Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2011/08/23/2011-21519/european-larch-canker-expansion-of-regulated-areas
Timestamp: 2016-10-01 14:11:54
Document Index: 770512774

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u2009301', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009301', 'art2', '§\u2009301', '§\u2009301']

:: European Larch Canker; Expansion of Regulated Areas
52543-52544
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2011-21519
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/​#!documentDetail;​D=​APHIS-2011-0029-0001.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2011-0029, 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 http://www.regulations.gov/​#!docketDetail;​D=​APHIS-2011-0029 or in our reading room, which 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.
Mr. Paul Chaloux, National Program Manager, Emergency and Domestic Programs, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 26, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734-0917.
European larch canker (ELC), Lachnellula willkommi (Dasycypha), is a serious plant disease caused by a fungus that can kill mature and immature species of the genus Larix (larch) and Pseudolarix (Golden larch). In parts of Europe, ELC has eliminated the European larch as a plantation species. ELC was first discovered in the United States in Massachusetts in 1927. It was declared eradicated in 1965, but in 1984, infestations were found in portions of Maine.
Under the regulations in “Subpart-European Larch Canker” (7 CFR 301.91 through 301.91-9, referred to below as the regulations), the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) restricts the interstate movement of certain regulated articles from regulated areas to prevent the spread of ELC. These regulations, which were established in May 1984, list parts of several counties in Maine as regulated areas. Articles regulated under the subpart include logs, pulpwood, branches, twigs, plants, and scion and other propagative material of Larix or Pseudolarix spp., except seeds. Such articles may be moved interstate from regulated areas only under certificates, limited permits, or compliance agreements. The regulations also include provisions for the issuance of certificates and limited permits, and requirements for compliance agreements, as well as for assembly and inspection of regulated articles.
Maine has State-imposed ELC quarantine requirements that mirror APHIS' requirements. Each year, the Maine Forest Service conducts survey activities in and around the regulated areas. Since APHIS established the ELC regulations, Maine's survey data have revealed additional instances of ELC in native forested areas in previously uninfested townships within the regulated area. The State of Maine has confirmed the establishment of an intrastate quarantine for the townships of Beddington, Boothbay, South Bristol, T24 Middle Division Bingham's Penobscot Purchase, and T25 Middle Division Bingham's Penobscot Purchase. These townships have been quarantined either because they have been found to be infested with ELC or because they provide a buffer area between infested and uninfested townships.
In this interim rule, we are adding the above-named townships to our list of ELC-regulated areas in § 301.91-3. This action is necessary to prevent the human-assisted dissemination of ELC, thus safeguarding the Nation's forests, landscapes, and natural resources from this highly destructive pathogen.
Because our list of areas regulated for ELC in § 301.91-3 has not been revised in a number of years, certain additional changes are needed to make it current. We are revising the names of some of the listed jurisdictions to reflect current naming conventions, including the use of abbreviations, for townships in Maine. These naming conventions are also used elsewhere in our regulations, e.g., in the list of areas in Maine regulated for gypsy moth under § 301.45-3. We are also correcting some misspellings in the regulations of the names of townships regulated for ELC. These changes and corrections are intended to prevent any misidentification of, or confusion about, ELC-regulated areas.
This rulemaking is necessary on an emergency basis to prevent the human-Start Printed Page 52544assisted spread of ELC to noninfested areas. Under these circumstances, the Administrator has determined that prior notice and opportunity for public comment are contrary to the public interest and that there is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553 for making this rule effective less than 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
Maine has expanded its intrastate ELC quarantine to include the townships of Beddington, Boothbay, South Bristol, T24 Middle Division Bingham's Penobscot Purchase, and T25 Middle Division Bingham's Penobscot Purchase. This interim rule amends our domestic ELC quarantine regulations to include additional those areas in Maine and to correct some misidentifications of previously listed regulated areas.
The only small entities in the newly federally regulated townships that may be affected are forestry operations. The number of these operations in the 5 townships has ranged between 8 and 18 over the past 5 years. It is estimated that the annual value of harvested larch sold from the newly quarantined areas averages about $375. Any potential impact of the rule is further minimized by the opportunity for forestry operations to enter into compliance agreements with lumber mills to process larch from quarantined areas.
Start Amendment Part2. In § 301.91-3, paragraph (c), the entry for Maine is revised to read as follows:End Amendment Part
§ 301.91-3 Regulated areas.
Hancock County. The entire townships of Gouldsboro, Sorrento, Sullivan, T7 SD, T9 SD, T10 SD, and T16 MD, and Winter Harbor.
Knox County. The entire townships of Appleton, Camden, Cushing, Friendship, Hope, Owls Head, Rockland, Rockport, Saint George, South Thomaston, Thomaston, Union, Warren, and Washington.
Lincoln County. The entire townships of Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Edgecomb, Jefferson, Newcastle, Nobleboro, Somerville, South Bristol, Southport, Waldoboro, Westport Island, and Wiscasset.
Washington County. The entire townships of Addison, Baring Plantation, Beals, Beddington, Berry Township, Calais, Cathance Township, Centerville Township, Charlotte, Cherryfield, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Cooper, Cutler, Deblois, Dennysville, East Machias, Eastport, Edmunds Township, Harrington, Jonesboro, Jonesport, Lubec, Machias, Machiasport, Marion Township, Marshfield, Meddybemps, Milbridge, Northfield, Pembroke, Perry, Robbinston, Roque Bluffs, Steuben, T18 MD BPP, T19 MD BPP, T24 MD BPP, T25 MD BPP, Trescott Township, Whiting, and Whitneyville.
[FR Doc. 2011-21519 Filed 8-22-11; 8:45 am]