[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 211 (Thursday, October 31, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66381-66382]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-27684]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 02-098-1]


Giant Salvinia; 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 the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment relative to 
a proposed field release of the non-indigenous salvinia weevil for the 
biological control of the aquatic weed giant salvinia. The 
environmental assessment documents our review and analysis of 
environmental impacts associated with widespread release of this agent. 
We are making the environmental assessment available to the public for 
review and comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
December 2, 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. 02-098-1, 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. 02-098-1. If you use e-mail, 
address your comment to [email protected]. 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. 
02-098-1'' in the subject line.
    You may read 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 A. Horner, Environmental 
Services, PPD, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 149, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1228; (301) 734-5213.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) is a free-floating aquatic fern, 
native to South America, with a tremendous growth rate and the 
potential to significantly affect water-reliant agricultural industries 
and recreation and the ecology of freshwater habitats throughout much 
of the United States.
    Giant salvinia reproduces vegetatively through fragmenting and from 
dormant buds breaking away. The colonizing or immature stage of giant 
salvinia is characterized by small leaves that lie flat upon the water. 
As plant growth accelerates, the leaves become larger, crowding occurs, 
and the plants are pushed upright. Mats may grow to a meter thick and 
can cover large areas.
    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) listed giant 
salvinia as a noxious weed in 1983. Under APHIS' regulations, no person 
may move giant salvinia into or through the United States, or 
interstate, unless he or she obtains a permit for the movement from 
APHIS.
    Because giant salvinia is a free-floating plant, it disperses by 
passive means (water currents and wind) and by ``hitchhiking.'' Animals 
may carry the plants over short distances, but humans can spread it 
widely on fishing gear and boating equipment. Intercontinental 
dispersal and dispersal within the United States have probably occurred 
when giant salvinia was sold in the nursery trade, either intentionally 
as a plant for aquaria or for ponds, or unintentionally when it 
``hitchhiked'' with other aquatic plants collected for academic study 
or for use in aquaria or ponds. Although native to southeastern Brazil, 
giant salvinia is now found in North America, South America, Africa, 
Asia, Australia, New Guinea, and Oceania.
    In the past several years, giant salvinia has been detected in the 
United States, mostly in association with the nursery trade in aquatic 
plants. Generally, detections have been in small, confined sites and 
are currently contained or have been eradicated. Such detections have 
occurred in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, 
Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and 
Virginia. Most recently, giant salvinia was found in the Toledo Bend 
Reservoir and the surrounding areas in Louisiana and eastern Texas. As 
a result of this infestation, APHIS prepared an environmental 
assessment (EA) and has issued permits for the environmental release of 
the non-indigenous salvinia weevil (Cyrtobagous salviniae) into the 
limited area of the Toledo Bend Reservior.
    APHIS has now received a permit application for additional releases 
of the salvinia weevil into other areas of the continental United 
States beyond the area considered in the existing APHIS EA. The 
applicant proposes to release the salvinia weevil to reduce the 
severity and extent of giant salvinia infestation in the United States. 
The salvinia weevil is native to Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. 
Salvinia weevil larvae tunnel within the rhizomes of giant salvinia, 
causing them to disintegrate. They also tunnel in the leaf buds and 
adults eat leaves and leaf buds, suppressing growth and vegetative 
propagation of this sterile weed. This insect has successfully 
controlled giant salvinia in 12 countries over 3 continents.
    APHIS' review and analysis of the proposed action and its 
alternatives are documented in detail in an EA entitled, ``Field 
Release of the Salvinia Weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands 
(Curculionidae: Coleoptera) for Control of Giant Salvinia, Salvinia 
molesta

[[Page 66382]]

Mitchell (Hydropteridales: Salviniaceae)'' (August 2002). We are making 
the EA available to the public for review and comment. We will consider 
all comments that we receive on or before the date listed under the 
heading DATES at the beginning of this notice.
    The EA may be viewed on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ by following the link for ``Documents/Forms Retrieval System'' 
then clicking on the triangle beside ``6--Permits--Environmental 
Assessments,'' and selecting document number 0001. You may request 
paper copies of the EA by calling or writing to the person listed under 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please refer to the title of the EA 
when requesting copies. The EA is 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 EA has 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 28th day of October, 2002 .
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 02-27684 Filed 10-30-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P