Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Release of Sericothrips staphylinus for Biological Control of Gorse, 23754 [2020-09102]
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Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 85, No. 83
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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–2019–0048]
Notice of Availability of a Final
Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact for
the Release of Sericothrips
staphylinus for Biological Control of
Gorse
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
We are advising the public
that we have prepared an environmental
assessment and finding of no significant
impact relative to permitting the release
of Sericothrips staphylinus for the
biological control of gorse, a spiny
shrub, within the contiguous United
States. Based on our finding of no
significant impact, we have determined
that an environmental impact statement
need not be prepared.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Colin D. Stewart, Assistant Director,
Pests, Pathogens, and Biocontrol
Permits, Permitting and Compliance
Coordination, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River
Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737–
1231; (301) 851–2327; email:
Colin.Stewart@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
During the late 1800s, gorse was
introduced into North America from
Western Europe. Gorse (Ulex eurpaeus)
is a spiny shrub found in eastern States,
Washington, Oregon, California, and
Hawaii. This plant is most often a pest
of disturbed sites in open wild or lessdeveloped areas where management is
minimal or non-existent. Gorse’s
invasiveness is most prolific in the
maritime climate within a few miles of
the ocean, where sandy soils and rocky
outcrops are especially vulnerable to
invasion. Gorse’s impacts include
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:00 Apr 28, 2020
Jkt 250001
displacement of native plants, including
forest tree saplings, reduction in the
quality of wildlife habitats, increased
fire hazard, interference in rights-of-way
and recreation sites, and reduced
livestock forage production.
The insect Sericothrips staphylinus
was chosen as a potential biological
control agent. Although specific
information as to the extent of its range
has been difficult to obtain, the native
distribution of the agent is assumed to
overlap with the majority of the range of
gorse in Europe.
On August 20, 2019, we published in
the Federal Register (84 FR 43099,
Docket No. APHIS–2019–0048) 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 release of
Sericothrips staphylinus for the
biological control of gorse within the
contiguous United States.
We solicited comments on the EA for
30 days ending September 19, 2019. We
received 10 comments by that date.
Eight of those comments were in favor
of the release of the biological control
agent. Two commenters were not in
favor of the biological control agent and
raised concerns regarding the release of
the insect. These comments are
addressed in Appendix 5 of the final
EA.
In this document, we are advising the
public of our finding of no significant
impact (FONSI) regarding the release of
Sericothrips staphylinus for the
biological control of gorse within the
contiguous United States. The finding,
which is based on the EA, reflects our
determination that release of the
Sericothrips staphylinus will not have a
significant impact on the quality of the
human environment. Concurrent with
this announcement, we will issue a
permit for the release of Sericothrips
staphylinus for the biological control of
gorse.The EA and FONSI may be viewed
on the Regulations.gov website (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.
1 To view the notice, supporting documents, and
the comments we received, go to https://
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS2019-0048.
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except holidays. Persons wishing to
inspect copies are requested to call
ahead on (202) 799–7039 to facilitate
entry into the reading room. In addition,
copies may be obtained by calling or
writing to the individual listed 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
April 2020.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2020–09102 Filed 4–28–20; 8:45 am]
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of the North Carolina Advisory
Committee
Commission on Civil Rights.
Announcement of meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice is hereby given,
pursuant to the provisions of the rules
and regulations of the U.S. Commission
on Civil Rights (Commission), and the
Federal Advisory Committee Act
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DATES: Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 11:00
a.m. (EST).
Call-in Information: 1–206–800–4892
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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mtrachtenberg@usccr.gov or by phone at
(312) 353–8311.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
meeting is available to the public
through the telephone number and
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\29APN1.SGM
29APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 83 (Wednesday, April 29, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 23754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09102]
========================================================================
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. 85, No. 83 / Wednesday, April 29, 2020 /
Notices
[[Page 23754]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2019-0048]
Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact for the Release of Sericothrips
staphylinus for Biological Control of Gorse
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared an
environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact relative
to permitting the release of Sericothrips staphylinus for the
biological control of gorse, a spiny shrub, within the contiguous
United States. Based on our finding of no significant impact, we have
determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Colin D. Stewart, Assistant
Director, Pests, Pathogens, and Biocontrol Permits, Permitting and
Compliance Coordination, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 851-2327; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
During the late 1800s, gorse was introduced into North America from
Western Europe. Gorse (Ulex eurpaeus) is a spiny shrub found in eastern
States, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii. This plant is most
often a pest of disturbed sites in open wild or less- developed areas
where management is minimal or non-existent. Gorse's invasiveness is
most prolific in the maritime climate within a few miles of the ocean,
where sandy soils and rocky outcrops are especially vulnerable to
invasion. Gorse's impacts include displacement of native plants,
including forest tree saplings, reduction in the quality of wildlife
habitats, increased fire hazard, interference in rights-of-way and
recreation sites, and reduced livestock forage production.
The insect Sericothrips staphylinus was chosen as a potential
biological control agent. Although specific information as to the
extent of its range has been difficult to obtain, the native
distribution of the agent is assumed to overlap with the majority of
the range of gorse in Europe.
On August 20, 2019, we published in the Federal Register (84 FR
43099, Docket No. APHIS-2019-0048) 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 release of Sericothrips staphylinus for the
biological control of gorse within the contiguous United States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ To view the notice, supporting documents, and the comments
we received, go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2019-0048.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We solicited comments on the EA for 30 days ending September 19,
2019. We received 10 comments by that date. Eight of those comments
were in favor of the release of the biological control agent. Two
commenters were not in favor of the biological control agent and raised
concerns regarding the release of the insect. These comments are
addressed in Appendix 5 of the final EA.
In this document, we are advising the public of our finding of no
significant impact (FONSI) regarding the release of Sericothrips
staphylinus for the biological control of gorse within the contiguous
United States. The finding, which is based on the EA, reflects our
determination that release of the Sericothrips staphylinus will not
have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment.
Concurrent with this announcement, we will issue a permit for the
release of Sericothrips staphylinus for the biological control of
gorse.The EA and FONSI may be viewed on the Regulations.gov website
(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) 799-7039 to facilitate
entry into the reading room. In addition, copies may be obtained by
calling or writing to the individual listed 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 April 2020.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-09102 Filed 4-28-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
