Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is correcting a notice that published in the Federal Register on November 8, 2024. The notice announced proposed adjusted user fee rates for the costs of providing certain goods and services, including veterinary diagnostic goods and services and veterinary services for imports and exports of live animals and animal products. The notice erroneously omitted a proposed adjusted fee in one of the tables provided. This document updates that table.

We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation of fresh Hass avocado (Persea americana var. Hass) fruit from Guatemala into the United States. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh Hass avocado fruit from Guatemala.

We are proposing to authorize the importation of Phalaenopsis spp. orchid plants from Germany and the Netherlands in approved growing media into the United States. As a condition of entry, Phalaenopsis spp. orchid plants in approved growing media from Germany and the Netherlands would have to meet all relevant requirements included in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plants for Planting Manual and detailed in a bilateral workplan. This proposed action would allow for the importation of Phalaenopsis spp. orchid plants for planting from Germany and the Netherlands in approved growing media while providing protection against the introduction of plant pests.

We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation of fresh soursop fruit (Annona muricata), also known as guanabana, from Mexico into the continental United States. Based on findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh soursop fruit from Mexico.

We are notifying the public that we are removing three Acer spp. (Acer buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A. pseudosieboldianum) dwarf plants from the Republic of Korea from our lists of taxa of plants for planting whose importation into the United States is not authorized pending pest risk analysis, thereby allowing the importation of such Acer spp. into the continental United States, subject to certain conditions. We are taking this action in response to a request from this country and after determining that the plants can be imported, under certain conditions, without resulting in the introduction into, or the dissemination within, the United States of a plant pest.

We are revising the phytosanitary treatment and quarantine import regulations to reflect our relocation of import and treatment requirements for agricultural commodities to the Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements online database. This change will ensure that the regulations provide the latest web links for accessing current import and treatment requirements for all agricultural commodities.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with the regulations permitting applicants to self-certify certain medical statements when applying for positions with the Federal Government.

We are giving notice that the National Wildlife Services Advisory Committee will be holding a public meeting.

We are advising the public that we have added Bangladesh, Montenegro, and Albania to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) list maintained on the APHIS website of regions considered to be affected by African swine fever (ASF). We have taken this action because of the confirmation of ASF in these countries.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request approval of a new information collection associated with the use of the contact page of the Unified website for Biotechnology Regulation to collect certain information from visitors to the website.

This document corrects a typographical error in the final rule entitled "User Fees for Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection Services," which was published in the Federal Register on May 7, 2024, and has an effective date of October 1, 2024.

We are advising the public that we have prepared a final environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact relative to permitting the release of the insect Lophodiplosis indentata for the biological control of Melaleuca quinquenervia (Myrtaceae) in the contiguous United States. Based on our finding of no significant impact, we have determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.

We are advising the public that we are proposing to recognize Costa Rica as being free of classical swine fever. This proposed recognition is based on a risk evaluation we have prepared in connection with this action, which we are making available for review and comment.

We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation of leaves and stems of fresh sage from Ethiopia into the continental United States. Based on the analysis, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of leaves and stems of fresh sage from Ethiopia. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.

Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 and Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-108, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) gives notice that a component agency, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), proposes to modify an existing system of records notice titled Wildlife Services Management Information System, USDA/APHIS-9. Among other changes, the system will be renamed Wildlife Services Information Management System, USDA/APHIS- 9. Wildlife Services Information Management System serves as the official record of Wildlife Services' work in wildlife damage management activities related to agriculture, human health and safety, natural resources, and human property.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection for continuing the On-Farm Monitoring of Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in U.S. Broiler Production Study.

We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation of fresh ginseng roots (Panax ginseng C.A. Mey.) from the Republic of Korea into the United States. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh ginseng roots from the Republic of Korea.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is reopening the comment period for our notice that proposes to modify an existing system of records titled, APHIS Animal Health Surveillance and Monitoring System, USDA/APHIS-15, which will be renamed Animal Health, Disease, and Pest Surveillance and Management System, USDA/APHIS-15. This system is used by APHIS to collect, manage, and evaluate animal health data for disease and pest control and surveillance programs. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

We are notifying the public that we are updating the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plants for Planting Manual by recognizing the United Kingdom and 21 European Union Member States as being free from citrus longhorned beetle (CLB) and Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) and removing them from the list of countries where CLB and ALB are present. We are also changing the entry conditions in the manual for imports of certain host plant taxa of CLB and ALB from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom because they have previously approved genera exempted from the category of plants Not Authorized Pending Pest Risk Analysis. These changes will relieve certain restrictions on imports of host plants of CLB and ALB into the United States from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom while continuing to mitigate the risk of introducing quarantine pests into the United States.

This document corrects errors in amendatory instructions in the final rule entitled "Horse Protection Amendments," which was published in the Federal Register on May 8, 2024.

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 amended the Lacey Act to provide, in part, that importers submit a declaration at the time of importation for certain plants and plant products. Enforcement of the declaration requirement began on April 1, 2009, and products requiring a declaration are being phased-in. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of another phase of the Federal Government's enforcement schedule.

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a programmatic environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact relative to the Spotted Lanternfly Cooperative Control Program in the conterminous United States. The environmental assessment documents our review and analysis of environmental impacts associated with the Spotted Lanternfly Cooperative Control Program. Based on its finding of no significant impact, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.

We are amending the animal disease traceability regulations to require that eartags applied on or after a date 180 days after publication in the Federal Register of this final rule be both visually and electronically readable in order to be recognized for use as official eartags for interstate movement of cattle and bison covered under the regulations. We are also clarifying certain record retention and record access requirements and revising some requirements pertaining to slaughter cattle. These changes will enhance the ability of Tribal, State and Federal officials, private veterinarians, and livestock producers to quickly respond to high-impact diseases currently existing in the United States, as well as foreign animal diseases that threaten the viability of the U.S. cattle and bison industries.

We are amending the user fee regulations associated with the agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) program. Specifically, we are adjusting the fees for certain AQI services that are provided in connection with certain commercial vessels, commercial trucks, commercial railroad cars, commercial aircraft, and international passengers arriving at ports in the customs territory of the United States or precleared or preinspected at a site outside the customs territory of the United States; adjusting the caps on prepaid fees associated with commercial trucks and commercial railroad cars; and removing certain fee exemptions that are no longer justifiable based upon pathway analyses of risk. We are also revising requirements pertaining to remittances and statements. Specifically, we will require monthly rather than quarterly remittances for the commercial aircraft fee, international air passenger fee, and international cruise passenger fee, clarify our requirements, and provide for electronic payments and statements. We are also including in the regulations information on agents responsible for ensuring compliance with paying the user fees and the requirement for entities to notify the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in the event they have a change in personnel responsible for fee payments. These changes are necessary to recover the costs of the current level of AQI activity, to account for actual and projected increases in the cost of doing business, to increase fee payer accountability, and to more accurately align fees with the costs associated with each fee service.

In a final rule published in the Federal Register on September 14, 2023, and effective on October 16, 2023, we amended the regulations governing the importation of equines to better align our regulations with international standards, as well as to clarify existing policy or intent, and correct inconsistencies or outdated information. However, in amending the regulations for horses that are refused entry, we neglected to account for rare and specific situations in which an imported horse's death during travel can be determined to be unrelated to foreign animal disease risk. Additionally, in aiming to improve the readability of the regulations governing equines imported from Canada, we inadvertently changed the regulations to incorrectly read that certificates for horses from Canada must be issued and endorsed, rather than issued or endorsed, by a salaried veterinarian of the Canadian Government. This document corrects those errors.