This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency statements of organization and functions are examples of documents appearing in this section. 

# Notices Federal Register 

### 12171

Vol. 75, No. 49

Monday, March 15, 2010

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Office of the Secretary**

**Notice of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and**  **Economics Advisory Board Meeting**

**AGENCY :**  Research, Education, and Economics, USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice of meeting.

**SUMMARY :**  In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, the United States Department of Agriculture announces a meeting of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board.

**DATES :**  The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board will meet March 29–31, 2010.

The public may file written comments before or up to two weeks after the meeting with the contact person identified in this notice.

**ADDRESSES :**  The meeting will take place at the Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20001. Written comments from the public may be sent to the Contact Person identified in this notice at: The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board; Research, Education, and Economics Advisory Board Office, Room 3901, South Building, United States Department of Agriculture, STOP 0321, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250–2255.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Karen Hunter, Executive Director, National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board; telephone: (202) 720– 3684; fax: (202) 720–6199; or e-mail: Shirley.morgan@ars.usda.gov.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  The entire meeting to include orientation is open to the public. On Monday, March 29, 2010, an orientation session for new members and interested incumbent members will be held from 10:30 a.m.– 12 p.m. (noon). The full Advisory Board will convene at 12 p.m. (noon) with introductory remarks by the Chair of the Advisory Board. There will be brief introductions of new Board members, incumbents, and guests followed by general Board business. Comments will be heard from a variety of distinguished leaders and experts, as well as officials and/or leaders from the four agencies in the USDA Research, Education, and Economics mission area. Speakers will provide information for the Board to consider while developing recommendations regarding enhancement of USDA research, extension, education, and economic programs for the protection of U.S. food, fiber, fuel and agricultural systems. USDA officials have been invited to provide brief remarks and welcome the new Board members. On Tuesday, March 30, 2010 a focus session on the topic of Food Security will begin at 8 a.m. and adjourn at 5:30 p.m. On Wednesday, March 31, 2010, the meeting will reconvene at 8 a.m. to continue discussions on Food Security and draft preliminary recommendations. An opportunity for public comment will be offered at the end of each day. The Advisory Board Meeting will adjourn by 12:00 (noon) on Wednesday.

Written comments by attendees or other interested individuals will be welcomed for the public record before and up to two weeks following the Board meeting (by close of business Wednesday, April 14, 2010). All statements will become a part of the official record of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board and will be kept on file for public review in the Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board Office.

Margaret M. Jahn, Acting, Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics.
[FR Doc. 2010–5570 Filed 3–12–10; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3410–03–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE** 

**Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service** 

**[Docket No. APHIS–2010–0001]**

**Notice of Availability of a Draft Pest Risk Assessment on Honey Bees**  **Imported from Australia**

**AGENCY :**  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice of availability and request for comments.

**SUMMARY :**  We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an evaluation of the pest risks associated with the importation of honey bees from Australia. The draft pest risk assessment considers potential pest risks involved in the importation of honeybees into the United States from Australia after concerns that exotic honey bee pathogens or parasites may have been introduced into Australia. We are making the draft pest risk assessment available to the public for review and
comment.

**DATES :**  We will consider all comments that we receive on or before May 14,
2010.

**ADDRESSES :**  You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

∑ Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to ( http://www.regulations.gov/ fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS2010-0001 ) to submit or view comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically.

∑ Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of your comment to Docket No. APHIS–2010–0001, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS–
2010–0001.

Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on the draft pest risk assessment 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


### 12172 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 49 / Monday, March 15, 2010 / Notices

help you, please call (202) 690–2817 before coming.

Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its programs is available on the Internet at ( http://www.aphis.usda.gov ).

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Dr. Colin D. Stewart, Senior Entomologist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737–1237; (301) 734–
0774.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Background

The regulations in 7 CFR part 322 restrict the importation, interstate movement, and transit through the United States of bees, beekeeping byproducts, and beekeeping equipment to prevent the introduction of pests into the United States through the importation of honeybees from approved regions. Australia is currently on the list of approved regions from which adult honeybees maybe imported into the United States under certain conditions.

