[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 232 (Friday, December 1, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 75187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30597]


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Proposed Rules
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.

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Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 232 / Friday, December 1, 2000 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 75187]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

7 CFR Part 319

[Docket No. 98-103-2]


Importation of Artificially Dwarfed Plants in Growing Media From 
the People's Republic of China

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of reopening and extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We are reopening and extending the comment period for our 
proposed rule that would amend our regulations to allow artificially 
dwarfed (penjing) plants of the genera Buxus, Ehretia (Carmona), 
Podocarpus, Sageretia, and Serissa to be imported into the United 
States from the People's Republic of China in an approved growing 
medium subject to specified growing, inspection, and certification 
requirements. This action will allow interested persons additional time 
to prepare and submit comments.

DATE: We invite you to comment on Docket No. 98-103-1. We will consider 
all comments that we receive by December 20, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Please send four copies of your comment (an original and 
three copies) to: Docket No. 98-103-1, 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. 98-103-1.
    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Wayne D. Burnett, Senior Import 
Specialist, Phytosanitary Issues Management Team, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 140, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-6799.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On September 20, 2000, we published in the Federal Register (65 FR 
56803-56806, Docket No. 98-103-1) a proposed rule to amend our 
regulations governing the importation of plants and plant products to 
allow artificially dwarfed (penjing) plants of the genera Buxus, 
Ehretia (Carmona), Podocarpus, Sageretia, and Serissa to be imported 
into the United States from the People's Republic of China in an 
approved growing medium subject to specified growing, inspection, and 
certification requirements.
    Comments on the proposed rule were required to be received on or 
before November 20, 2000. We are reopening and extending the comment 
period on Docket No. 98-103-1 for an additional 30 days. This action 
will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit 
comments. We will consider all comments that we received between 
September 20, 2000, and December 20, 2000.
    Further, interested persons may now obtain the qualitative, 
pathway-initiated pest risk assessment for this action, titled ``Pest 
Risk Assessments, Penjing Plants from China,'' on the APHIS web site 
at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/pim/.

    Authority: Title IV, Pub. L. 106-224, 114 Stat. 438, 7 U.S.C. 
7701-7772; 7 U.S.C. 166 and 450; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 
2.80, and 371.3.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 21st day of November 2000.
Craig A. Reed,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 00-30597 Filed 11-30-00; 8:45 am]
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