule,
which would begin on August 6, 2015,
is described below. We invite public
comment on the products covered under
this phase of the plan, as well as on
whether any additional Harmonized
Tariff Schedule (HTS) chapters should
be included in the current phase-in
schedule. Should there be additions to
phase V, we intend to provide at least
6 months’ notice to persons and
industries affected by those changes to
facilitate compliance with the new
requirements. Changes will be
announced in the Federal Register.
• 4416003030—used unassembled
casks of wood
• 4416006010—new barrel staves of
wood
• 4416006020—new barrel hoops of
softwood
• 4416006030—new tight barrelheads of
wood
• 4416006040—used barrels staves of
softwood
• 4416006050—used hoops, tight
barrelheads of softwood
• 4416009020—new other casks,
barrels, wood
• 4416009040—used other cooper
goods, wood
Ch. 82 Headings (Tools, Implements,
Cutlery, Spoons and Forks, of Base
Metal; Parts Thereof of Base Metal)
• 8211926000—hunting knives with
wood handles
• 8215992400—table barbeque forks
with wood handles
Ch. 94 Headings (Furniture, etc.)
• 9401612010—upholstered teak chair,
household
• 9401612030—upholstered teak chairs,
other
• 9401901500—parts of bent-wood seats
• 9403304000—bent-wood office
furniture
• 9403404000—bent-wood kitchen
furniture
• 9403504000—bent-wood bedroom
furniture
• 9403604000—other bent-wood
furniture
Ch. 96 Headings (Miscellaneous
Manufactured Articles)
• 9614002100—rough wood blocks for
smoking pipe manufacture
Additional Information
Several commenters on our earlier
notices contended that identifying
composite and recycled or reused
materials (e.g., medium density
fiberboard, particleboard, and scrap
wood) to the genus and/or species level
would be difficult and in some cases
impossible. These commenters asked
that we consider describing a level at
which the declaration requirement does
not apply for minimal amounts of
unidentifiable plant materials in such
products. The commenters also asked
that we describe a level at which the
Ch. 44 Headings (Wood & Articles of
declaration requirement does not apply
Wood)
for minimal amounts of non-listed (i.e.,
• 4416003010—new casks, barrels, and
not of conservation concern) plant
parts of wood
materials contained in an otherwise
• 4416003020—used assembled casks of
non-plant product, such as wooden
wood
buttons on a shirt. Some commenters
referred to this as a de minimis
1 To view these notices and the comments we
exception from the declaration
received, go to https://www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2008-0119.
requirement. We are in the process of
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM
06FEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2015 / Notices
developing a proposal to establish
exceptions from the declaration
requirement for composite materials and
products that contain a minimal amount
of plant material. Upon completion of
the proposal, we will publish it in the
Federal Register for public comment.
APHIS will continue to provide the
latest information regarding the Lacey
Act on our Web site, https://
www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/
lacey_act/. The Web site currently
contains the Lacey Act, as amended; a
slideshow covering background and
context, requirements, commodities and
products covered, information on
prohibitions, and the current status of
implementation of the declaration
requirement of the Lacey Act; frequently
asked questions; the phase-in
implementation plan; a link to the Lacey
Act Web Governance System (LAWGS);
and the paper declaration form. The
Web site will be updated as new
materials become available. We
encourage persons interested in
receiving timely updates on APHIS’
Lacey Act efforts to register for our
stakeholder registry at https://
public.govdelivery.com/accounts/
USDAAPHIS/subscriber/new/ and select
‘‘Lacey Act Declaration’’ as a topic of
interest.
Done in Washington, DC, this 2nd day of
February 2015.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–02403 Filed 2–5–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
RIN 0596–AD06
National Forest System, Land
Management Planning Directives
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of final directives.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
On February 29, 2013, the
Forest Service (Agency) proposed to
revise the Forest Service Handbook
(FSH 1909.12) and Manual (FSM 1920)
establishing procedures and
responsibilities for implementing the
National Forest System (NFS) land
management planning regulation
(collectively ‘‘planning directives’’). The
final issuance of planning directives,
effective today, will provide consistent
overall guidance to Forest Service Line
Officers and Agency employees in
developing, amending, or revising land
management plans for units of the NFS.
Public comment was accepted until May
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:52 Feb 05, 2015
Jkt 235001
24, 2013. The Agency considered all
public comment, including
recommendations from an advisory
committee formed pursuant to the
Federal Advisory Committee Act
(FACA), in developing final planning
directives.
DATES: These directives are effective
January 30, 2015.
ADDRESSES: The Forest Service Manual
and Handbook, including the planning
directives, are available electronically
via the World Wide Web/Internet at
https://www.fs.fed.us/im/directives.
