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15805 Rules and Regulations Federal Register Vol. 72, No. 63 Tuesday, April 3, 2007 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER 319.37–14 (referred to below as the proposal regarding production site contains regulatory documents having general nursery stock regulations) restrict, registration was inconsistent. The applicability and legal effect, most of which among other things, the importation of background section of the proposed rule are keyed to and codified in the Code of living plants, plant parts, and seeds for stated that all production sites in Federal Regulations, which is published under propagation. Conditions governing the countries where CWR is known to occur 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510. importation of cut flowers into the would have to register with their The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by United States are contained in NPPOs. The proposed regulatory text the Superintendent of Documents. Prices of ‘‘Subpart—Cut Flowers’’ (§§ 319.74–1 stated that cut flowers would have to new books are listed in the first FEDERAL through 319.74–4, referred to below as originate from production sites that REGISTER issue of each week. the cut flowers regulations). were registered with their country’s On July 7, 2005, we published in the NPPO. It is our intent to only require Federal Register (70 FR 39194–39199, those production sites that wish to ship DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Docket No. 03–016–1) a proposal 1 to CWR-susceptible species of cut flowers amend the cut flowers regulations to to the United States to register with Animal and Plant Health Inspection establish specific requirements for the their NPPOs. Because the error appeared Service importation of cut flowers that are hosts only in the background section, it is not of chrysanthemum white rust (CWR) necessary to make a change in the 7 CFR Part 319 from countries where the disease is regulatory text in this final rule. [Docket No. 03–016–3] known to occur. We also proposed to One commenter took issue with our amend the nursery stock regulations to statement that CWR is not established in RIN 0579–AC18 update lists of countries where CWR is the United States. The commenter said known to occur. that the CWR status of a country should Cut Flowers From Countries With We solicited comments concerning Chrysanthemum White Rust be based on official survey information our proposal for 60 days ending in conformance with international AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health September 6, 2005. On September 20, standards. Also, the commenter stated Inspection Service, USDA. 2005, we published a document in the that we should recognize areas within ACTION: Final rule. Federal Register (70 FR 55036, Docket countries as pest-free rather than No. 03–016–2) reopening the comment considering the entire country to be SUMMARY: We are amending the cut period for our proposed rule until affected, and that this recognition flowers regulations to establish specific October 21, 2005. We received eight should be based upon official surveys requirements for the importation of cut comments by that date. The comments conducted in accordance with the flowers that are hosts of chrysanthemum were from representatives of State and International Plant Protection foreign governments, industry white rust (CWR) from countries where Convention’s (IPPC) standards for pest- organizations, importers and exporters, the disease is known to occur. We are free areas. and distributors. Two of those also amending the nursery stock We maintain that CWR is not commenters supported the proposed regulations to update lists of countries established in the United States. Based rule. The remaining commenters where CWR is known to occur. We are on the definitions given in the expressed some reservations, which are making these changes in order to make International Standards for discussed below. our cut flowers and nursery stock Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 8, regulations consistent. This action is General Comments ‘‘Determination of Pest Status in an necessary because of numerous recent Area,’’ when CWR is found in the findings of CWR on cut flowers from Two commenters stated that information about production site United States, it fits under the category Europe that pose a risk of introducing of ‘‘Transient: Actionable, under CWR in the United States. registration in the background section and the rule portion was inconsistent. eradication.’’ The explanation of this DATES: Effective Date: May 3, 2007. Specifically, the commenters stated that category given in ISPM No. 8 is that FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. it was unclear if all cut flower ‘‘the pest has been detected as an Tony Roman, Import Specialist, production sites in countries where isolated population which may survive Commodity Import Analysis and CWR is known to occur would have to into the immediate future and, without Operation, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River register with their national plant phytosanitary measures for eradication, Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737– protection organizations (NPPOs) or if may establish. Appropriate 1231; (301) 734–8758. only those wishing to export to the phytosanitary measures have been SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: United States would have to do so. applied for its eradication.’’ As stated in the proposed rule, whenever CWR has Background The commenter is correct, in that the wording used in the background section been detected in the United States, we The regulations in 7 CFR part 319 and the proposed regulatory text in our have taken immediate action to prohibit or restrict the importation of eradicate the disease. With regard to plants, plant parts, and related materials 1 To view the proposed rule and the comments recognizing areas within countries as to prevent the introduction of plant we received, go to http://www.regulations.gov, click CWR-free, we have not identified any pests into the United States. The on the ‘‘Advanced Search’’ tab, and select ‘‘Docket CWR-free areas within the countries Search.’’ In the Docket ID field, enter APHIS–2005– regulations in ‘‘Subpart-Nursery Stock, 0061, then click on ‘‘Submit.’’ Clicking on the where the disease is known to occur at Plants, Roots, Bulbs, Seeds, and Other Docket ID link in the search results page will this time, but would be willing to do so Plant Products,’’ §§ 319.37 through produce a list of all documents in the docket. if an affected country submits to APHIS VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:32 Apr 02, 2007 Jkt 211001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\03APR1.SGM 03APR1 rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with RULES 15806 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 63 / Tuesday, April 3, 2007 / Rules and Regulations scientific documentation that in monitoring the effectiveness of each One commenter stated that plants for demonstrates the pest-free status of an country’s program will primarily be planting pose a greater risk than cut area or areas within the country, and if APHIS employees who are already flowers because cut flowers will shortly the area otherwise meets the working closely with the NPPO in each end up in someone’s home, while plants requirements in ISPM No. 4 country. With regard to eradication for planting can be propagated. ‘‘Requirements for the Establishment of measures, it is not our intention to The regulations in § 319.37–2 prohibit Pest Free Areas.’’ dictate which measures a country uses the importation of CWR-susceptible One commenter stated that risk to eradicate CWR once it is detected. species of plants for planting from mitigations should be based on a pest Our concern is with ensuring that the countries where the disease is known to risk analysis, but noted that no pest risk measures used by the production site occur. In addition, the regulations in analysis was done for the proposed rule. have been effective and that the pest § 319.37–5(c) require that restricted The commenter stated that it would be risk within the production site has been articles from countries where CWR is useful for APHIS to communicate to eliminated. not known to occur be accompanied by NPPOs the risks that have been One commenter stated that the a phytosanitary certificate with a identified by APHIS in this matter. taxonomy of the genus Chrysanthemum declaration that the ‘‘article was grown We explained in our proposed rule has changed over the years and that the in a greenhouse nursery and found by that we have been administratively table of CWR hosts in § 319.74–2 should the plant protection service of the regulating cut flowers from countries reflect these changes. The commenter country in which grown to be free of where CWR is known to occur since noted that the plants belonging to the CWR based on visual examination of the 1974. Under these circumstances, we former Chrysanthemum spp. complex parent stock, the articles for believe that it is unnecessary to conduct have been transferred to several other importation, and the greenhouse a formal pest risk analysis. We also genera and that only three species are nursery in which the articles for stated in our proposed rule that we are now recognized as belonging to the importation and the parent stock were currently applying similar genus Chrysanthemum (i.e., C. grown, once a month for 4 consecutive administrative restrictions to cut flowers carinatum, C. coronarium and C. months immediately prior to from Mexico and the Netherlands and segetum). The commenter added that importation.’’ that these measures have been effective these species are not hosts to CWR. The One commenter stated that we should in preventing the introduction of CWR commenter also stated that the common clarify that Myclobutanil is the only by cut flowers from those countries. name ‘‘chrysanthemum’’ should be fungicide listed that is intended for Two commenters stated that APHIS associated with entries for the foliar fungicide application.