[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 91 (Friday, May 11, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 26711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-9151]



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Rules and Regulations
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 91 / Friday, May 11, 2007 / Rules and 
Regulations

[[Page 26711]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

7 CFR Part 319

[Docket No. 03-016-4]
RIN 0579-AC18


Cut Flowers From Countries With Chrysanthemum White Rust

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule; stay of certain provisions.

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SUMMARY: We recently published a final rule amending the cut flowers 
regulations to establish specific requirements for the importation of 
cut flowers that are hosts of chrysanthemum white rust (CWR) from 
countries where the disease is known to occur. The final rule had an 
effective date of May 3, 2007. In order to allow affected exporters of 
cut flowers and the national plant protection organizations of 
countries where CWR is known to occur additional time to make necessary 
preparations to comply with certain new inspection and certification 
procedures that will be required as a result of the final rule, we are 
staying a portion of the amended regulations for 30 days from the 
effective date of our final rule.

DATES: Effective May 11, 2007, 7 CFR 319.74-2(d)(3) is stayed until 
June 2, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tony Roman, Import Specialist, 
Commodity Import Analysis and Operation, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road 
Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-8758.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The regulations in 7 CFR part 319 prohibit or restrict the 
importation of plants, plant parts, and related materials to prevent 
the introduction of plant pests into the United States. The regulations 
in ``Subpart--Nursery Stock, Plants, Roots, Bulbs, Seeds, and Other 
Plant Products,'' Sec. Sec.  319.37 through 319.37-14 (referred to 
below as the nursery stock regulations) restrict, among other things, 
the importation of living plants, plant parts, and seeds for 
propagation. Conditions governing the importation of cut flowers into 
the United States are contained in ``Subpart-Cut Flowers'' (Sec. Sec.  
319.74-1 through 319.74-4, referred to below as the cut flowers 
regulations).
    On April 3, 2007, we published in the Federal Register (72 FR 
15805-15812, Docket No. 03-016-3) a final rule amending the cut flowers 
regulations to establish specific requirements for the importation of 
cut flowers that are hosts of chrysanthemum white rust (CWR) from 
countries where the disease is known to occur. We also amended the 
nursery stock regulations to update lists of countries where CWR is 
known to occur. The final rule had an effective date of May 3, 2007.
    We recently received communications from industry representatives 
and the Government of Colombia expressing concern that the May 3, 2007, 
effective date of the final rule did not allow adequate time for those 
entities to prepare to comply with the new inspection and certification 
procedures that will be required under Sec.  319.74-2(d)(3) of the cut 
flowers regulations as a result of the final rule. A delay in the 
implementation of those new requirements was requested. After 
considering those requests, we have elected to allow an additional 30 
days for those entities to prepare to comply with those new 
requirements. To provide that additional time, we are staying Sec.  
319.74-2(d)(3) until June 2, 2007.
    We explained in the proposed rule that preceded our April 3, 2007, 
final rule, as well as in the final rule itself, that we have been 
administratively regulating cut flowers from countries where CWR is 
known to occur since 1974, and that those measures have been effective 
in preventing the introduction of CWR on cut flowers from those 
countries. During the time that Sec.  319.74-2(d)(3) is stayed, we will 
continue to apply our existing administrative restrictions on cut 
flowers from countries where CWR is known to occur.

    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 3rd day of May 2007.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E7-9151 Filed 5-10-07; 8:45 am]
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