Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 125 / Wednesday, June 28, 2000 / Notices 39853

of a biological control project to

suppress papaya mealybug.

Since the publication of our October

1999 notice, a fourth genus of

nonindigenous wasp—Pseudaphycus

(Hymenoptera: Encrytidae)—that attacks

the papaya mealybug has been

identified. Research conducted in

quarantine has shown Pseudaphycus

spp. wasps to be a primary parasite of

papaya mealybug, and this genus is only

known to attack species of mealybug.

Thus, a request has been made to the

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS) for the release of

Pseudaphycus spp. wasps into the

environment for the suppression of

papaya mealybug infestations

throughout the United States.

The Pseudaphycus spp. wasps will be

imported from Mexico into U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA)-

certified insect quarantine facilities at

the Beneficial Insects Introduction

Research Laboratory (BIIRL) in Newark,

DE. At BIIRL, species identifications

would be confirmed by USDA and State

taxonomists, and undesirable

organisms, such as hyperparasites,

would be screened out and properly

eliminated. Laboratory colonies would

be established by APHIS and State

cooperators. The wasps would then be

released by APHIS and State

cooperators in areas invaded by the

papaya mealybug. Such areas include

the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and

Florida, where the papaya mealybug is

now present. The papaya mealybug may

also spread to other States due to the

presence of hosts and favorable habitats.

These areas include Alabama, Arizona,

Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia,

Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland,

Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New

Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma,

South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and

Virginia. If the papaya mealybug does

spread to these areas, APHIS and State

cooperators will release the wasps in the

affected areas also.

We expect that these stingless wasps

would become established and

reproduce naturally without further

human intervention.

If APHIS does release Pseudaphycus

spp. wasps, the release of these wasps

will complement our previous releases

of Anagyrus, Apoanagyrus, and

Acerophagus spp. wasps, which were

the first exotic biological control agents

approved for release against papaya

mealybug in the United States.

To document APHIS’ review and

analysis of the environmental impact

and plant pest risk associated with

releasing Pseudaphycus spp. wasps into

the environment as biological control

agents, we have prepared a supplement

to our October 1999 environmental

assessment that examined the release

into the environment of Anagyrus,

Apoanagyrus, and Acerophagus spp.

wasps. We are making the supplement

to that environmental assessment

available to the public for review and

comment.

The supplement to our October 1999

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 1B), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA

Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part

372).

Done in Washington, DC, this 22nd day of

June 2000.

Bobby R. Acord,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 00–16312 Filed 6–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 00–058–1]

Public Meetings; Pine Shoot Beetle

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings and

request for comments.

SUMMARY: The Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service plans to host three

public meetings to discuss issues related

to how we should administer our pine

shoot beetle program.

DATES: We invite you to comment on

this docket. We will consider all

comments that we receive by August 28,

2000.

The public meetings will be held in:

(1) Salem, OR, on July 24, 2000; (2)

Albany, NY, on July 26, 2000; and (3)

Forest Park, GA, on July 28, 2000. Each

public meeting will begin at 1 p.m. and

is scheduled to end at 5 p.m., local time.

ADDRESSES: If you cannot attend a

public meeting, please send your

written comment and three copies to:

Docket No. 00–058–1, Regulatory

Analysis and Development, PPD,

APHIS, Suite 3C03, 4700 River Road,

Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.

Please state that your comment refers

to Docket No. 00–058–1.

You may read any comments that we

receive on this docket 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.

The public meetings will be held at

the following locations:

(1) Salem, OR: Oregon Department of

Agriculture, Hearing Room, 635

Capitol NE, Salem, OR.

(2) Albany, NY: New York Department

of Agriculture and Marketing, State

Conference Room, 1 Winners Circle,

Albany, NY.

(3) Forest Park, GA: Atlanta Farmers’

Market, Welcome Center, 16 Forest

Parkway, Forest Park, GA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Coanne E. O’Hern, National Survey

Coordinator, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River

Road Unit 134, Riverdale, MD 20737–

1236; (301) 734–8247.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS) plans to host three

public meetings to discuss how we

should administer our pine shoot beetle

program.

Our pine shoot beetle program is

based on our pine shoot beetle

regulations (7 CFR 301.50–1 through

301.50–10, referred to below as the

regulations). The regulations govern the

interstate movement of regulated

articles from areas quarantined because

of pine shoot beetle. Section 301.50–2 of

the regulations provides a list of articles

regulated because of pine shoot beetle.

Regulated articles are the following pine

(Pinus spp.) products: Bark nuggets

(including bark chips), Christmas trees,

logs with bark attached, lumber with

bark attached, nursery stock, pine

wreaths and garlands, raw pine

materials for pine wreaths and garlands,

and stumps. In addition, any other

article determined to present a risk of

spreading pine shoot beetle may be

designated as a regulated article. Section

301.50–3 of the regulations lists areas

quarantined because of pine shoot

beetle. Quarantined areas include

counties in the following States: Illinois,

Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New

Hampshire, New York, Ohio,

Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia,

39854 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 125 / Wednesday, June 28, 2000 / Notices

and Wisconsin. Sections 301.50–4

through 301.50–10 provide

requirements for moving regulated

articles interstate from quarantined

areas to nonquarantined areas. These

sections include requirements for

certificates and limited permits and for

treatment of regulated articles.

