[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 50 (Monday, March 16, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 12700]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6586]


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 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 50 / Monday, March 16, 1998 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 12700]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, and 130

[Docket No. 94-106-13]
RIN O579-AA71


Importation of Animals and Animal Products; Public Meetings

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service will host five additional public meetings to discuss 
its plans for implementing a final rule and policy statement on the 
importation of animals and animal products that were published in the 
Federal Register on October 28, 1997.

DATES: The public meetings will be held in Riverdale, MD, on April 1, 
1998; in Atlanta, GA, on April 8, 1998; in Kansas City, MO, on April 
15, 1998; in Denver, CO, on April 22, 1998; and in Sacramento, CA, on 
April 29, 1998. Each public meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. and is 
scheduled to end at 5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held at the following locations:
    1. Riverdale, MD: The USDA Center at Riverside, Conference Rooms C 
and D, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD. Picture identification is 
required. Non-Federal personnel will be required to pass through a 
metal detector. Parking is available next to the building for a $2.00 
fee (have quarters or $1 bills). The nearest Metro station is the 
College Park station on the Green Line, and is within walking distance.
    2. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Summit Federal Center, Conference Rooms A 
and B, 401 W. Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, GA. Picture 
identification is required. Non-Federal personnel will be required to 
pass through a metal detector. A pay parking garage is adjacent to the 
building.
    3. Kansas City, MO: Federal Building, Rooms 244 and 245, 8930 Ward 
Parkway, Kansas City, MO. Enter on the south side of the building. 
Picture identification is required. Pay parking is available on the 
southeast side of the building.
    4. Denver, CO: Denver Federal Center, Building 25, Lecture Halls A 
and B, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO. Enter building through door E2. 
Picture identification is required. Pay parking is available on the 
east side of the building.
    5. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Food and Agriculture 
Building, Auditorium, 1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA. Picture 
identification is required. Pay parking is available on O Street, 
between 9th and 15th.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Gary Colgrove, Chief Staff 
Veterinarian, National Center for Import and Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231, (301) 734-8590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will hold 
five additional public meetings to discuss its implementation of the 
final rule and policy statement on the importation of animals and 
animal products that it published in the Federal Register on October 
28, 1997. The final rule (62 FR 56000-56026, Docket No. 94-106-9) 
established procedures and a regulatory framework for recognizing 
regions, rather than only countries, for the purpose of importing 
animals and animal products into the United States. The final rule also 
established procedures by which regions may request permission to 
export animals and animal products to the United States under specified 
conditions, based on the regions' disease status. The final rule became 
effective on November 28, 1997. The policy statement (62 FR 56027-
56033, Docket No. 94-106-8) describes the manner in which APHIS will 
apply the concepts of regionalization and risk analysis to regulating 
the importation of animals and animal products into the United States. 
The policy statement and regulations are in accordance with 
international trade agreements entered into by the United States.
    On November 21, 1997, APHIS held a public meeting in Riverdale, MD, 
to discuss its plans for implementing the final rule and policy 
statement (see 62 FR 60161). The additional public meetings will be 
held in Riverdale, MD, on April 1, 1998; in Atlanta, GA, on April 8, 
1998; in Kansas City, MO, on April 15, 1998; in Denver, CO, on April 
22, 1998; and in Sacramento, CA, on April 29, 1998. The meetings will 
include a discussion of the following: (1) The contents of the final 
rule and policy statement; (2) how APHIS has applied the principles of 
regionalization to individual requests to date; (3) the Agency's plans 
for future implementation of regionalization; and (4) a demonstration 
of APHIS's Geographic Information Systems. The meetings are scheduled 
to end at 5:00 p.m. but may conclude prior to that time if APHIS has 
completed its presentations and has addressed all questions from 
attendees.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 10th day of March 1998.
Terry L. Medley,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 98-6586 Filed 3-13-98; 8:45 am]
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