### 25692 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 85 / Thursday, May 2, 2013 / Notices

1 To view the notice, supporting documents, and the comment we received, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS2012-0004

. Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123) was amended by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2008 by deleting six members to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board, which totals 25 members. Since the Advisory Boards inception by congressional legislation in 1996, each member has represented a specific category related to farming or ranching, food production and processing, forestryresearch, crop and animal science, landgrant institutions, non-land grant college or university with a historic commitment to research in the food and agricultural sciences, food retailing and marketing, rural economic development, and natural resource and consumer interest groups, among many others. The Board was first appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture in September 1996 and one-third of its members were appointed for a one, two, and three-year term, respectively. The terms for 8 members who represent specific categories will expire September 30, 2013. Nominations for a 3-year appointment for these 8 vacant categories are sought. All nominees will be carefully reviewed for their expertise, leadership, and relevance to a category.

The 8 slots to be filled are:
F. National Food Animal Science

Society G. National Crop, Soil, Agronomy,

Horticulture, or Weed Science Society L. 1890 Land-Grant Colleges and

Universities P. American Colleges of Veterinary

Medicine T. Rural Economic Development U. National Consumer Interest Group V. National Forestry Group W. National Conservation or Natural

Resource Groups Individuals and organizations who wish to nominate experts for this or any other USDA advisory committee should submit a letter to the Secretary listing these individuals’ names and business address, phone, and email contact information. These individuals may be contacted now or in the future to determine their interest in serving as a committee member.

Candidates who wish to be considered for membership on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board should submit an AD– 755 application form and resume to the Secretary of Agriculture. Cover letters should be addressed to the Secretary of Agriculture. The application form and more information about advisory committees can be found at www.usda.gov/ advisory

_committees.xml

. Nominations for one individual who fits several of the categories listed above, or for more than one person who fits one category, will be accepted. In your nomination letter, please indicate the specific membership category for each nominee. Each nominee must fill out a form AD–755, ‘‘Advisory Committee Membership Background Information.’’ All nominees will be vetted before selection.

Nominations are open to all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical handicap, marital status, or sexual orientation. To ensure that recommendations of the Advisory Board take into account the needs of the diverse groups served by the Department, membership shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent all racial and ethnic groups, women and men, and person with disabilities.

Appointments to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board will be made by the Secretary of Agriculture.

Done at Washington, DC, this 16th day of April 2013. Catherine Woteki, Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics.
[FR Doc. 2013–10392 Filed 5–1–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3410–03–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service** 

**[Docket No. APHIS–2012–0004]**

**Notice of Decision To Authorize the Importation of Fresh Barhi Dates From**  **Israel**

**AGENCY :**  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation into the United States of fresh dates of the cultivar Barhi from Israel. Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, 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 dates of the cultivar Barhi from Israel. In addition, based on the findings of a treatment evaluation document, we are advising the public of our decision to add a treatment schedule for Ceratitis capitata in Barhi dates to the Plant Protection and Quarantine Treatment Manual.

**DATES :**  Effective Date: May 2, 2013.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Mr. Marc Phillips, Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 156, Riverdale, MD 20737– 1236; (301) 851–2114.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Under the regulations in ‘‘Subpart—Fruits and Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56–1 through 319.56–58, 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 authorize the 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 January 9, 2013 (78 FR 1825–1826, Docket No. APHIS–2012– 0004), in which we announced the availability, for review and comment, of a PRA that evaluates the risks associated with the importation into the United States of fresh dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) of the cultivar Barhi (referred to below as Barhi dates) from Israel.


### 25693 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 85 / Thursday, May 2, 2013 / Notices

2 The Treatment Manual is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ import

_export/plants/manuals/index.shtml or by contacting the APHIS PPQ Manuals Unit, 92 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 200, Frederick, MD

21702.

The phytosanitary treatments regulations contained in part 305 of 7 CFR chapter III (referred to below as the treatment regulations) set out standards for treatments required in parts 301, 318, and 319 of 7 CFR chapter III for fruits, vegetables, and other articles.

In § 305.2, paragraph (b) states that approved treatment schedules are set out in the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Treatment Manual. 2 Section 305.3 sets out a process for adding, revising, or removing treatment schedules in the PPQ Treatment Manual. In that section, paragraph (a) sets out the process for adding, revising, or removing treatment schedules when there is no immediate need to make a change.