From 1992, when pine shoot beetle

was first detected in the United States,

through 1997, the pine shoot beetle

program was funded through APHIS

contingency funding. From fiscal year

1998 through fiscal year 2000, funding

for the program (approximately

$185,000) came from miscellaneous pest

line item funding. These funds are

limited for use in the eastern region of

the United States. We are not certain

whether there will be adequate funding

to conduct pine shoot beetle program

activities in fiscal year 2001 and

beyond.

In spite of our efforts to control the

spread of pine shoot beetle through the

regulations, infested counties continue

to be detected each year. Because of

this, we must annually add many

counties to the list of quarantined areas.

The public meetings will provide an

opportunity for interested persons to

comment on whether APHIS should

continue to administer the pine shoot

beetle program in accordance with the

regulations or if we should pursue

another course of action. Please note,

however, that while the information

gathered during the meetings may

indicate the need for changes to our

current regulatory program, the

meetings will not directly result in any

changes to the regulations. If we

determine that changes to the

regulations are appropriate, we will

publish a document in the Federal

Register for public comment.

Topics

Because of the potential for

inadequate funding and the continued

spread of pine shoot beetle, we would

like interested persons to comment on

the following topics:

1. Should the pine shoot beetle

program be maintained?

2. How effective is the pine shoot

beetle program?

3. What changes could be made to the

program to make it more effective?

4. If we maintain the program, how

should it be funded?

Comments on these, or other related

topics, are welcome during the public

meetings.

Meeting Procedures/Registration

A representative of APHIS will

preside at each public meeting. Any

interested person may appear and be

heard in person, by attorney, or by

another representative. Written

statements may be submitted and will

be made part of the meeting record.

Persons who wish to speak at a meeting

will be asked to provide their names

and organizations. We ask that anyone

who reads a statement or submits a

written statement provide two copies to

the presiding officer at the meeting.

Registration for each public meeting

will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.

on the day of the meeting at the meeting

room. Each public meeting will begin at

1 p.m. and is scheduled to end at 5 p.m.,

local time. However, any meeting may

end at any time after it begins if all

persons desiring to speak have been

heard. If the number of speakers at a

meeting warrants it, the presiding

officer may limit the time for

presentations so that everyone wishing

to speak has the opportunity.

Written Comments

If you cannot attend a public meeting,

you may submit written comments on

the topics outlined in this notice. To

submit written comments, please follow

the instructions listed under the

heading ADDRESSES near the beginning

of this document.

Done in Washington, DC, this 22nd day of

June 2000.

Bobby R. Acord,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 00–16316 Filed 6–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Economic Research Service

Notice of Intent To Seek Approval to

Collect Information

AGENCY: Economic Research Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. No. 104–13) and Office of

Management and Budget (OMB)

regulations at 5 CFR 1320 (60 FR 44978,

August 29, 1995), this notice announces

the Economic Research Service’s (ERS)

intention to request approval for a new

information collection from participants

in the Special Supplemental Nutrition

Program for Women, Infants and

Children (WIC); from local WIC agency

staff; and from food store cashiers, to

address the legislative mandate in the

William F. Goodling Child Nutrition

Reauthorization Act of 1998 ( Pub. L.

105–336, 112 Stat. 3143) to study the

impact of cost containment in the WIC

program. This information will be used

in the Assessment of WIC CostContainment Practices to analyze the

effects of current cost-containment

practices established by States on

program participation, selected

participant outcomes, and program

costs.

DATES: Written comments on this notice

must be received by September 1, 2000

to be assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:

Requests for additional information

should be directed to Phil R. Kaufman,

Food Markets Branch, Food and Rural

Economics Division, Economic Research

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,

1800 M. St., NW, Room N2118,

Washington, D.C. 20036–5801. For

further information contact: Phil R.

Kaufman, 202–694–5376. Submit

electronic comments to

pkaufman@ers.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Paperwork Reduction Act

Submission (OMB–83–1).

Type of Request: New collection of

information.

Abstract: ERS of the U.S. Department

of Agriculture is responsible for

conducting studies and evaluations of

the Nation’s food assistance programs

that are administered by the Food and

Nutrition Service (FNS), U.S.

Department of Agriculture. WIC is the

second largest domestic food-assistance

program in the United States. In Federal

fiscal year 1998, WIC served

approximately 7.4 million participants

each month at an annual cost

approaching $4 billion (FNS, 1998).

WIC is administered through grants to

the 50 states, the District of Columbia,

Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa,

the American Virgin Islands, and 33

Indian Tribal Organizations. State WIC

agencies administer the program

through roughly 2,000 local agencies

representing about 10,000 service

delivery sites.

WIC provides a comprehensive set of

services including supplemental foods,

nutrition education, and increased

access to health care and social services

for pregnant, breastfeeding, and

postpartum women; infants; and

children up to the age of five years. To

qualify for WIC, a health or nutritional

risk must be documented by a health

professional and participants must be

income-eligible.

WIC is not an entitlement program.

Each State must operate within annual

funding levels established via a formula

devised by FNS to distribute funds

appropriated by the Congress. This