Notice of Availability of an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Release of Aphalara itadori for the Biological Control of Japanese, Giant, and Bohemian Knotweeds, 76515-76516 [2020-26290]
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TKELLEY on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 230 / Monday, November 30, 2020 / Notices
the nutrition assessment process used
by local agencies in the Supplemental
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants,
and Children (WIC) to identify nutrition
risks and apply that information to the
tailoring of participant benefits. This
study will provide the Food and
Nutrition Service (FNS) with a
comprehensive, detailed description of
the WIC nutrition risk assessment
process and explore the ways in which
WIC clinics tailor participant benefits to
address the results of the assessment. It
will also evaluate the relationship
between this process and participant
program satisfaction. This study is an
FNS priority resulting from policy
changes from the publication in 2006 of
the ‘‘Value Enhanced Nutrition
Assessment (VENA) in WIC: The First
Step in Quality Nutrition Services’’ and
the publication in October 2009 of the
interim final rule, ‘‘Revisions in the WIC
Food Packages,’’ both of which affected
the nutrition assessment or nutrition
services process. Section 28 of the
Richard B. Russell National School
Lunch Act as amended by the Healthy,
Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (Pub. L.
111–296, Section 305) provides the
general statutory authority for this
study.
Need and Use of the Information:
This voluntary study will collect data
from state and local government
respondents in WIC State and Local
Agencies, and in WIC clinics;
businesses and other for-profit and nonprofit institutions in the form of WIC
Local Agencies and WIC clinics, and
WIC Participants. FNS will use the
information gathered from this study to
inform program guidance and technical
assistance related to the nutrition
assessment process to support the
implementation of best practices that
meet the goals ensuring satisfaction
with the program experience, promoting
self-sufficiency, and improving the
nutrition and health of women and
children who participate in WIC. The
study will identify specific practices or
features of the nutrition services process
associated with participant and staff
satisfaction, reduced staff burden, and
improved efficiency and will also
provide FNS with a comprehensive,
detailed description of the WIC
nutrition risk assessment process,
including how WIC staff apply the
process to tailoring participant benefits.
FNS published a notice on Friday,
July 19, 2019, in the Federal Register,
Volume 84, Number 139, pages 34849 to
34858, and provided a 60-day period for
public comments. This collection has
not changed significantly since the
publication of the 60-Day Notice. FNS
made some updates to their accounting
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:03 Nov 27, 2020
Jkt 253001
of burden to streamline the burden
table. These changes did decrease the
number of responses, but the burden
hours only increased slightly. There was
a delay to submit this collection due to:
(1) The high number of regulations
which FNS is trying to issue by the end
of the year, each of which includes
associated Information Collection
Request (ICRs) and (2) COVID–19 rated
Emergency ICRs and Guidance
Documents which necessitate priority
attention.
Description of Respondents: State,
Local, or Tribal Government; businesses
or other for-profit, non-profit
institutions, and individuals or
households.
Number of Respondents: 1,454.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting:
One-time only.
Total Burden Hours: 870.
Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2020–26304 Filed 11–27–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
[Docket No. APHIS–2019–0002]
Notice of Availability of an
Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact for
the Release of Aphalara itadori for the
Biological Control of Japanese, Giant,
and Bohemian Knotweeds
Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
We are advising the public
that we have prepared a final
environmental assessment and finding
of no significant impact relative to the
release of Aphalara itadori for the
biological control of Japanese, Giant,
and Bohemian knotweeds (Fallopia
japonica, F. sachalinensis, and F. x
bohemica), significant invasive weeds,
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.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
76515
Invasive
knotweeds in North America are a
complex of three closely related species
in the family Polygonaceae that were
introduced from Japan during the late
19th century. They include Fallopia
japonica (Japanese knotweed), F.
sachalinensis (Giant knotweed), and the
hybrid between the two, F. x bohemica
(Bohemian knotweed). These large
herbaceous perennials have spread
throughout much of North America,
with the greatest infestations in the
Pacific Northwest, the northeast of the
United States, and eastern Canada.
While capable of growing in diverse
habitats, the knotweeds have become
especially problematic along the banks
and floodplains of rivers and streams,
where they crowd out native plants and
potentially affect stream nutrients and
food webs. While several States have
active control programs against
knotweeds, the inaccessibility of some
of the infestations and the difficulty
with which the plants are killed suggest
that complete eradication of knotweeds
within the United States is unlikely.
