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

64796

Vol. 66, No. 241

Friday, December 14, 2001

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 01–105–1]

Notice of Request for Extension of

Approval of an Information Collection

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Extension of approval of an

information collection; comment

request.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service’s intention to

request an extension of approval of an

information collection in support of the

gypsy moth program.

DATES: We invite you to comment on

this docket. We will consider all

comments we receive that are

postmarked, delivered, or e-mailed by

February 12, 2002.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments

by postal mail/commercial delivery or

by e-mail. If you use postal mail/

commercial delivery, please send four

copies of your comment (an original and

three copies) to: Docket No. 01–105–1,

Regulatory Analysis and Development,

PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River

Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–

1238. Please state that your comment

refers to Docket No. 01–105–1. If you

use e-mail, address your comment to

regulations@aphis.usda.gov. Your

comment must be contained in the body

of your message; do not send attached

files. Please include your name and

address in your message and ‘‘Docket

No. 01–105–1’’ on the subject line.

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: For

information on the gypsy moth

identification worksheet, contact Mr.

Jonathan Jones, Operations Officer,

Invasive Species and Pest Management,

PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 134,

Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 734–

5038. For copies of more detailed

information on the information

collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles,

APHIS’ Information Collection

Coordinator, at (301) 734–7477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Gypsy Moth Identification.

OMB Number: 0579–0104.

Type of Request: Extension of

approval of an information collection.

Abstract: The United States

Department of Agriculture (USDA) is

responsible for, among other things, the

control and eradication of plant pests.

The Plant Protection Act authorizes the

Department to carry out this mission.

To this end, Plant Protection and

Quarantine (PPQ) of the Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS), USDA, engages in detection

surveys to monitor for the presence of,

among other things, the European gypsy

moth and the Asian gypsy moth.

The European gypsy moth was

introduced into the United States in the

1860’s and has been damaging

woodland areas in the Northeast for the

last 100 years. The Asian gypsy moth,

which is not established in this country,

is considered to pose an even greater

threat to trees and forested areas.

Unlike the flightless European gypsy

moth female adult, the Asian gypsy

moth female adult is capable of strong

directed flight between mating and egg

deposition, significantly increasing its

ability to spread over a much greater

area and become widely established

within a short time.

To determine the presence and extent

of a European gypsy moth or an Asian

gypsy moth infestation, we set traps in

high-risk areas to collect specimens.

Once an infestation is identified, control

and eradication work (usually involving

State cooperation) is initiated to

eliminate the moths.

APHIS personnel, with assistance

from State agriculture personnel, check

traps for the presence of gypsy moths.

If a suspicious moth is found in the trap,

it is sent to APHIS laboratories at the

Otis Methods Development Center in

Michigan so that it can be correctly

identified through DNA analysis. (Since

the European gypsy moth and the Asian

gypsy moth are strains of the same

species, they cannot be visually

distinguished from each other. DNA

analysis is the only way to accurately

identify these insects.)

The PPQ or State employee

submitting the moth for analysis

completes a gypsy moth identification

worksheet (PPQ Form 305), which

accompanies the insect to the

laboratory. The worksheet enables both

Federal and State regulatory officials to

identify and track specific specimens

through the DNA identification tests

that we conduct.

The information provided by the

gypsy moth identification worksheets is

vital to our ability to monitor, detect,

and eradicate gypsy moth infestations.

We are asking the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) to

approve our use of this information

collection activity for an additional 3

years.

The purpose of this notice is to solicit

comments from the public (as well as

affected agencies) concerning our

information collection. These comments

will help us:

(1) Evaluate whether the collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the

Agency, including whether the

information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our

estimate of the burden of the

information collection, including the

validity of the methodology and

assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the

information collection on those who are

to respond, through use, as appropriate,

of automated, electronic, mechanical,

and other collection technologies, e.g.,

permitting electronic submission of

responses.

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2001 / Notices 64797

Estimate of burden: The public

reporting burden for this collection of

information is estimated to average

0.083 hours per response.

Respondents: State cooperators.

Estimated annual number of

respondents: 120.

Estimated annual number of

responses per respondent: 2.

Estimated annual number of

responses: 240.

Estimated total annual burden on

respondents: 20 hours. (Due to

averaging, the total annual burden hours

may not equal the product of the annual

number of responses multiplied by the

reporting burden per response.)

All responses to this notice will be

summarized and included in the request

for OMB approval. All comments will

also become a matter of public record.

Done in Washington, DC, this 10th day of

December, 2001.

W. Ron DeHaven,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 01–30897 Filed 12–13–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–34–U

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 01–096–1]

Availability of an Environmental

Assessment

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and

request for comments.

