[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 20 (Monday, January 31, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4832-4833]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01903]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

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.

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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 20 / Monday, January 31, 2022 / 
Notices

[[Page 4832]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2021-0076]


Importation of Acer spp. (Acer buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A. 
pseudosieboldianum) Dwarf Plants From the Republic of Korea Into the 
Continental United States

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk 
analysis relative to the importation of three Acer spp. (Acer 
buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A. pseudosieboldianum) dwarf plants from 
the Republic of Korea into the continental United States. Currently, 
Acer spp. are included in our lists of taxa of plants for planting 
whose importation into the United States is not authorized pending pest 
risk analysis. Based on the findings of the pest risk analysis, we are 
proposing to remove Acer buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A. 
pseudosieboldianum dwarf plants from the Republic of Korea from the not 
authorized pending plant risk analysis lists, thereby allowing the 
importation of such Acer spp. into the United States, subject to 
certain conditions. We are making the pest risk analysis available to 
the public for review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before April 
1, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and enter APHIS-2021-0076 in the Search field. 
Select the Documents tab, then select the Comment button in the list of 
documents.
    <bullet> Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2021-0076, 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: Dr. Narasimha Chary Samboju, Senior 
Regulatory Policy Specialist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 851-2038.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under the regulations in ``Subpart H--Plants for Planting'' (7 CFR 
319.37-1 through 319.37-23, referred to below as the regulations), the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture prohibits or restricts the importation of 
plants for planting (including living plants, plant parts, seeds, and 
plant cuttings) to prevent the introduction of quarantine pests into 
the United States. Quarantine pest is defined in Sec.  319.37-2 of the 
regulations as a plant pest or noxious weed that is of potential 
economic importance to the United States and not yet present in the 
United States, or present but not widely distributed and being 
officially controlled. Section 319.37-4 of the regulations provides 
that certain taxa of plants for planting are not authorized for 
importation into the United States pending pest risk analysis (NAPPRA) 
to prevent the introduction of quarantine pests into the United States.
    Paragraph (e) of Sec.  319.37-4 describes the process for removing 
taxa from the NAPPRA lists. After receiving a request to remove taxa 
from the NAPPRA lists, APHIS will conduct a pest risk analysis (PRA) in 
response to such a request and make the PRA available for public review 
and comment. Following the close of the comment period, we will review 
all comments received and announce our decision regarding the request 
in a subsequent notice. Currently, Acer spp. plants are included on the 
NAPPRA lists.\1\
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    \1\ To view the NAPPRA lists, go to: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/import-information/permits/plants-and-plant-products-permits/plants-for-planting/ct_nappra.
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    The national plant protection organization of the Republic of Korea 
(South Korea) has requested that we allow the importation of Acer 
buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A. pseudosieboldianum as dormant, bare-
rooted dwarf (also known as ``bunjae'') plants into the continental 
United States. In response to this request, we prepared a pest risk 
assessment that evaluates the request in light of the plant pest risk 
associated with the importation of Acer spp. from South Korea, as well 
as a risk management document (RMD) based on the pest risk assessment 
to identify phytosanitary measures that could be applied to mitigate 
the pest risk of importing Acer spp. from South Korea.
    Based on the PRA, we are proposing to allow the importation of Acer 
buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A. pseudosieboldianum into the 
continental United States as dormant, bare-rooted dwarf plants, subject 
to the pest risk mitigation measures required for all approved dwarf 
plants imported under the APHIS Artificially Dwarfed Plants program,\2\ 
as well as additional commodity-specific risk management measures for 
these species of Acer. These conditions are described in further detail 
in the RMD that accompanies this notice.
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    \2\ To view the requirements of the APHIS Artificially Dwarfed 
Plants program, go to: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/plants_for_planting.pdf.
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    Therefore, in accordance with Sec.  319.37-4(e), we are announcing 
the availability of our PRA and RMD for public review and comment. 
These documents 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 these documents 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 whether to allow the

[[Page 4833]]

importation of Acer buergerianum, A. palmatum, and A. 
pseudosieboldianum as dormant, bare-rooted dwarf plants from South 
Korea into the continental United States in a subsequent notice. If the 
overall conclusions of our analysis and the Administrator's 
determination of risk remain unchanged following our consideration of 
the comments, then we will revise the NAPPRA lists to allow the 
importation of the aforementioned Acer spp. from South Korea in 
accordance with 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 26th day of January 2022.
Mark Davidson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-01903 Filed 1-28-22; 8:45 am]
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