The Hokkaido and Kyushu biotypes of
the insect, Aphalara itadori, were
chosen as potential biological control
organisms. The biotypes are expected to
reduce the severity of infestations of
Japanese, Giant, and Bohemian
knotweed, and are known to be highly
host specific due to their intimate
relationship with their host plants.
On May 28, 2019, we published in the
Federal Register (84 FR 24463–24464,
Docket No. APHIS–2019–0002) 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 Aphalara
itadori for the biological control of
Japanese, Giant, and Bohemian
knotweed within the contiguous United
States. Comments on the notice were
required to be received on or before June
27, 2019; however, we reopened the
comment period for an additional 60
days ending August 26, 2019 in a
subsequent notice (84 FR 37825–37826,
Docket No. APHIS–2019–0002). We
received 300 comments by that date.
Our responses to the comments are
included in the final EA.
In this document, we are advising the
public of our finding of no significant
impact (FONSI) regarding the release of
Aphalara itadori for the biological
control of Japanese, Giant, and
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1 To view the notice, supporting document, and
the comments we received, go to https://
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS2019-0002.
E:\FR\FM\30NON1.SGM
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76516
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 230 / Monday, November 30, 2020 / Notices
Bohemian knotweeds (F. japonica, F.
sachalinensis, and F. x bohemica)
within the contiguous United States.
The finding, which is based on the EA,
reflects our determination that release of
Aphalara itadori for the biological
control of Japanese, Giant, and
Bohemian knotweeds (F. japonica, F.
sachalinensis, and F. x bohemica) 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
Aphalara itadori for the biological
control of Japanese, Giant, and
Bohemian knotweeds (F. japonica, F.
sachalinensis, and F. x bohemica).
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 1620, 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) Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service’s NEPA
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part
372).
Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of
November 2020.
Mark Davidson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2020–26290 Filed 11–27–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Notice of Public Meeting of the
Massachusetts Advisory Committee
Commission on Civil Rights.
Announcement of meeting.
TKELLEY on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with NOTICES
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
(FACA), that a meeting of the
Massachusetts Advisory Committee to
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:03 Nov 27, 2020
Jkt 253001
the Commission will convene by
conference call on Wednesday,
December 16, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
The purpose of the meeting is to review
and vote on a report on water
accessibility in Massachusetts.
DATES: Wednesday, December 16, 2020
at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
Public Call-In Information:
Conference call-in number: 1–800–353–
6461 and conference ID: 2739300.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Evelyn Bohor at ero@usccr.gov or by
phone at 202–376–7533.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested
members of the public may listen to the
discussion by calling the following tollfree Conference call-in number: 1–800–
353–6461 and conference ID: 2739300.
Please be advised that before placing
them into the conference call, the
conference call operator will ask callers
to provide their names, their
organizational affiliations (if any), and
email addresses (so that callers may be
notified of future meetings). Callers can
expect to incur charges for calls they
initiate over wireless lines, and the
Commission will not refund any
incurred charges. Callers will incur no
charge for calls they initiate over landline connections to the toll-free
conference call-in number.
Individuals who are deaf, deafblind
and hard of hearing may also follow the
proceedings by first calling the Federal
Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339 and
providing the Federal Relay Service
operator with the conference call-in
numbers: 1–800–353–6461 and
conference ID: 2739300.
Members of the public are entitled to
make comments during the open period
at the end of the meeting. Members of
the public may also submit written
comments; the comments must be
received in the Regional Programs Unit
within 30 days following the respective
meeting. Written comments may be
emailed to Barbara Delaviez at ero@
usccr.gov. Persons who desire
additional information may contact the
Regional Programs Unit at (202) 809–
9618. Records and documents discussed
during the meeting will be available for
public viewing as they become available
at the www.facadatabase.gov. Persons
interested in the work of this advisory
committee are advised to go to the
Commission’s website, www.usccr.gov,
or to contact the Regional Programs Unit
at the above phone number or email
address.
Agenda
Wednesday, December 16, 2020; 11:30
a.m. (ET)
1. Roll Call
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4703
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2. Review and Edit Report on Water
Accessibility in Massachusetts
3. Other Business
4. Open Comment
5. Adjourn
Dated: November 24, 2020.
David Mussatt,
Supervisory Chief, Regional Programs Unit.
[FR Doc. 2020–26296 Filed 11–27–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Notice of Public Meetings of the Maine
Advisory Committee to the U.S.