One of the measures that we proposed in the notice to mitigate the risk associated with the importation of Barhi dates from Israel was treating the dates with cold treatment for Ceratitis capitata. Because no such cold treatment schedule for Barhi dates previously existed in the PPQ Treatment Manual, in accordance with paragraph (a) of § 305.3 of the treatment regulations, the notice also announced the availability of a treatment evaluation document (TED) that evaluated the efficacy of cold treatment for Barhi dates as a mitigation for C. capitata, and described a cold treatment schedule for C. capitata in Barhi dates that we proposed to add to the PPQ Treatment Manual.

We solicited comments on the notice for 60 days ending on March 11, 2013. We received one comment by that date, from a private citizen. The commenter supported the importation of Barhi dates from Israel into the United States.

Therefore, in accordance with the regulations in § 319.56–4(c)(2)(ii), we are announcing our decision to authorize the importation into the United States of fresh Barhi dates from Israel subject to the following phytosanitary measures:

• The dates may be imported into the United States in commercial consignments only;

• The dates must be treated in accordance with 7 CFR part 305 for C. capitata; and

• The dates must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Israel stating that the consignment has begun or has undergone treatment T107–i, with the additional declaration stating that the fruit in the consignment was inspected and found free of Mauginiella scaettae.

These conditions will be listed in the Fruits and Vegetables Import Requirements database (available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/favir ). In addition to these specific measures, Barhi dates from Israel will be subject to the general requirements listed in § 319.56–3 that are applicable to the importation of all fruits and vegetables. Further, for fruits and vegetables requiring treatment as a condition of entry, the phytosanitary treatments regulations in 7 CFR part 305 contain administrative and procedural requirements that must be observed in connection with the application and certification of specific treatments.

In addition, in accordance with the regulations in § 305.3(a)(2), we are announcing our decision to add a new cold treatment schedule T107–i for C. capitata in Barhi dates, as described in the TED, to the PPQ Treatment Manual. The new treatment will be listed in the PPQ Treatment Manual, which is available at the Web address and mailing address in footnote 2 of this document.

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.

Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of April 2013. Kevin Shea, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 2013–10384 Filed 5–1–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3410–34–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Forest Service**

**Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest; Snohomish County, WA; Green**  **Mountain Lookout Removal**

**AGENCY :**  Forest Service, USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

**SUMMARY :**  This project would remove the historic fire lookout on Green Mountain and relocate it to Circle Peak, authorizing the use of motorized equipment and mechanical transport within the Glacier Peak Wilderness in connection with the removal. Green Mountain Lookout is approximately one air mile inside Glacier Peak Wilderness,Darrington Ranger District, Mt. BakerSnoqualmie National Forest. Circle Peak is on National Forest land outside Wilderness and approximately six miles southwest of Green Mountain. **DATES :**  Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received by June 3, 2013. The draft environmental impact statement is expected November 2013, and the final environmental impact statement is expected March 2014.

**ADDRESSES :**  Send written comments to Attn: Todd Griffin, Project Leader, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Suite 3A, Everett, Washington 98201. Comments may also be sent via email to toddgriffin@fs.fed.us , or via facsimile to (425) 783–0141.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Todd Griffin, Project Leader, at (360)

677–2258.

Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  The Green Mountain Lookout is located in the western portion of the 573,000-acre Glacier Peak Wilderness near Darrington, Washington. It was built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of a fire detection system in the North Cascade Mountains. The lookout served in this role until 1984 when aerial fire detection became more prevalent; the fire staffing was gradually replaced by wilderness ranger staffing. In 1964 the North Cascades National Park Act expanded Glacier Peak Wilderness to include the point of Green Mountain on which the lookout is sited. In 1987, the lookout was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Through the years, natural elements have taken a toll on the lookout. Maintenance and restoration efforts have been on-going for several decades, with major reconstruction in 1950 and 1998. In 2002, the lookout was disassembled and removed from Green Mountain in order to make repairs to a deteriorating foundation. In 2009, the repairs to the foundation were completed, and the lookout was flown back to its original location at Green Mountain and placed on the new foundation.

In 2010, a lawsuit was filed against the Forest Service seeking declaratory judgment and injunction requiring the removal of the lookout. The plantiff alleged that the Forest Service violated the Wilderness Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) with the removal and reassembly of the lookout, and the use of mechanized transport. The court agreed with the plantiff’s claims and ordered the Forest Service to remove the lookout. In an amended decision, the court granted a