[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 104 (Thursday, May 30, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 37755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13530]
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Notices
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
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Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 104 / Thursday, May 30, 2002 /
Notices
[[Page 37755]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 02-059-1]
Availability of an Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that an environmental assessment
has been prepared by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
relative to the control of yellow starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis
(Asteraceae). The environmental assessment considers the effects of,
and alternatives to, the release of a nonindigenous rust fungus,
Puccinia jaceae var. solstitialis (Urendinales), into the environment
for use as a biological control agent to reduce the severity of yellow
starthistle infestations. We are making this environmental assessment
available to the public for review and comment.
DATES: We will consider all comments we receive that are postmarked,
delivered, or e-mailed by July 1, 2002.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by postal mail/commercial delivery
or by e-mail. If you use postal mail/commercial delivery, please send
four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to: Docket
No. 02-059-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station
3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state
that your comment refers to Docket No. 02-059-1. If you use e-mail,
address your comment to regulations@aphis.usda.gov. Your comment must
be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files.
Please include your name and address in your message and ``Docket No.
02-059-1'' on the subject line.
You may read any comments that we receive on the environmental
assessment in our reading room. The reading room is located in room
1141 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) 690-2817 before coming.
APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Charles L. Divan, Plant
Pathologist, PPD, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 135, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1236; (301) 734-3367.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is
considering an application from the California Department of Food and
Agriculture (CDFA) for a permit to release a nonindigenous rust fungus,
Puccinia jaceae var. solstitialis (Urendinales), in California to
reduce the severity of yellow starthistle (YST), Centaurea
solstitialis, infestations.
YST is an exotic weed that has become one of California's worst
pests since its introduction prior to 1860. Since then, it has spread
steadily throughout California and other western States. YST infests
rangelands, orchards, vineyards, pastures, parks, and natural areas.
Uncontrolled, it dominates the local plant community. It is capable of
invading undisturbed areas.
APHIS has completed an environmental assessment that considers the
effects of, and alternatives to, releasing P. jaceae var. solstitialis
into the environment as part of a biological control program to reduce
the severity of YST infestations. There are currently several control
methods for YST, including mowing, timed grazing, prescribed burns, and
other methods. However, these approaches are very expensive, may damage
the environment, and take several years to be effective. The United
States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service and
CDFA are cooperatively developing biological controls for YST. We
anticipate that biological control will significantly reduce control
costs and possibly permanently reduce the abundance and impact of YST.
APHIS' review and analysis of the potential environmental impacts
associated with releasing this biological control agent into the
environment are documented in detail in an environmental assessment
entitled ``Field Release of a Rust Fungus, Puccinia jaceae var.
solstitialis (Urendinales), For Biological Control of Yellow
Starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis (Asteraceae)'' (April 2002). We are
making this environmental assessment available to the public for review
and comment. We will consider all comments that we receive by the date
listed under the heading DATES at the beginning of this notice.
You may request copies of the environmental assessment by calling
or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Please refer to the title of the environmental assessment when
requesting copies. The environmental assessment is also available for
review in our reading room (information on the location and hours of
the reading room is listed under the heading ADDRESSES at the beginning
of this notice.)
The environmental assessment has 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
(7 CFR part 1), and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part
372).
Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of May 2002.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 02-13530 Filed 5-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P