[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11111-11112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-5119]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2010-0010]


Pale Cyst Nematode; Update of Quarantined Areas

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of changes to quarantined area.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have made changes to the 
area in the State of Idaho that is quarantined to prevent the spread of 
pale cyst nematode. The description of the quarantined area was updated 
several times between October 2009 and February 2010. As a result of 
these changes, 5,710 acres have been removed from the quarantined area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jonathan M. Jones, National 
Program Manager, Emergency and Domestic Programs, PPQ, 4700 River Road 
Unit 160, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-5038.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The pale cyst nematode (PCN, Globodera pallida) is a major pest of 
potato crops in cool-temperature areas. Other solanaceous hosts include 
tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, tomatillos, and some weeds. The PCN is 
thought to have originated in Peru and is now widely distributed in 
many potato-growing regions of the world. PCN infestations may be 
expressed as patches of poor growth. Affected potato plants may exhibit 
yellowing, wilting, or death of foliage. Even with only minor symptoms 
on the foliage, potato tuber size can be affected. Unmanaged 
infestations can cause potato yield loss ranging from 20 to 70 percent. 
The spread of this pest in the United States could result in a loss of 
domestic or foreign markets for U.S. potatoes and other commodities.
    In 7 CFR part 301, the PCN quarantine regulations (Sec. Sec.  
301.86 through 301.86-9, referred to below as the regulations) set out 
procedures for determining the areas quarantined for PCN and impose 
restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from 
quarantined areas.
    Section 301.86-3 of the regulations sets out the procedures for 
determining the areas quarantined for PCN. Paragraph (a) of Sec.  
301.86-3 states that, in accordance with the criteria listed in Sec.  
301.86-3(c), the Administrator will designate as a quarantined area 
each field that has been found to be infested with PCN, each field that 
has been found to be associated with an infested field, and any area 
that the Administrator considers necessary to quarantine because of its 
inseparability for quarantine enforcement purposes from infested or 
associated fields.
    Paragraph (d) provides for the removal of fields from quarantine. 
An infested field will be removed from quarantine when a protocol 
approved by the Administrator as sufficient to support the removal of 
infested fields from quarantine has been completed and the field has 
been found to be free of PCN. An associated field will be removed from 
quarantine when the field has been found to be free of PCN according to 
a protocol approved by the Administrator as sufficient to support 
removal of associated fields from quarantine. Any area other than 
infested or associated fields that has been quarantined by the 
Administrator because of its inseparability for quarantine enforcement 
purposes from infested or associated fields will be removed from 
quarantine when the relevant infested or associated fields are removed 
from quarantine.
    Paragraph (a) of Sec.  301.86-3 further provides that the 
Administrator will publish a description of the quarantined area on the 
Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Web site, (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/potato/pcn.shtml). 
The description of the quarantined area will include the date the 
description was last updated and a description of the changes that have 
been made to the quarantined area. The description of the quarantined 
area may also be obtained by request from any local office of PPQ; 
local offices are listed in telephone directories. Finally, paragraph 
(a) establishes that, after a change is made to the quarantined area, 
we will publish a notice in the Federal Register informing the public 
that the change has

[[Page 11112]]

occurred and describing the change to the quarantined area.
    Therefore, we are publishing this notice to inform the public of 
changes to the PCN quarantined area in the State of Idaho. The changes 
are as follows:
    <bullet> On October 23, 2009, we updated the quarantined area to 
remove 3.32 acres from Bingham County and 623.30 acres from Bonneville 
County.
    <bullet> On November 23, 2009, we updated the quarantined area to 
remove 465.13 acres from Bingham County and 402.97 acres from 
Bonneville County.
    <bullet> On December 18, 2009, we updated the quarantined area to 
remove 1,313.92 acres from Bingham County and 648.36 acres from 
Bonneville County.
    <bullet> On January 8, 2010, we updated the quarantined area to 
remove 188.79 acres from Bingham County and 1,373.15 acres from 
Bonneville County.
    <bullet> On January 15, 2010, we updated the quarantined area to 
remove 621.52 acres from Bonneville County.
    <bullet> On February 15, 2010, we updated the quarantined area to 
remove 70 acres from Bonneville County.
    This acreage consisted of associated fields that were found to be 
free of PCN according to a survey protocol approved by the 
Administrator in accordance with Sec.  301.86-3 as sufficient to 
support removal of associated fields from quarantine.
    The current map of the quarantined area can be viewed on the PPQ 
Web site at (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/potato/pcn.shtml).

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701-7772 and 7781-7786; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, 
and 371.3.
    Done in Washington, DC, this 4\th\ day of March 2010.

Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-5119 Filed 3-9-10; 12:48 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-S