Commission on Civil Rights
U.S. Commission on Civil
Rights.
ACTION: Announcement of meetings.
AGENCY:
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 that
the Maine Advisory Committee
(Committee) will hold three meetings.
One will be on Friday, December 11,
2020, at 2:30 p.m. (ET) for the purpose
of hearing from the public on the
challenges to digital access in Maine.
The second and third meetings will be
on Thursdays, December 17, 2020 and
January 21, 2021, both at 12:00 p.m. for
the purpose of hearing testimony about
digital equity issues in Maine.
DATES: Friday, December 11, 2020, at
2:30 p.m. ET; Thursday, December 17,
2020, at 12:00 p.m.; Thursday, January
21, 2020, at 12:00 p.m.
Public Call Information for Both
Meetings: Dial: 1–800–367–2403;
conference ID: 1644409.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Evelyn Bohor, at ero@usccr.gov or 202–
921–2212.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Members
of the public can listen to the
discussions. These meetings are
available to the public through the
above listed toll-free number. Any
interested member of the public may
call this number and listen to the
meeting. An open comment period for
each date will be provided to allow
members of the public to make a
statement as time allows. The
conference call operator will ask callers
to identify themselves, the organization
they are affiliated with (if any), and an
email address prior to placing callers
into the conference room. Callers can
expect to incur regular charges for calls
they initiate over wireless lines,
according to their wireless plan. The
Commission will not refund any
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\30NON1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 230 (Monday, November 30, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76515-76516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26290]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2019-0002]
Notice of Availability of an Environmental Assessment and Finding
of No Significant Impact for the Release of Aphalara itadori for the
Biological Control of Japanese, Giant, and Bohemian Knotweeds
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared a final
environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact relative
to the release of Aphalara itadori for the biological control of
Japanese, Giant, and Bohemian knotweeds (Fallopia japonica, F.
sachalinensis, and F. x bohemica), significant invasive weeds, 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: Invasive knotweeds in North America are a
complex of three closely related species in the family Polygonaceae
that were introduced from Japan during the late 19th century. They
include Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed), F. sachalinensis (Giant
knotweed), and the hybrid between the two, F. x bohemica (Bohemian
knotweed). These large herbaceous perennials have spread throughout
much of North America, with the greatest infestations in the Pacific
Northwest, the northeast of the United States, and eastern Canada.
While capable of growing in diverse habitats, the knotweeds have become
especially problematic along the banks and floodplains of rivers and
streams, where they crowd out native plants and potentially affect
stream nutrients and food webs. While several States have active
control programs against knotweeds, the inaccessibility of some of the
infestations and the difficulty with which the plants are killed
suggest that complete eradication of knotweeds within the United States
is unlikely.
The Hokkaido and Kyushu biotypes of the insect, Aphalara itadori,
were chosen as potential biological control organisms. The biotypes are
expected to reduce the severity of infestations of Japanese, Giant, and
Bohemian knotweed, and are known to be highly host specific due to
their intimate relationship with their host plants.
On May 28, 2019, we published in the Federal Register (84 FR 24463-
24464, Docket No. APHIS-2019-0002) 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 Aphalara itadori for the biological
control of Japanese, Giant, and Bohemian knotweed within the contiguous
United States. Comments on the notice were required to be received on
or before June 27, 2019; however, we reopened the comment period for an
additional 60 days ending August 26, 2019 in a subsequent notice (84 FR
37825-37826, Docket No. APHIS-2019-0002). We received 300 comments by
that date. Our responses to the comments are included in the final EA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ To view the notice, supporting document, and the comments we
received, go to https://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-
2019-0002.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this document, we are advising the public of our finding of no
significant impact (FONSI) regarding the release of Aphalara itadori
for the biological control of Japanese, Giant, and
[[Page 76516]]
Bohemian knotweeds (F. japonica, F. sachalinensis, and F. x bohemica)
within the contiguous United States. The finding, which is based on the
EA, reflects our determination that release of Aphalara itadori for the
biological control of Japanese, Giant, and Bohemian knotweeds (F.
japonica, F. sachalinensis, and F. x bohemica) 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
Aphalara itadori for the biological control of Japanese, Giant, and
Bohemian knotweeds (F. japonica, F. sachalinensis, and F. x bohemica).
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 1620, 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)
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's NEPA Implementing
Procedures (7 CFR part 372).
Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of November 2020.
Mark Davidson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-26290 Filed 11-27-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