In March 2002, APHIS issued a report assessing the risks of pest introduction into the United States in imports of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) from Australia. The evaluation identified 15 pathogens and pests of bees in that country, all of which occur in the United States. The evaluation concluded that there were no quarantine-significant honey bee pathogens or pests occurring in Australia.

In the 7 years since the completion of the evaluation for Australian bees, new threats to the U.S. honey bee population have emerged. The most prominent threat is Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious syndrome characterized by the abrupt disappearance of a colony’s adult worker bee population, leaving a substantial population of healthy brood, an absence of dead bees, and the delayed invasion of hive pests and robbing of hive stores by neighboring colonies. A link between the disorder, first reported in the United States in 2006, and honey bee imports from Australia has been suggested. The May 2007 discovery of colonies of the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana ) near Cairns, Victoria, also has raised concerns that exotic honey bee pathogens or parasites may have been introduced into Australia with the arrival of this foreign bee. These developments suggest a need to reevaluate the risks involved in importation of bees from Australia.

APHIS’ review and analysis of the risks associated with the importation of honey bees from Australia are documented in detail in a draft pest risk assessment (PRA) titled, ‘‘Evaluation of Pest Risks Associated with Importation of Honey Bees ( Apis mellifera L.) from Australia’’ (November 2009). Findings presented in the draft PRA state that there are honey bee viruses present in Australia that are not known to occur in the United States. The draft PRA concludes that zoosanitary measures may be necessary to reduce the possibility of the introduction of these viruses to the United States via the importation of honey bees from Australia.

We are making the draft PRA available to the public for review and comment. We will consider all comments that we receive on or before the date listed under the heading **DATES** at the beginning of this notice. The draft PRA and the comments received may be the basis for a future change in the regulations.

The draft PRA may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site or in our reading room (see **ADDRESSES** above for instructions for accessing Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of the reading room). You may request paper copies of the draft PRA by calling or writing to the person listed under **FOR FURTHER**
**INFORMATION CONTACT** . Please refer to the title of the draft PRA when requesting copies.

Done in Washington, DC, this 8 th day of March 2010.

Kevin Shea, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2010–5573 Filed 3–12–10; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3410–34–S**

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service** 

**[Docket No. APHIS-2009-0101]**

**Notice of Availability of a Draft Response to Petitions for the**  **Reclassification of Light Brown Apple Moth as a Non-Quarantine Pest** 

**AGENCY :**  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice of availability and request for comments.

**SUMMARY :**  We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is making available, for public review and comment, a draft response to two petitions we received requesting the reclassification of light brown apple moth [ Epiphyas postvittana (Walker)] as a nonquarantine pest. Following the review period, APHIS will consider the comments prior to the release of a final petition response.

**DATES :**  We will consider all comments that we receive on or before May 14,
2010.

**ADDRESSES :**  You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

∑ Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to ( http://www.regulations.gov/ fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS2009-0101 ) to submit or view comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically.

∑ Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2009-0101, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that yourcomment refers to Docket No. APHIS2009-0101.

Reading Room: 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.

Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its programs is available on the Internet at ( http://www.aphis.usda.gov ).

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Ms. Andrea Simao, National Program Manager, Emergency and Domestic Programs, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 26, Riverdale, MD 20737- 1231; (301) 734-0930.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Background

Light brown apple moth ( Epiphyas postvittana [Walker]) (LBAM) is a plant pest with a broad host range of over 2,000 plant species, including stone fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, and apricots), apples, pears, grapes, and citrus. LBAM larvae feed on the leaves and fruit of host plants and, under appropriate conditions, may result in significant damage. The pest can be very difficult to eradicate once it is established in an area. To date, natural enemies of leaf rollers have not impacted LBAM populations in the infested areas of California and few predators or parasites of LBAM have been observed.