Importation of Plants in Approved Growing Media Into the United States; Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact, 33634-33635 [2021-13497]

Download as PDF 33634 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 120 / Friday, June 25, 2021 / Notices lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 member may serve successively for more than 2 terms. The Advisory Committee consists of 15 members, appointed by the Secretary, who represent the interests of grain producers, processors, handlers, merchandisers, consumers, exporters, and scientists with expertise in research related to the policies in section 2 of the USGSA (7 U.S.C. 74). While members of the Advisory Committee serve without compensation, USDA reimburses them for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, for travel away from their homes or regular places of business in performance of Advisory Committee service (see 5 U.S.C. 5703). A list of current Advisory Committee members and other relevant information are available on the USDA website at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/ facas-advisory-councils/giac. The grain industry that utilizes Official Inspection and Weighing services for barley, canola, corn, flaxseed, oats, rye, soybeans, sorghum, sunflower seed, triticale, wheat, and mixed grain is diverse. AMS is seeking nominations for the Advisory Committee that will reflect the diversity of the grain industry, including, but not limited to, grain producers, processors, handlers, merchandisers, consumers, exporters, and scientists. Therefore, when making recommendations for appointments, the industry must consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population. Nominations are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, marital status, or sexual orientation. To ensure that recommendations of the Advisory Committee take into account the needs of the diverse groups served by the USDA, membership shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. Final selection of Advisory Committee members is made by the Secretary. Dated: June 16, 2021. Cikena Reid, USDA Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. 2021–13504 Filed 6–24–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE P VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:38 Jun 24, 2021 Jkt 253001 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS–2018–0101] Importation of Plants in Approved Growing Media Into the United States; Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: We are advising the public that a final environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact have been prepared by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for the importation of plants in approved growing media. The environmental assessment documents our review and analysis of the environmental impacts associated with, and alternatives to, the importation of plants in approved growing media. Based on its finding of no significant impact, we have determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lydia E. Colo´n, Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, Plant Health Programs, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737–1237; Lydia.E.Colon@usda.gov; (301) 851– 2302. SUMMARY: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The requirements for importing plants in growing media (PIGM) consist of overlapping phytosanitary risk mitigation measures that together comprise a ‘‘systems approach.’’ The systems approach is designed to protect imported PIGM against pests and diseases during all stages of international trade from the greenhouse to final product delivery. The goal of the systems approach is to minimize the likelihood that any quarantine pest species enter the United States on the commodity proposed for import. The pest mitigation measures the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) proposes for most PIGM import requests are markedly similar from one request to the next, and for this reason we determined that a single programmatic environmental assessment (EA) would reduce the need for repetitive documentation of comparable risks for the majority of PIGM import requests we receive. PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 On April 10, 2019, we published in the Federal Register (84 FR 14340, Docket No. APHIS–2018–0101) for public comment a notice of availability 1 of a draft programmatic EA for the importation of plants in approved growing media, which considers the potential environmental effects of a standardized set of pest risk mitigations for routine market requests to import plants in approved growing media. Comments on the notice were required to be received on or before May 10, 2019, but we reopened the comment period for an additional 45 days to June 24, 2019, to ensure that all interested persons had an opportunity to comment. During the public comment period APHIS received six comments. They were from producer organizations and private citizens. After reviewing the comments, we revised the EA to address issues raised by commenters, but also determined that none of the comments received necessitated changes to either the approach or the conclusions of the draft EA. The final programmatic EA addresses the issues raised in the public comments. Accordingly, we are advising the public that we have adopted the draft EA as a final programmatic EA entitled ‘‘Importation of Plants in Approved Growing Media (PIGM) into the United States’’ (January 2020) and have prepared a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) regarding the conclusions of the EA. The final EA and FONSI may be viewed on the Regulations.gov website 2 or in our reading room, which is located in room 1620 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. You may request paper copies of the final EA and FONSI by calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the title of the final EA when requesting copies. The final 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 1 The notice, programmatic EA, public comments, and FONSI can be viewed at www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS–2018–0101 in the Search field. 2 See footnote 1. E:\FR\FM\25JNN1.SGM 25JNN1 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 120 / Friday, June 25, 2021 / Notices (7 CFR part 1b); and (4) APHIS’ NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372). Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of June 2021. Mark Davidson, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. 2021–13497 Filed 6–24–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–34–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS–2021–0007] Concurrence With OIE Risk Designation for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Agriculture (USDA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: We are advising the public of our preliminary concurrence with the World Organization for Animal Health’s (OIE) bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk designation for Bolivia and the United Kingdom’s zone of Jersey. The OIE recognizes this country and this zone as being of negligible risk for BSE. We are taking this action based on our review of information supporting the OIE’s risk designation for Bolivia and the United Kingdom’s zone of Jersey. DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before August 24, 2021. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS– 2021–0007 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab, then select the Comment button in the list of documents. • Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS–2021–0007, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. Any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is located in Room 1620 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: Mr. Javier Vargas, Senior Staff Officer, lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:38 Jun 24, 2021 Jkt 253001 Regionalization Evaluation Services, Veterinary Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737– 1231; (301) 851–3316; email: AskRegionalization@usda.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 92 subpart B, ‘‘Importation of Animals and Animal Products; Procedures for Requesting BSE Risk Status Classification With Regard To Bovines’’ (referred to below as the regulations), set forth the process by which the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) classifies regions for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk. Section 92.5 of the regulations provides that all countries of the world are considered by APHIS to be in one of three BSE risk categories: Negligible risk, controlled risk, or undetermined risk. These risk categories are defined in § 92.1. Any region that is not classified by APHIS as presenting either negligible risk or controlled risk for BSE is considered to present an undetermined risk. The list of those regions classified by APHIS as having either negligible risk or controlled risk can be accessed on the APHIS website at https:// www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/ animalhealth/animal-and-animalproduct-import-information/animalhealth-status-of-regions. The list can also be obtained by writing to APHIS at Regionalization Evaluation Services, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. Under the regulations, APHIS may classify a region for BSE in one of two ways. One way is for regions that have not received a risk classification from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to request classification by APHIS. The other way is for APHIS to concur with the classification given to a country or region by the OIE. If the OIE has classified a region as either BSE negligible risk or BSE controlled risk, APHIS will seek information to support concurrence with the OIE classification. This information may be publicly available information, or APHIS may request that regions supply the same information given to the OIE. APHIS will announce in the Federal Register, subject to public comment, its intent to concur with an OIE classification. In accordance with this process, we are giving notice in this document that APHIS intends to concur with the OIE risk classification of the country of Bolivia and the United Kingdom’s zone of Jersey as regions of negligible risk for BSE. The OIE recommendation regarding Bolivia and the United Kingdom’s zone PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 33635 of Jersey can be viewed at https:// www.oie.int/en/disease/bovinespongiform-encephalopathy/. The conclusions of the OIE scientific commission for Bolivia and the United Kingdom’s zone of Jersey can be viewed at https://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/ eng/Internationa_Standard_Setting/ docs/pdf/SCAD/A_SCAD_Feb2020.pdf (pages 53 for Bolivia and 56 for the United Kingdom’s zone of Jersey). After reviewing any comments that we receive, we will announce our final determination regarding the BSE classification of Bolivia and the United Kingdom’s zone of Jersey in the Federal Register, along with a discussion of and response to pertinent issues raised by commenters. If APHIS recognizes Bolivia and the United Kingdom’s zone of Jersey as negligible risk for BSE, the Agency will include this country and zone on the list of regions of negligible risk for BSE that is available to the public on the Agency’s website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-andanimal-product-import-information/ animal-health-status-of-regions. Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622 and 8301–8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4. Done in Washington, DC, this 21st day of June 2021. Jack Shere, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. 2021–13552 Filed 6–24–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–34–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Shasta County Resource Advisory Committee Forest Service, USDA. Notice of meeting. AGENCY: ACTION: The Shasta County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet virtually via Microsoft Teams. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with Title II of the Act. RAC information can be found at the following website: https:// www.fs.usda.gov/main/stnf/ workingtogether/advisorycommittees. DATES: The meetings will be held on: SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\25JNN1.SGM 25JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 120 (Friday, June 25, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33634-33635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13497]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2018-0101]


