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

44151 

Vol. 82, No. 182 

Thursday, September 21, 2017 

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

comments we received, go to http://

www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS2017-0053. 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2017–0063] 

Addition of Uganda to the List of 

Regions Affected by Highly Pathogenic 

Avian Influenza 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that we are adding Uganda to the list of 

regions that the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service considers to 

be affected by highly pathogenic avian 

influenza (HPAI). This action follows 

our imposition of HPAI-related 

restrictions on avian commodities 

originating from or transiting Uganda as 

a result of the confirmation of HPAI in 

Uganda. 

DATES: Uganda was added the list of 

regions under temporary restrictions on 

January 14, 2017. Uganda is added to 

the list of regions considered to be 

affected by HPAI as of September 21, 

2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Rebecca Gordon, Import Risk Analyst, 

National Import Export Services, 920 

Main Campus Drive, Suite 200, Raleigh, 

North Carolina, 27606; phone (919) 

855–7741; rebecca.k.gordon@

aphis.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred to 

below as the regulations) govern the 

importation of certain animals and 

animal products into the United States 

to prevent the introduction of various 

animal diseases, including Newcastle 

disease and highly pathogenic avian 

influenza (HPAI). The regulations 

prohibit or restrict the importation of 

live poultry, poultry meat, and other 

poultry products from regions where 

these diseases are considered to exist. 

Section 94.6 contains requirements 

governing the importation into the 

United States of carcasses, meat, parts or 

products of carcasses, and eggs (other 

than hatching eggs) of poultry, game 

birds, or other birds from regions of the 

world where HPAI exists or is 

reasonably believed to exist. HPAI is an 

extremely infectious and potentially 

fatal form of avian influenza in birds 

and poultry that, once established, can 

spread rapidly from flock to flock. A list 

of regions that the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

considers affected with HPAI of any 

subtype is maintained on the APHIS 

Web site at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ 

aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animaland-animal-product-importinformation/ct_animal_disease_status. 

APHIS receives notice of HPAI 

outbreaks from veterinary officials of the 

exporting country, from the World 

Organization for Animal Health (OIE), 

or from other sources the Administrator 

determines to be reliable. On January 

15, 2017, the veterinary authorities of 

Uganda reported to the OIE the 

confirmation on January 14, 2017, of 

HPAI H5 in domestic ducks and 

chickens in Bukakata (Masaka District). 

The report indicated 30,000 domestic 

birds were susceptible. The OIE 

followup report dated January 27, 2017, 

confirmed the HPAI subtype H5N8. 

In response to that outbreak, APHIS 

placed restrictions on the importation of 

poultry, commercial birds, other types 

of birds (research, performing), ratites, 

any avian hatching eggs, unprocessed 

avian products and byproducts, and 

certain fresh poultry products from 

Uganda to mitigate risk of HPAI 

introduction into the United States. 

Those restrictions went into effect on 

January 14, 2017. With the publication 

of this notice, we are adding Uganda to 

the list of regions APHIS considers 

affected with HPAI of any subtype. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701–7772, 7781– 

7786, and 8301–8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 

136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 

371.4. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 15th day of 

September 2017. 

Jere L. Dick, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–20121 Filed 9–20–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2017–0053] 

Availability of an Environmental 

Assessment and Finding of No 

Significant Impact for a Biological 

Control Agent for Swallow-Worts 

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 a leaf-feeding moth, Hypena 

opulenta, for the biological control of 

swallow-worts (Vincetoxicum nigrum 

and Vincetoxicum rossicum). 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. 

Colin D. Stewart, Assistant Director, 

Pests, Pathogens, and Biocontrol 

Permits, Permitting and Compliance 

Coordination, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River 

Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737– 

1231; (301) 851–2327, email: 

Colin.Stewart@aphis.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) is proposing to issue 

permits for the release of a leaf-feeding 

moth, Hypena opulenta, into the 

continental United States for use as a 

biological control agent to reduce the 

severity of swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum 

nigrum and Vincetoxicum rossicum) 

infestations. 

On July 13, 2017, we published in the 

Federal Register (82 FR 32318, Docket 

No. APHIS–2017–0053) a notice 1 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 the biological control agent 

into the continental United States. 


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