Department of Agriculture May 7, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice advises the public of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's record of decision for the Use of Genetically Engineered Fruit Fly and Pink Bollworm in APHIS Plant Pest Control Programs Final Environmental Impact Statement.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an evaluation of the animal health status of Suffolk and Norfolk Counties, England, relative to the H5N1 subtype of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The evaluation presents our assessment of the HPAI H5N1 detection, control, and eradication measures in place in Suffolk and Norfolk Counties, England, during outbreaks of HPAI H5N1 in 2007, as well as our assessment of the present status of Suffolk and Norfolk Counties, England, with respect to HPAI subtype H5N1. We are making this evaluation available to the public for review and comment. If, after the close of the comment period, APHIS can identify no additional risk factors that would indicate that domestic poultry in Suffolk and Norfolk Counties in England continue to be affected with HPAI H5N1, we would conclude that the importation of live birds, poultry carcasses, parts of carcasses, and eggs (other than hatching eggs) of poultry, game birds, or other birds from the affected regions of Suffolk and Norfolk Counties in England presents a low risk of introducing HPAI H5N1 into the United States.

It has been determined by the NRCS State Conservationist for Virginia that changes must be made in the NRCS State Technical Guide specifically in practice standards: 338, Prescribed Burning; 391, Riparian Forest Buffer; 490, Tree/Shrub Site Preparation; and 666, Forest Stand Improvement. These practices will be used to plan and install conservation practices.