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, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

29588 

Vol. 77, No. 97 

Friday, May 18, 2012 

1To view the notice, the PRAs, and the comment 

we received, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#

!docketDetail;D=APHIS–2010–0074. 

2See footnote 1 to access the notice and PRAs on 

the Web. 

3This list can be viewed at http://www.aphis.

usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/frsmp/nonreg-pests.shtml. 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2010–0074] 

Notice of Decision To Issue Permits for 

the Importation of Fresh Celery, 

Arugula, and Spinach From Colombia 

into the Continental United States 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public of 

our decision to begin issuing permits for 

the importation into the continental 

United States of fresh celery, arugula, 

and spinach from Colombia. Based on 

the findings of three pest risk analyses, 

which we made available to the public 

for review and comment through a 

previous notice, we believe 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 celery, arugula, and spinach from 

Colombia. 

DATES: Effective Date: May 18, 2012. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Dorothy C. Wayson, Senior Regulatory 

Coordination Specialist, PPQ–PHP– 

RPM, 4700 River Road Unit 133, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 851– 

2036. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Under the regulations in ‘‘SubpartFruits and Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56– 

1 through 319.56–56, 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 

fruits and vegetables into the United 

States from certain parts of the world to 

prevent plant pests from being 

introduced into and spread within the 

United States. 

Section 319.56–4 of the regulations 

contains a performance-based process 

for approving the importation of 

commodities that, based on the findings 

of a pest risk analysis (PRA), can be 

safely imported subject to one or more 

of the designated phytosanitary 

measures listed in paragraph (b) of that 

section. Under that process, APHIS 

publishes a notice in the Federal 

Register announcing the availability of 

the PRA that evaluates the risks 

associated with the importation of a 

particular fruit or vegetable. Following 

the close of the 60-day comment period, 

APHIS may begin issuing permits for 

importation of the fruit or vegetable 

subject to the identified designated 

measures if: (1) No comments were 

received on the PRA; (2) the comments 

on the PRA revealed that no changes to 

the PRA were necessary; or (3) changes 

to the PRA were made in response to 

public comments, but the changes did 

not affect the overall conclusions of the 

analysis and the Administrator’s 

determination of risk. 

In accordance with that process, we 

published a notice 1 in the Federal 

Register on August 25, 2010 (75 FR 

52302–52303, Docket No. APHIS–2010– 

0074), in which we announced the 

availability, for review and comment, of 

three PRAs that evaluate the risks 

associated with the importation into the 

continental United States of fresh 

celery, arugula, and spinach from 

Colombia. We solicited comments on 

the notice for 60 days ending on October 

25, 2010. We received one comment by 

that date, from a State department of 

agriculture. 

In the two PRAs that analyzed the 

risks of importing fresh celery and 

spinach from Colombia into the United 

States, APHIS determined that one of 

the plant pests identified, the pea leaf 

miner (Liriomyza huidobrensis), has a 

high risk potential of following the 

pathway of fresh celery and spinach 

from Colombia. However, as noted in 

the PRAs, APHIS concludes that visual 

inspection for L. huidobrensis will 

sufficiently mitigate the risk of 

introducing this pest into the United 

States. The one comment we received 

referred to this potential risk and stated 

that visual inspection of these articles is 

not by itself adequate in mitigating the 

risk of introduction of this pest. The 

commenter noted that L. huidobrensis 

spends most of its lifecycle in the larval 

form mining leaves of the host plant 

material and would not be easily 

detectable along the midribs of leaves. 

The commenter recommends that a 

systems approach be undertaken that 

includes limiting growing of these 

articles to pest-free areas, fumigation, 

visual inspection at the point of origin 

and upon arrival in the United States, 

and an accompanying phytosanitary 

certificate stating that the plant material 

is free of L. huidobrensis. 

Although we acknowledge the risk 

that these plant pests could potentially 

evade visual detection and be 

introduced into the United States, 

APHIS has permitted the entry of fresh 

celery, arugula, and spinach from 

several countries using similar 

mitigations for L. huidobrensis without 

significant pest issues. Spinach, for 

example, has been permitted entry into 

the United States from Belize, Costa 

Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, 

Nicaragua, and Panama with only visual 

inspection, and L. huidobrensis 

reportedly occurs in these countries. In 

response to the commenter’s 

recommendations, we note that celery, 

arugula, and spinach from neighboring 

countries are already subject to 

inspection upon arrival in the United 

States, and that we will require the 

national plant protection organization 

(NPPO) of Colombia to issue 

phytosanitary certificates with an 

additional declaration attesting that 

shipments of celery and spinach are free 

of L. huidobrensis and other named 

plant pests. 

In the notice 2 we published 

announcing the availability of PRAs for 

the importation of fresh celery, arugula, 

and spinach from Colombia, Coccus 

viridis was included as being one of the 

quarantine pests of celery subject to 

mitigation. Subsequent to publication of 

that notice, we established that Coccus 

viridis no longer meets our definition of 

a quarantine pest and added it to our 

list 3 of pests that we no longer regulate. 

Therefore, we will not be including 

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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 97 / Friday, May 18, 2012 / Notices 29589 

Coccus viridis among the pests listed in 

the additional declaration on the 

phytosanitary certificate. 

For these reasons, together with 

Colombia’s use of integrated pest 

management practices in the production 

of fresh celery, arugula, and spinach, 

APHIS has concluded that imports of 

celery, arugula, and spinach from 

Colombia are unlikely to contain L. 

huidobrensis or other plant pests of 

concern. Accordingly, we have 

determined that no changes to the PRAs 

are necessary based on the comment. 