SUMMARY: We are advising the public

that an environmental assessment has

been prepared by the Animal and Plant

Health Inspection Service relative to the

control of Melaleuca quinquenervia.

The environmental assessment

considers the effects of, and alternatives

to, the release of two nonindigenous

organisms into the environment for use

as biological control agents to reduce

the severity of melaleuca infestations.

The environmental assessment has been

prepared to provide the public with

documentation of our review and

analysis of the potential environmental

impacts and plant pest risks associated

with releasing these biological control

agents into the environment.

DATES: We invite you to comment on the

environmental assessment. We will

consider all comments we receive that

are postmarked, delivered, or e-mailed

by January 14, 2002.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments

by postal mail/commercial delivery or

by e-mail. If you use postal mail/

commercial delivery, please send four

copies of your comment (an original and

three copies) to: Docket No. 01–096–1,

Regulatory Analysis and Development,

PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River

Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–

1238. Please state that your comment

refers to Docket No. 01–096–1. If you

use e-mail, address your comment to

regulations@aphis.usda.gov. Your

comment must be contained in the body

of your message; do not send attached

files. Please include your name and

address in your message and ‘‘Docket

No. 01–096–1’’ on the subject line.

You may read the environmental

assessment and any comments that we

receive on the environmental

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 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: Dr.

Tracy Horner, Entomologist, Permits

and Risk Assessment, PPQ, APHIS, 4700

River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD

20737–1228; (301) 734–5213.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of

an integrated control project to reduce

the severity of Melaleuca quinquenervia

(Cav.) S.T. Blake (Myrtales: Myrtaceae)

infestations in Florida, the Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

is proposing to release two

nonindigenous organisms,

Boreioglycaspis melaleucae Moore

(Hemiptera: Psyllidae) and Lophyrotoma

zonalis Rohwer (Hymenoptera:

Pergidae) in areas affected by melaleuca.

Melaleuca, a broad-leaf paper bark

tree native to Australia, was originally

introduced in Florida during the early

1900’s as an ornamental and was later

planted along dikes and levees for

erosion control and to convert wetlands

into productive forest lands. Over the

last four decades, it has spread

throughout southern Florida, displacing

native plant and animal species, and

threatening the stability of the Florida

Everglades ecosystem. The purpose of

the proposed action is to reduce the

severity of the infestations of melaleuca

throughout the affected areas.

APHIS’ current melaleuca control

project encompasses the areas known to

be infested in central and south Florida

and involves an integrated control

approach sensitive to site-specific

conditions, which may include a

combination of physical, biological,

and/or chemical controls. In response to

permit applications the Agency received

for the release of B. melaleucae, a

psyllid native to Australia, and L.

zonalis, a sawfly also native to

Australia, APHIS is investigating the use

of these biological control agents to

control melaleuca in the affected areas.

If APHIS decides to issue permits to

release B. melaleucae and/or L. zonalis,

these organisms would be added to the

integrated control methods already

available. Presently, there is only one

biological control agent, a

nonindigenous weevil (Oxyops vitiosa),

used to suppress melaleuca.

APHIS has completed an

environmental assessment that

considers the effects of, and alternatives

to, releasing B. melaleucae and L.

zonalis into the environment. B.

melaleucae and L. zonalis are known to

attack only species within the family

Myrtaceae. Our findings indicate that L.

zonalis and B. melaleucae will not

develop on any native species of

Myrtaceae, but may temporarily feed on,

and cause minor damage to, introduced

species of Callistemon and Myrtaceae,

and possibly wax myrtle. There is no

evidence that the release of these two

biological control agents will adversely

affect threatened and endangered

species or their habitat, or cultural,

historical, and archaeological resources.

L. zonalis is being tested for toxicity

to vertebrates because a closely related

species, Lophyrotoma interrupta Klug,

is reported to be toxic to cattle in

Australia under certain conditions.

Until further testing is completed, L.

zonalis will not be released into the

environment. Therefore, we are

considering the release of B. melaleucae

and, pending further testing, the release

of L. zonalis to reduce the severity of

melaleuca infestations in Florida.

APHIS’ review and analysis of the

potential environmental impacts

associated with releasing these

biological control agents into the

environment are documented in detail

in an environmental assessment entitled

‘‘Field Release of Two Biological

Control Agents Boreioglycaspis

melaleucae Moore (Hemiptera:

Psyllidae) and Lophyrotoma zonalis

Rohwer (Hymenoptera: Pergidae) for the

Control of Melaleuca quinquenervia

(Cav.) S.T. Blake (Myrtales: Myrtaceae)