[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 48 (Monday, March 11, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9718-9719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5398]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Risk Assessment and 
Management Committee

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability for public comment two 
documents produced by the Risk Assessment and Management Committee 
(Committee), a committee of the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force. 
The documents are as follows: (1) Final Draft--Generic Nonindigenous 
Aquatic Organisms Risk Analysis Review Process; and, (2) Final Draft--
Risk Assessment on the black carp (Pisces: Cyprinidae). The Aquatic 
Nuisance Species Task Force was established under the authority of the 
Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990.

DATES: Comment period ends on May 10, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written responses and requests for copies of the documents 
should be mailed to: Richard Orr, Risk Assessment and Management 
Committee Chairman, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service--PPD, 4700 River Road, Unit 117, Riverdale, 
Maryland, 20737-1238.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Richard Orr, Risk Assessment and Management Committee Chairman at (301) 
734-8939.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Generic Nonindigenous Aquatic 

[[Page 9719]]
Organisms Risk Analysis Review Process is the risk process developed 
through the Risk Assessment and Management Committee to help meet the 
requirements of the Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 
(P.L. 101-646, 104 Stat. 4761, 16 U.S.C. 4701 et seq., November 29, 
1990). The objective of the Review Process is to provide a standardized 
process for evaluating the risk of introducing nonindigneous organisms 
into a new environment and, if needed, determining the correct risk 
management steps needed to mitigate the risk. The Review Process 
provides a framework where scientific, technical, and other relevant 
information can be organized into a format that is understandable and 
useful to managers and decision makers. The process was developed to 
function as an open process with early and continuous input from all 
identified interested parties and designed to be flexible and dynamic 
enough to accommodate a variety of approaches to nonindigneous 
organisms risk depending on the available resources, accessibility of 
the biological information, and the risk assessment methods available 
at the time of the assessment. The black carp was chosen as the test 
organism for the Review Process because it demonstrated: (1) A real 
issue in which the potential for positive gain (biological control of 
yellow grub and zebra mussel) has to be balanced with the potential of 
becoming established and causing economic and/or environmental damage 
on a new environment; (2) a real issue in which political, economic, 
and environmental concern were already present; and, (3) a situation in 
which there still exists time to correctly manage this issue to the 
benefit of the American people. This assessment is specific organism 
assessment and does not attempt to evaluate the black carp as a 
pathway.

    Dated: February 29, 1996.
Gary Edwards,
Assistant Director--Fisheries, Co-Chair, Aquatic Nuisance Species Task 
Force.
[FR Doc. 96-5398 Filed 3-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M