[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 17, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 1912-1913]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-505]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

7 CFR Part 301

[Docket No. APHIS-2006-0117]


Pine Shoot Beetle; Additions to Quarantined Areas

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Affirmation of interim rule as final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim 
rule that amended the pine shoot beetle regulations by adding counties 
in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio to the list 
of quarantined areas and by designating the States of Michigan, 
Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, in their entirety, as quarantined areas 
based on their decision not to enforce intrastate movement 
restrictions. The interim rule also added the States of Connecticut and 
Rhode Island, in their entirety, to the list of quarantined areas based 
on projections of the natural spread of pine shoot beetle that make it 
reasonable to believe that the pest is present in those States. The 
interim rule was necessary to prevent the spread of pine shoot beetle, 
a pest of pine trees, into noninfested areas of the United States.

DATES: Effective on January 17, 2007, we are adopting as a final rule 
the interim rule published at 71 FR 58243-58246 on October 3, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Weyman Fussell, Program Manager, 
Pest Detection and Management Programs, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road 
Unit 134, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-5705.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The regulations in 7 CFR 301.50 through 301.50-10 (referred to 
below as the regulations) restrict the interstate movement of certain 
regulated articles from quarantined areas in order to prevent the 
spread of pine shoot beetle (PSB) into noninfested areas of the United 
States.
    In an interim rule \1\ effective and published in the Federal 
Register on October 3, 2006 (71 FR 58243-58246, Docket No. APHIS-2006-
0117), we amended the regulations by adding Jo Daviess and Stark 
Counties, IL; Dearborn County, IN; Dubuque and Scott Counties, IA; 
Bergen, Hunterdon, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren Counties, NJ; Columbia, 
Orange, and Ulster Counties, NY; and Highland, Jackson, Ross, and 
Scioto Counties, OH, to the list of quarantined areas in Sec.  301.50-
3(c). In addition, we designated the States of Michigan, Minnesota, and 
Pennsylvania, in their entirety, as quarantined areas based on their 
decision not to enforce intrastate movement restrictions. Finally, we 
added the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island, in their entirety, to 
the

[[Page 1913]]

list of quarantined areas based on projections of the natural spread of 
PSB that make it reasonable to believe that the pest is present in 
those States.
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    \1\ To view the interim rule, go to http://www.regulations.gov, 
click on the ``Advanced Search'' tab, and select ``Docket Search.'' 
In the Docket ID field, enter APHIS-2006-0117, then click 
``Submit.'' Clicking on the Docket ID link in the search results 
page will produce a list of all documents in the docket.
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    Comments on the interim rule were required to be received on or 
before December 4, 2006. We did not receive any comments. Therefore, 
for the reasons given in the interim rule, we are adopting the interim 
rule as a final rule.
    This action also affirms the information contained in the interim 
rule concerning Executive Order 12866 and the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act, Executive Orders 12372 and 12988, and the Paperwork Reduction Act.
    Further, for this action, the Office of Management and Budget has 
waived its review under Executive Order 12866.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 301

    Agricultural commodities, Plant diseases and pests, Quarantine, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.

PART 301--DOMESTIC QUARANTINE NOTICES

0
Accordingly, we are adopting as a final rule, without change, the 
interim rule that amended 7 CFR part 301 and that was published at 71 
FR 58243-58246 on October 3, 2006.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 10th day of January 2007.
W. Ron DeHaven,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E7-505 Filed 1-16-07; 8:45 am]
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