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Notices Federal Register

2918 

Vol. 89, No. 11 

Wednesday, January 17, 2024 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2023–0010] 

Notice of Availability of Pest Risk 

Analyses for the Importation of Fresh 

Thyme, Marjoram, and Oregano From 

Kenya Into the United States 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that we have prepared pest risk analyses 

that evaluate the risks associated with 

the importation of fresh thyme, 

marjoram, and oregano from Kenya into 

the United States. Based on the 

analyses, we have determined 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 thyme, marjoram, and oregano 

from Kenya into the United States. We 

are making the pest risk analyses 

available to the public for review and 

comment. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before March 18, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS– 

2023–0010 in the Search field. Select 

the Documents tab, then select the 

Comment button in the list of 

documents. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2023–0010, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Supporting documents and any 

comments we receive on this docket 

may be viewed at www.regulations.gov 

or in our reading room, which is located 

in Room 1620 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) 799–7039 

before coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Gina Stiltner, Senior Regulatory Policy 

Specialist, Regulatory Coordination and 

Compliance, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River 

Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737– 

1231; (518) 760–2468; Gina.L.Stiltner@

USDA.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Under the regulations in ‘‘Subpart L— 

Fruits and Vegetables’’ (7 CFR 319.56– 

1 through 319.56–12, referred to below 

as the regulations), the Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

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 or disseminated within 

the United States. 

Section 319.56–4 contains a 

performance-based process for 

approving the importation of fruits and 

vegetables that, based on the findings of 

a pest risk analysis, can be safely 

imported subject to one or more of the 

five designated phytosanitary measures 

listed in paragraph (b) of that section. 

APHIS received a request from the 

national plant protection organization of 

Kenya to allow the importation of fresh 

thyme (Thymus vulgaris), marjoram 

(Origanum majorana), and oregano 

(Origanum vulgare) for consumption 

from Kenya into the United States. As 

part of our evaluation of Kenya’s 

request, we have prepared pest risk 

assessments to identify the pests of 

quarantine significance that could 

follow the pathway of the importation of 

fresh thyme, marjoram, and oregano 

from Kenya into the United States. 

Based on the pest risk assessments, risk 

management documents (RMDs) were 

prepared to identify phytosanitary 

measures that could be applied to fresh 

thyme, marjoram, and oregano to 

mitigate the pest risk. 

Therefore, in accordance with 

§ 319.56–4(c), we are announcing the 

availability of our pest risk assessments 

and RMDs for public review and 

comment. Those documents, as well as 

a description of the economic 

considerations associated with the 

importation of fresh thyme, marjoram, 

and oregano from Kenya into the United 

States, may be viewed on the 

Regulations.gov website or in our 

reading room (see ADDRESSES above for 

a link to Regulations.gov and 

information on the location and hours of 

the reading room). You may request 

paper copies of the pest risk 

assessments and RMDs by calling or 

writing to the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please 

refer to the subject of the analysis you 

wish to review when requesting copies. 

After reviewing any comments we 

receive, we will announce our decision 

regarding the import status of fresh 

thyme, marjoram, and oregano from 

Kenya into the United States in a 

subsequent notice. If the overall 

conclusions of our analyses and the 

Administrator’s determination of risk 

remain unchanged following our 

consideration of the comments, then we 

will authorize the importation of fresh 

thyme, marjoram, and oregano from 

Kenya into the United States subject to 

the requirements specified in the RMDs. 

Depending on the comments received, 

we may authorize the importation of all, 

some, or none of the commodities from 

Kenya specified in this notice. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 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 9th day of 

January 2024. 

Michael Watson, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–00744 Filed 1–16–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail 

Advisory Council 

AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture 

(USDA). 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Pacific Northwest 

National Scenic Trail (PNT) Advisory 

Council will hold public meetings 

according to the details shown below. 


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