Importation of Plants in Approved Growing Media Into the United 
States; Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of 
No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that a final environmental 
assessment and finding of no significant impact have been prepared by 
the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for the importation of 
plants in approved growing media. The environmental assessment 
documents our review and analysis of the environmental impacts 
associated with, and alternatives to, the importation of plants in 
approved growing media. Based on its finding of no significant impact, 
we have determined that an environmental impact statement need not be 
prepared.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lydia E. Col[oacute]n, Senior 
Regulatory Policy Specialist, Plant Health Programs, Plant Protection 
and Quarantine, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 4700 River 
Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1237; [email protected]; (301) 
851-2302.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The requirements for importing plants in growing media (PIGM) 
consist of overlapping phytosanitary risk mitigation measures that 
together comprise a ``systems approach.'' The systems approach is 
designed to protect imported PIGM against pests and diseases during all 
stages of international trade from the greenhouse to final product 
delivery. The goal of the systems approach is to minimize the 
likelihood that any quarantine pest species enter the United States on 
the commodity proposed for import.
    The pest mitigation measures the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) proposes for most PIGM import requests are markedly 
similar from one request to the next, and for this reason we determined 
that a single programmatic environmental assessment (EA) would reduce 
the need for repetitive documentation of comparable risks for the 
majority of PIGM import requests we receive.
    On April 10, 2019, we published in the Federal Register (84 FR 
14340, Docket No. APHIS-2018-0101) for public comment a notice of 
availability \1\ of a draft programmatic EA for the importation of 
plants in approved growing media, which considers the potential 
environmental effects of a standardized set of pest risk mitigations 
for routine market requests to import plants in approved growing media. 
Comments on the notice were required to be received on or before May 
10, 2019, but we reopened the comment period for an additional 45 days 
to June 24, 2019, to ensure that all interested persons had an 
opportunity to comment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The notice, programmatic EA, public comments, and FONSI can 
be viewed at www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS-2018-0101 in the 
Search field.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    During the public comment period APHIS received six comments. They 
were from producer organizations and private citizens. After reviewing 
the comments, we revised the EA to address issues raised by commenters, 
but also determined that none of the comments received necessitated 
changes to either the approach or the conclusions of the draft EA. The 
final programmatic EA addresses the issues raised in the public 
comments.
    Accordingly, we are advising the public that we have adopted the 
draft EA as a final programmatic EA entitled ``Importation of Plants in 
Approved Growing Media (PIGM) into the United States'' (January 2020) 
and have prepared a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) regarding 
the conclusions of the EA.
    The final EA and FONSI may be viewed on the Regulations.gov website 
\2\ or in our reading room, which is located in room 1620 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. You may request paper copies 
of the final EA and FONSI by calling or writing to the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the title of the 
final EA when requesting copies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ See footnote 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The final 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

[[Page 33635]]

(7 CFR part 1b); and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
part 372).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of June 2021.
Mark Davidson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-13497 Filed 6-24-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P

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