Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 84 / Monday, May 3, 2010 / Notices 23221 

1To view the notice, EA, FONSI, and response to 

comments, go to (http://www.regulations.gov/ 

fdmspublic/component/ 

main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS–2009–0058). 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 27th day 

of April 2010. 

Kevin Shea 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–10279 Filed 4–30–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE: 3410–34–S 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2009–0058] 

Availability of an Environmental 

Assessment and Finding of No 

Significant Impact for a Biological 

Control Agent for Water Hyacinth 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that an environmental assessment and 

finding of no significant impact have 

been prepared by the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service relative to the 

release of an insect, Megamelus 

scutellaris, into the continental United 

States for use as a biological control 

agent to reduce the severity of water 

hyacinth infestations. Based on its 

finding of no significant impact, the 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service has determined that an 

environmental impact statement need 

not be prepared. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Shirley Wager-Page, Chief, Pest 

Permitting Branch, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 

River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 

20737–1237; (301) 734–8453. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing 

to issue permits for the release of an 

insect, Megamelus scutellaris, into the 

continental United States for use as a 

biological control agent to reduce the 

severity of water hyacinth infestations. 

On November 16, 2009, we published 

in the Federal Register (74 FR 58939– 

58940, Docket No. APHIS–2009–0058) a 

notice1 in which we announced the 

availability, for public review and 

comment, of an environmental 

assessment (EA) that examined the 

potential environmental impacts 

associated with the proposed release of 

this biological control agent into the 

continental United States. 

We solicited comments on the EA for 

30 days ending December 16, 2009. We 

received one comment, from a State 

game and fish department. Our 

responses to the issues raised in the 

comment can be found in Appendix E 

of the final EA (see footnote 1). 

In this document, we are advising the 

public of our finding of no significant 

impact (FONSI) regarding the release of 

M. scutellaris into the continental 

United States for use as a biological 

control agent to reduce the severity of 

water hyacinth infestations. The 

finding, which is based on the EA, 

reflects our determination that release of 

this biological control agent will not 

have a significant impact on the quality 

of the human environment. 

The EA and FONSI may be viewed on 

the Regulations.gov Web site (see 

footnote 1). Copies of the EA and FONSI 

are also available for public inspection 

at USDA, room 1141, South Building, 

14th Street and Independence Avenue 

SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. 

and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except holidays. Persons wishing to 

inspect copies are requested to call 

ahead on (202) 690–2817 to facilitate 

entry into the reading room. In addition, 

copies may be obtained by writing to the 

individual listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. 

The EA and FONSI have been 

prepared in accordance with: (1) The 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.), (2) regulations of the 

Council on Environmental Quality for 

implementing the procedural provisions 

of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3) 

USDA regulations implementing NEPA 

(7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA 

Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 

372). 

Done in Washington, DC, this 27th day 

of April 2010. 

Kevin Shea 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–10280 Filed 4–30–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–S 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Highlands Regional Study: 

Connecticut and Pennsylvania 2010 

Update 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: As required by the Highlands 

Conservation Act, Public Law 108–421, 

the Forest Service has drafted the 

Highlands Regional Study: Connecticut 

and Pennsylvania 2010 Update. The 

study is now available (see link below) 

and identifies high conservation value 

areas, the impacts of land use change on 

the natural resources, and conservation 

strategies in the Connecticut and 

Pennsylvania portions of the 

Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and 

Pennsylvania Highlands Region. Public 

comment is being sought on the results 

of the update to better inform potential 

consumers of the study results. 

DATES: Comments must be received in 

writing on or before June 17, 2010 to be 

assured of consideration. Comments 

received after that date will be 

considered to the extent practicable. 

ADDRESSES: Comments concerning this 

notice should be addressed to Martina 

Barnes, Regional Planner, U.S. Forest 

Service, c/o U.S. EPA, Region 2, 290 

Broadway, 24th floor, New York, NY 

10007. Comments also may be 

submitted via facsimile to 212–637– 

3887 or via Internet to: http:// 

www.na.fs.fed.us/highlands/regional/ 

index.shtm. 

All comments, including names and 

addresses when provided, are placed in 

the record and are available for public 

inspection and copying. The public may 

inspect comments received by 

contacting martinabarnes@fs.fed.us. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Martina Barnes, Regional Planner, at 

212–637–3863. 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 

Standard Time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

addition to seeking public comment on 

the 2010 Update, two public meetings 

are scheduled to discuss the study. 

A public meeting to discuss the 

Pennsylvania portion of the study will 

be held on May 24, 2010 at 4 p.m. at the 

Nolde Forest Environmental Education 

Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. 

A public meeting to discuss the 

Connecticut portion of the study will be 

held on May 26, 2010 at 6 p.m. at the 

University of Connecticut Cooperative 

Extension office in Torrington, 

Connecticut. 

The study is available at http:// 

www.na.fs.fed.us/highlands/regional/ 

index.shtm. Comments received in 

response to this notice, including names 

and addresses when provided, will be a 


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