Notice2026-18858
Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Field Release of Aceria salsolae (Acari: Eriophyidae), a Mite for Biological Control of Russian Thistle (Salsola tragus), in the Contiguous United States
Primary source
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Published
September 15, 2026
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Abstract
We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a final environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact relative to permitting the release of the blister mite, Aceria salsolae (Acari: Eriophyidae), for the biological control of Russian thistle (Salsola tragus L.) within the contiguous United States. Based on our finding of no significant impact, we have determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 177 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 177 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58399-58400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18858]
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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
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Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 177 / Tuesday, September 15, 2026 /
Notices
[[Page 58399]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2024-0040]
Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact for the Field Release of Aceria
salsolae (Acari: Eriophyidae), a Mite for Biological Control of Russian
Thistle (Salsola tragus), in the Contiguous United States
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service has prepared a final environmental assessment and
finding of no significant impact relative to permitting the release of
the blister mite, Aceria salsolae (Acari: Eriophyidae), for the
biological control of Russian thistle (Salsola tragus L.) within the
contiguous United States. Based on our finding of no significant
impact, we have determined that an environmental impact statement need
not be prepared.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Kirsten Dyer, Agriculturist,
Pests, Pathogens and Biocontrol Permitting, Pest Exclusion and Import
Programs, PPQ, APHIS; (352) 554-0556; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5813312a2b2c3d36761c213d2a182d2b3c39763f372e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8ac1e3f8f9feefe4a4cef3eff8cafff9eeeba4ede5fc">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) has prepared a final environmental assessment (EA) and
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) relative to the field release
of the blister mite, Aceria salsolae (Acari: Eriophyidae), for the
biological control of Russian thistle (Salsola tragus L.) within the
contiguous United States. The action will reduce the severity of
infestations of Russian thistle in the central and western United
States. After completion of the environmental analysis, APHIS will
issue permits for the release.
Russian thistle, or tumbleweed, is an alien weedy annual plant that
infests about 41.3 million hectares (100 million acres) in the western
United States. It is native to the mountainous regions of southwest
Asia and was accidentally first introduced in the early 1870s in South
Dakota. Since then, it has spread over most of the central and western
United States and southern Canada. It grows primarily in fallow or
disturbed soil, along roadsides and irrigation canals, and in waste
areas in arid and semiarid zones. Russian thistle is listed as a
noxious weed in five states and causes millions of dollars in damage by
disrupting automobile traffic, clogging irrigation canals, displacing
native plant species, providing habitat to insect pests of many fruits
and vegetables, and is highly flammable, contributing to a rapid spread
of wildfires.
Permitting the release of A. salsolae in the contiguous United
States is likely to help control invasive Russian thistle. A. salsolae
is a recently discovered eriophyid mite species. Mite species are
usually extremely host specific and therefore generally pose low risk
to nontarget plants, making them a likely candidate for classical
biological control of weeds. A. salsolae has been reported only from S.
tragus and is the only eriophyid mite collected from these plants. A.
salsolae causes severe damage to the plant by feeding on epidermal
cells in the meristematic tissue, stunting growth and preventing
development of branches and flowers needed for reproduction. Host-
specificity testing indicates A. salsolae is unlikely to attack non-
target species.
Russian thistle is very difficult to control because current
chemical (i.e., herbicides), mechanical (i.e., tilling), and cultural
(i.e., competition from a healthy, well-watered crop) controls are not
effective against this widespread weed. However, Russian thistle is an
excellent target for classical biological control (i.e., use of exotic
natural enemies) because it has no close taxonomic relatives in North
America. Classical biological control is a potentially useful
management strategy for an invasive pest species whenever effective
resident natural enemies are lacking in the new distribution range.
On March 10, 2009, APHIS published a notice of availability of a
draft EA \1\ in the Federal Register (74 FR 10223-10224, Docket No.
APHIS-2008-0143). APHIS explained in the draft EA that after reviewing
host specific testing of 39 species and 12 varieties of host plants
from five (5) families, including 25 native species of North America,
A. salsolae was not expected to directly harm any plants outside of the
targeted Russian thistle and there was no population increase of A.
salsolae on nontarget plant species. The draft EA was made available to
the public for a 30-day comment period. However, because of a comment
APHIS received on the draft EA raising concerns about the release of A.
salsolae, APHIS did not issue a finding of no significant impact
(FONSI) and also did not issue permits allowing the environmental
release of A. salsolae. The commenter was concerned about some
additional testing conducted by the permit applicant that indicated
that A. salsolae mites survived for at least five (5) weeks on five
non-target plants. In the intervening years since publication of the
draft EA, additional research has been conducted providing new host
specificity information that enabled APHIS to strengthen its support
for the release of A. salsolae within the contiguous United States for
classical biological control of Russian thistle. Due to the
availability of this additional research, we revised the prior draft EA
and made the revised draft EA available to the public for a second
round of public comments.
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\1\ To view the notice, supporting documents, and the comments
we received, go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> and enter APHIS-2008-
0143 in the Search field.
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On June 27, 2025, we published in the Federal Register (90 FR
27522-27523, Docket No. APHIS-2024-0040) a notice \2\ in which we
announced the availability, for public review and comment, of a revised
draft EA that examined the potential environmental impacts associated
with permitting the release of the blister mite, A. salsolae, for the
biological control of Russian thistle within the contiguous United
States. Comments on the notice were required to be received on or
before July 28, 2025. We received three (3) comments on the revised
draft EA by
[[Page 58400]]
that date all of which were supportive of the environmental release of
the blister mite, A. salsolae, for the biological control of Russian
thistle within the contiguous United States. One commenter recommended
APHIS coordinate the field release with other Federal land management
agencies to ensure the field release can occur on all affected public
lands. We have revised the final EA, where appropriate, and our full
response to comments can be found in Appendix 3 of the final EA.
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\2\ To view the notice, supporting documents, and the comments
we received, go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> and enter APHIS-2024-
0040 in the Search field.
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In this document, we are advising the public of the availability of
the final EA and our FONSI regarding the field release of blister mite,
Aceria salsolae De Lillo and Sobhian (Acari: Eriophyidae), for the
biological control of Russian thistle (Salsola tragus L.) within the
contiguous United States. Based on the analysis in the final EA, APHIS
determined that the field release of A. salsolae for the biological
control of Russian thistle within the contiguous United States will not
have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. As a
result of this finding, we will issue permits for the field release A.
salsolae for the biological control of Russian thistle within the
contiguous United States.
The final EA and FONSI may be viewed on the <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> website
(see footnote 1). Copies of the final EA and FONSI are also available
for public inspection at Room 1620 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.
Persons wishing to inspect copies are requested to call ahead at (202)
799-7039 to facilitate entry into the reading room. In addition, copies
may be obtained by calling or writing to the individual listed under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
The final EA and FONSI have been prepared in accordance with: (1)
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42
U.S.C. 4321-4370m-11); (2) the former regulations of the Council on
Environmental Quality for implementing the procedural provisions of
NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) as of February 25, 2021; (3) U.S.
Department of Agriculture regulations implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b)
effective through July 2, 2025; and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing
Procedures (7 CFR part 372) effective through July 2, 2025.
Done in Washington, DC, this 9th day of September 2026.
Kelly Moore,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-18858 Filed 9-14-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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