Single paper copies are available by
contacting Annie Eberhart Goode, Forest
Service, USDA, Ecosystem Management
Coordination Staff (Mail Stop 1104),
1400 Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20250–1104.
Additional information and analysis,
including a description of how the
Agency considered public comment,
can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/
main/planningrule/home.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Annie Eberhart Goode, Planning
Specialist, Ecosystem Management
Coordination staff, (202) 205–1056.
Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at (800) 877–8339
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On April 9, 2012, the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (Department or USDA)
adopted final planning regulations for
the NFS at 36 CFR part 219 (77 FR
21161). These regulations, known
collectively as the 2012 Planning Rule,
provide broad programmatic direction
in developing and implementing land
management plans. The rule explicitly
directs the Chief of the Forest Service to
establish planning procedures in the
Forest Service Directives System (36
CFR 219.2(b)(5)(i). Those Responsible
Officials that are implementing the 2012
Planning Rule shall follow the
regulations at 36 CFR part 219 and the
revised planning directives.
The Forest Service Directives System
consists of the Forest Service Manual
(FSM) and the Forest Service Handbook
(FSH), which contain the Agency’s
policies, practices, and procedures, and
serves as the primary basis for the
internal management and control of
programs and administrative direction
to Forest Service employees. The
directives are set out on the World Wide
Web/Internet at https://www.fs.fed.us/
im/directives. Specifically, the FSM
contains legal authorities, objectives,
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
6683
policies, responsibilities, instructions,
and guidance needed on a continuing
basis by Forest Service Line Officers and
primary staff to plan and execute
programs and activities. The FSH is the
principal source of specialized guidance
and instruction for carrying out the
policies, objectives, and responsibilities
contained in the FSM.
FSM 1920 and FSH 1909.12 (planning
directives) provide policy direction,
objectives, instructions, and guidance
for Forest Service Line Officers and
primary staff to plan and execute the
process of developing, revising,
amending, and making administrative
changes to land management plans to
provide for the sustainability of
ecosystems and resources; meet the
need for forest restoration and
conservation, watershed protection, and
species diversity and conservation; and
assist the Agency in providing a
sustainable flow of benefits, including
economic benefits, services, and uses of
NFS lands. The 2012 Planning Rule and
the FSM 1920 and FSH 19092.12
together provide requirements and
guidance for the Agency in land
management planning pursuant to the
National Forest Management Act.
On February 29, 2013, the Forest
Service proposed to revise the planning
directives (FSM 1920 and FSH 1909.12)
to ensure that the Agency’s planning
directives are consistent with the 2012
Planning Rule. Issuance of planning
directives will provide consistent
overall guidance to Forest Service Line
Officers and Agency employees in
developing, amending, or revising land
management plans pursuant to the 2012
Planning Rule. Public comment was
accepted until May 24, 2013. The
Agency considered all public comment
in developing final planning directives.
In addition to seeking public
comment on the proposed directives,
the Agency considered
recommendations from the Planning
Rule Implementation Federal Advisory
Committee (FACA Committee),
established in June 2012 to advise the
Secretary of Agriculture and the Chief of
the Forest Service regarding
implementation of the 2012 Planning
Rule. The FACA Committee is
comprised of 21 members who provide
balanced and broad representation of
public interests including industry and
user groups; environmental
organizations; conservation
organizations; recreation interests;
members of the scientific community;
State, County, or local elected officials
(or designee); Tribal representatives;
and other public interests. The initial
FACA Committee provided its
recommendations regarding the
E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM
06FEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6681-6683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02403]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2008-0119]
Implementation of Revised Lacey Act Provisions
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 amended the
Lacey Act to provide, among other things, that importers submit a
declaration at the
[[Page 6682]]
time of importation for certain plants and plant products. Enforcement
of the declaration requirement began on April 1, 2009, and products
requiring a declaration are being phased-in. The purpose of this notice
is to inform the public of another phase of the Federal Government's
enforcement schedule.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before April
7, 2015.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2008-0119.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2008-0119, 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-2008-
0119 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) 799-7039 before coming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Parul Patel, Senior
Agriculturalist, Regulations, Permits, and Manuals, PPQ, APHIS, 4700
River Road, Unit 60, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 851-2351.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.), first enacted in 1900 and
significantly amended in 1981, is the United States' oldest wildlife
protection statute. The Act combats trafficking in illegally taken
wildlife, fish, and plants. The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 amended the Lacey Act by expanding its protection to a broader
range of plants and plant products (Section 8204, Prevention of Illegal
Logging Practices). As amended, the Lacey Act makes it unlawful to
import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in
interstate or foreign commerce any plant, with some limited exceptions,
taken in violation of the laws of a U.S. State or any foreign law that
protects plants. The Lacey Act also makes it unlawful to make or submit
any false record, account, or label for, or any false identification
of, any plant.
