Notice2024-24200
Importation of Acer spp. (Acer buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A. pseudosieboldianum) Dwarf Plants From the Republic of Korea Into the Continental United States
Primary source
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Published
October 21, 2024
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 203 (Monday, October 21, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 203 (Monday, October 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 84110-84111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24200]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2021-0076]
Importation of Acer spp. (Acer buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A.
pseudosieboldianum) Dwarf Plants From the Republic of Korea Into the
Continental United States
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: 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.
DATES: Imports may be authorized beginning October 21, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Narasimha Chary Samboju, Senior
Regulatory Policy Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 851-2038.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Under the regulations in ``Subpart H--Plants for Planting'' (7 CFR
319.37-1 through 319.37-23, referred to below as the regulations), the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture prohibits or restricts the importation of
plants for planting (including living plants, plant parts, seeds, and
plant cuttings) to prevent the introduction of quarantine pests into
the United States. Quarantine pest is defined in Sec. 319.37-2 of the
regulations as a plant pest or noxious weed that is of potential
economic importance to the United States and not yet present in the
United States, or present but not widely distributed and being
officially controlled. Section 319.37-4 of the regulations provides
that certain taxa of plants for planting are not authorized for
importation into the United States pending pest risk analysis (NAPPRA)
to prevent the introduction of quarantine pests into the United States.
Paragraph (e) of Sec. 319.37-4 describes the process for removing
taxa from the NAPPRA lists.\1\ After receiving a request to remove taxa
from the NAPPRA lists, APHIS will conduct a pest risk analysis (PRA) in
response to such a request and make the PRA available for public review
and comment. Following the close of the comment period, we will review
all comments received and announce our decision regarding the request
in a subsequent notice.
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\1\ To view the NAPPRA lists, go to: <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/import-information/permits/plants-and-plant-products-permits/plants-for-planting/ct_nappra">https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/import-information/permits/plants-and-plant-products-permits/plants-for-planting/ct_nappra</a>.
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On January 31, 2022, we published in the Federal Register (87 FR
4832-4833, Docket No. APHIS-2021-0076) a notice \2\ in which we
proposed to revise the NAPPRA lists to allow the importation of three
Acer spp. (Acer buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A. pseudosieboldianum)
dwarf plants from the Republic of Korea (South Korea) into the
continental United States, subject to the conditions required for all
approved dwarf plants imported under the APHIS Artificially Dwarfed
Plants program \3\ as well as additional conditions outlined in a risk
management document (RMD) accompanying the notice.
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\2\ To view the notice, supporting documents, and the comments
we received, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/APHIS-2021-0076-0001">https://www.regulations.gov/document/APHIS-2021-0076-0001</a>.
\3\ To view the requirements of the APHIS Artificially Dwarfed
Plants program, go to: <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/plants_for_planting.pdf">https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/plants_for_planting.pdf</a>.
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We solicited comments on the notice for 60 days ending on April 1,
2022. We received three comments by that date, all from private
citizens. The issues raised by the commenters are addressed below.
All three commenters expressed concern that importing non-native
plants, or plants from regions with plant pests, may introduce foreign
pests, or otherwise endanger plants native to the United States.
We understand the commenters' concerns but find no basis for
changing our recommendations based on the comments. As the
documentation associated with the initial notice for comment shows,
APHIS thoroughly and sufficiently assessed potential risks from this
importation and proposed conditions adequate to mitigate the possible
risks. Our methodology for the pest risk assessment that accompanied
the initial notice included careful examination of scientific
literature, port-of-entry pest interception data, and information
provided by the Government of the Republic of Korea.
[[Page 84111]]
From these sources, we developed a list of pests with quarantine
significance for the continental United States that occur in the
Republic of Korea (on any host) and are associated with the three Acer
spp. (anywhere in the world). We are therefore confident the pest risk
assessment is thorough and accurate.
Based on the pest risk assessment, we prepared the RMD to identify
phytosanitary measures that could be applied to the three Acer spp. to
mitigate the risk of introducing these pests into the United States. As
the commenters did not raise any specific concerns with the information
presented in the RMD, we continue to consider the mitigations in the
RMD to be sufficient to ensure that pests are not introduced into the
United States through this pathway.
One of the commenters also stated that, while the PRA considers
risks associated with known pests, it does not consider pest species
that may present a risk in the future.
APHIS continuously monitors foreign countries for quarantine pests.
If a new quarantine pest relevant to the importation of these species
of Acer from the Republic of Korea arises in the future, APHIS will
reassess the associated pest risk and may revise the import
restrictions accordingly.
Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 319.37-4(e), and based on the
reasons outlined in the initial notice, the PRA accompanying the
initial notice, and this second notice, we are removing A.
buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A. pseudosieboldianum dormant, bare-
rooted dwarf plants from the Republic of Korea from the NAPPRA lists,
thereby allowing the importation of such Acer spp. into the continental
United States, subject to the pest mitigation measures required for all
approved dwarf plants imported under the APHIS Artificially Dwarfed
Plants program \4\ as well as the additional commodity specific risk
management measures described in the RMD accompanying the initial
notice.\5\
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\4\ See footnote 3.
\5\ See footnote 2.
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Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.), the recordkeeping and burden requirements associated
with this action are included under the Office of Management and Budget
control number 0579-0049.
E-Government Act Compliance
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is committed to
compliance with the E-Government Act to promote the use of the internet
and other information technologies, to provide increased opportunities
for citizen access to Government information and services, and for
other purposes. For information pertinent to E-Government Act
compliance related to this notice, please contact Mr. Joseph Moxey,
APHIS' Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, at (301) 851-2533.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 7701-7772, and 7781-7786; 21 U.S.C. 136
and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.
Done in Washington, DC, this 15th day of October 2024.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-24200 Filed 10-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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