Department of Agriculture February 12, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule will meet in Albuquerque, NM. The committee operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to provide advice and recommendations on the implementation of the National Forest System Land Management Rule. The meeting is also open to the public. The purpose of the meeting is to advance the dialogue from the first meeting and build a broader understanding of issues associated with implementation of the new planning rule. Another objective of the meeting is to continue to define areas where the committee can provide the most valuable input and recommendations for implementation of the new rule.

We are proposing to amend the regulations on importing plants for planting to add Turkey to the list of countries from which the importation of restricted articles of Chrysanthemum spp., Leucanthemella serotina, and Nipponanthemum nipponicum into the United States is prohibited due to the presence of white rust of Chrysanthemum; to require permits for the importation of any seed that is coated, pelleted, or embedded in a substrate that obscures visibility; to provide for an alternate additional declaration on phytosanitary certificates that accompany articles imported from a country in which potato cyst nematodes are known to occur; to provide conditions for the importation of Prunus spp. articles from Canada that address the presence of plum pox potyvirus in that country; and to provide for the importation of Dianthus spp. (carnations) from the Netherlands. We are also proposing other changes to update and clarify the regulations and to improve their effectiveness. These changes are necessary to relieve restrictions that appear unnecessary, to update existing provisions, and to make the regulations easier to understand and implement.