Therefore, in accordance with the 

regulations in § 319.56–4(c)(2)(ii), we 

are announcing our decision to begin 

issuing permits for the importation into 

the continental United States of fresh 

celery, arugula, and spinach from 

Colombia subject to the following 

phytosanitary measures: 

• Fresh celery, arugula, and spinach 

from Colombia must be imported as 

commercial shipments only. 

• Each consignment of fresh celery, 

arugula, and spinach must be 

accompanied by a phytosanitary 

certificate issued by the NPPO of 

Colombia. The phytosanitary certificate 

for celery and spinach must include an 

additional declaration stating that each 

consignment has been inspected and is 

free of pests. The additional declaration 

for celery must state ‘‘This shipment has 

been inspected and is free from 

Copitarsia decolora, Planococcus 

lilacinus, and Liriomyza huidobrensis.’’ 

The additional declaration for spinach 

must state ‘‘This shipment has been 

inspected and is free from Copitarsia 

incommoda, Diabrotica speciosa, and 

Liriomyza huidobrensis.’’ 

• Each shipment of celery, arugula, 

and spinach is subject to inspection 

upon arrival at the port of entry into the 

continental United States. 

These conditions will be listed in the 

Fruits and Vegetables Import 

Requirements database (available at 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/favir). In 

addition to those specific measures, 

fresh celery, arugula, and spinach from 

Colombia will be subject to the general 

requirements listed in § 319.56–3 that 

are applicable to the importation of all 

fruits and vegetables. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701–7772, and 

7781–7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 

2.22, 2.80, and 371.3. 

Dated: Done in Washington, DC, this 14th 

day of May 2012. 

Gregory L. Parham, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–12029 Filed 5–17–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Announcement of Grant Application 

Deadlines and Funding Levels 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of funds availability. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS), an agency of the United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA), 

announces its Public Television Station 

Digital Transition Grant Program 

application window for fiscal year (FY) 

2012. The FY 2012 funding for the 

Public Television Station Digital 

Transition Grant Program is $3,000,000. 

DATES: You may submit completed 

applications for grants on paper or 

electronically according to the following 

deadlines: 

• Paper copies must carry proof of 

shipping no later than July 17, 2012 to 

be eligible for FY 2012 grant funding. 

Late applications are not eligible for FY 

2012 grant funding. 

• Electronic copies must be received 

by July 17, 2012 to be eligible for FY 

2012 grant funding. Late applications 

are not eligible for FY 2012 grant 

funding. 

ADDRESSES: You may obtain the 

application guide and materials for the 

Public Television Station Digital 

Transition Grant Program at the 

following sources: 

• The Internet at http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/UTP_DTV.html. 

• 2. You may also request the 

application guide and materials from 

RUS by contacting the appropriate 

individual listed in Section VII of the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this notice. 

Completed applications may be 

submitted the following ways: 

• Paper: Submit completed paper 

applications for grants to the: 

Telecommunications Program, Rural 

Utilities Service, 1400 Independence 

Ave. SW., Room 2844, STOP 1550, 

Washington, DC 20250–1550. 

Applications should be marked 

‘‘Attention: Director, Advanced Services 

Division.’’ 

• 2. Electronic: Submit electronic 

grant applications to Grants.gov at the 

following Web address: http:// 

www.grants.gov/ (Grants.gov), and 

follow the instructions you find on that 

Web site. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Petra Schultze, Financial Analyst, 

Advanced Services Division, 

Telecommunications Program, Rural 

Utilities Service, email: 

petra.schultze@wdc.usda.gov, 

telephone: 202–690–4493, fax: 202– 

720–1051. Additional point of contact: 

Norberto Esteves, Acting Director, 

Advanced Services Division at 

norberto.esteves@wdc.usda.gov or at 

same phone numbers listed previously. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Agency: Rural Utilities 

Service (RUS). 

Funding Opportunity Title: Public 

Television Station Digital Transition 

Grant Program. 

Announcement Type: Initial 

announcement. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.861. 

Dates: Deadline for completed grant 

applications submitted electronically or 

on paper. 

Items in Supplementary Information 

I. Funding Opportunity: Brief introduction 

to the Public Television Station Digital 

Transition Grant Program. 

II. Award Information: Maximum amounts. 

III. Eligibility Information: Who is eligible, 

what kinds of projects are eligible, what 

criteria determine basic eligibility. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information: Where to get application 

materials, what constitutes a completed 

application, how and where to submit 

applications, deadlines, items that are 

eligible. 

V. Application Review Information: 

Considerations and preferences, scoring 

criteria, review standards, selection 

information. 

VI. Award Administration: Award notice 

information, award recipient reporting 

requirements. 

VII. Agency Contacts: Web, phone, fax, 

email, contact name. 

I. Funding Opportunity 

As part of the nation’s transition to 

digital television, the Federal 

Communications Commission (FCC) 

required all television broadcasters to 

have converted their transmitters to 

broadcast digital signals by June 12, 

2009. While stations must broadcast 

their main transmitter signal in digital, 

many rural stations have yet to complete 

a full digital transition of their stations 

across all equipment. Rural stations 

often have translators serving small or 

isolated areas and some of these have 

not completed the transition to digital. 

The 2009 FCC deadline did not apply 

to translators, and only recently in 2011 

the FCC adopted a final deadline for 

analog-to-digital conversion of all 

translators by September 1, 2015. 

Because of this, translators have been 

allowed to continue broadcasting in 

analog, and stations are still in the 

process of converting some of their 

translators to digital. Some rural stations 

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