[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 143 (Thursday, July 25, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 48611]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-18846]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 02-065-1]


Availability of an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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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 control of Siam 
weed, Chromolaena odorata, in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. 
The environmental assessment considers the effects of, and alternatives 
to, the release of a nonindigenous fly, Cecidochares 
(Procecicidochares) connexa, into the environment for use as a 
biological control agent to reduce the severity of Siam weed. The 
environmental assessment provides a basis for our conclusion that the 
issuance of a permit for the field release of Cecidochares 
(Procecicidochares) connexa into the environment will not have a 
significant impact on the quality of the human environment. 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.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the environmental assessment and finding of no 
significant impact are available for public inspection 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Tracy A. Horner, Entomologist, 
Biological and Technical Services, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 
133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1228; (301) 734-5213.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Siam weed, Chromolaena odorata, is a perennial shrub native to 
South America and Central America where it is controlled by competing 
plants and natural enemies. However, Siam weed has become an invasive 
weed in much of tropical Asia, Africa, and the western Pacific 
including Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. It becomes the 
dominant vegetation in abandoned fields, vacant lands, disturbed 
forests, and roadsides, suppressing native vegetation and preventing 
the natural reseeding of forest trees. In addition, it interferes with 
the cultivation of crops such as rubber, oil palm, coffee, cocoa, teak, 
cashew, and coconut. During the dry season, Siam weed can become a fire 
hazard. The tangled thickets of this weed interfere with wildlife 
movement in forests, and the leaves of Siam weed are toxic to 
livestock.
    Chemical, mechanical, and biological control methods are available 
to control Siam weed, but these methods have limitations. For instance, 
chemical and mechanical control methods are expensive, and chemical 
control method poses some environmental concerns. Of the four insects 
released in Guam for the biological control of Siam weed, only one 
insect has become established, with limited effectiveness. The 
effectiveness of the tiger moth, Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata, has been 
limited to areas of dense thickets. A nonindigenous fly, Cecidochares 
(Procecidochares) connexa Macquart (Diptera: Tephritidae), would 
potentially complement the tiger moth in the control of Siam weed 
because C. connexa has the ability to locate, and become established 
within, patchy distributions of Siam weed.
    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) received a 
permit application from the University of Guam to release C. connexa 
into the environment to reduce the severity of Siam weed infestations 
in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. APHIS prepared an 
environmental assessment entitled ``Field Release of Cecidochares 
(Procecidochares) connexa Macquart (Diptera: Tephritidae), a non-
indigenous, gall-making fly for control of Siam weed, Chromolaena 
odorata (L.) King and Robinson (Asteraceae) in Guam and the Northern 
Mariana Islands'' (February 2002). The notice of availability and 
request for comments on the environmental assessment was published in 
the Pacific Daily News, March 7-9, 2002, the Saipan Tribune, March 5-7, 
2002, and the Honolulu Advertiser, March 1, 2002. We received no 
comments on the environmental assessment.
    We are advising the public of APHIS' record of decision and finding 
of no significant impact regarding the issuance of a permit for the 
field release of C. connexa, without conditions, for use as a 
biological control agent to reduce the severity of Siam weed 
infestations.
    The environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact 
may be viewed on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ by 
accessing ``Document/Forms Retrieval System,'' then ``3-Permits-
Pests,'' and document number 0031. You may request copies of the 
environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact by 
calling or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT. Please refer to the title of the environmental assessment when 
requesting copies. The environmental assessment and finding of no 
significant impact are also available for review in our reading room 
(information on the location and hours of the reading room is listed 
under the heading ADDRESSES at the beginning of this notice).
    The environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact 
have been prepared in accordance with: (1) The National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), (2) 
regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality for implementing 
the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), (3) USDA 
regulations implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1), and (4) APHIS' NEPA 
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).


    Done in Washington, DC, this 19th day of July 2002.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 02-18846 Filed 7-24-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P