In addition, Section 3 of the Lacey Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.
3372), makes it unlawful to import certain plants and plant products
without an import declaration. The declaration must contain, among
other things, the scientific name of the plant, value of the
importation, quantity of the plant, and name of the country from where
the plant was harvested. For paper and paperboard products containing
recycled content, the declaration also must include the average percent
of recycled content without regard for species or country of harvest.
Currently, enforcement of the declaration requirement is being phased
in, as described in two notices we published in the Federal
Register,\1\ the first on February 3, 2009 (74 FR 5911-5913, Docket No.
APHIS-2008-0119) and the second on September 2, 2009 (74 FR 45415-
45418, Docket No. APHIS-2008-0119).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ To view these notices and the comments we received, go to
https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2008-0119.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In our February 2009 notice, we committed to providing affected
individuals and industry with at least 6 months' notice for any
products that would be added to the phase-in schedule. The phased-in
enforcement schedule began April 1, 2009. The most recent phase (IV)
began on April 1, 2010. The enforcement schedule is available on the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Web site at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/lacey_act/. We continue to consider the
applicability of the declaration requirement to products not included
in the current phase-in schedule and we invite public comment on how
the declaration requirement should be enforced as to these products.
Phase V of the enforcement schedule, which would begin on August 6,
2015, is described below. We invite public comment on the products
covered under this phase of the plan, as well as on whether any
additional Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) chapters should be included
in the current phase-in schedule. Should there be additions to phase V,
we intend to provide at least 6 months' notice to persons and
industries affected by those changes to facilitate compliance with the
new requirements. Changes will be announced in the Federal Register.
Ch. 44 Headings (Wood & Articles of Wood)
4416003010--new casks, barrels, and parts of wood
4416003020--used assembled casks of wood
4416003030--used unassembled casks of wood
4416006010--new barrel staves of wood
4416006020--new barrel hoops of softwood
4416006030--new tight barrelheads of wood
4416006040--used barrels staves of softwood
4416006050--used hoops, tight barrelheads of softwood
4416009020--new other casks, barrels, wood
4416009040--used other cooper goods, wood
Ch. 82 Headings (Tools, Implements, Cutlery, Spoons and Forks, of Base
Metal; Parts Thereof of Base Metal)
8211926000--hunting knives with wood handles
8215992400--table barbeque forks with wood handles
Ch. 94 Headings (Furniture, etc.)
9401612010--upholstered teak chair, household
9401612030--upholstered teak chairs, other
9401901500--parts of bent-wood seats
9403304000--bent-wood office furniture
9403404000--bent-wood kitchen furniture
9403504000--bent-wood bedroom furniture
9403604000--other bent-wood furniture
Ch. 96 Headings (Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles)
9614002100--rough wood blocks for smoking pipe manufacture
Additional Information
Several commenters on our earlier notices contended that
identifying composite and recycled or reused materials (e.g., medium
density fiberboard, particleboard, and scrap wood) to the genus and/or
species level would be difficult and in some cases impossible. These
commenters asked that we consider describing a level at which the
declaration requirement does not apply for minimal amounts of
unidentifiable plant materials in such products. The commenters also
asked that we describe a level at which the declaration requirement
does not apply for minimal amounts of non-listed (i.e., not of
conservation concern) plant materials contained in an otherwise non-
plant product, such as wooden buttons on a shirt. Some commenters
referred to this as a de minimis exception from the declaration
requirement. We are in the process of
[[Page 6683]]
developing a proposal to establish exceptions from the declaration
requirement for composite materials and products that contain a minimal
amount of plant material. Upon completion of the proposal, we will
publish it in the Federal Register for public comment.
APHIS will continue to provide the latest information regarding the
Lacey Act on our Web site, https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/lacey_act/. The Web site currently contains the Lacey Act, as amended;
a slideshow covering background and context, requirements, commodities
and products covered, information on prohibitions, and the current
status of implementation of the declaration requirement of the Lacey
Act; frequently asked questions; the phase-in implementation plan; a
link to the Lacey Act Web Governance System (LAWGS); and the paper
declaration form. The Web site will be updated as new materials become
available. We encourage persons interested in receiving timely updates
on APHIS' Lacey Act efforts to register for our stakeholder registry at
https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/subscriber/new/ and
select ``Lacey Act Declaration'' as a topic of interest.
Done in Washington, DC, this 2nd day of February 2015.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-02403 Filed 2-5-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P