[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 90 (Friday, May 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 24915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11538]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 90 / Friday, May 9, 2003 / Notices  

[[Page 24915]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 98-035-3]


Importation of Phalaenopsis spp. From Taiwan in Growing Media; 
Availability of Environmental Assessment and Request for Comments

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We are informing the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment for a 
proposal to allow orchids of the genus Phalaenopsis to be imported from 
Taiwan in approved growing media. The environmental assessment 
documents our review and analysis of environmental impacts associated 
with the proposed action. 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 June 
9, 2003.

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. 98-035-3, 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. 98-035-3. 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. 
98-035-3'' on the subject line.
    You may read any comments that we receive on this docket 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: Mr. William Thomas, Import Specialist, 
Phytosanitary Issues Management, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 140, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-6799.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the 
United States Department of Agriculture regulates the importation of 
plants and plant parts into the United States to guard against the 
introduction of plant pests and noxious weeds into the United States. 
The regulations pertaining to the importation of plants and plant parts 
are set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), title 7, 
chapter III, part 319.
    On September 1, 1998, we published in the Federal Register (63 FR 
46403-46406, Docket No. 98-035-1) a proposal to amend the regulations 
to add orchids of the genus Phalaenopsis to the list of plants that may 
be imported from all areas of the world in an approved growing medium 
subject to specified growing, inspection, and certification 
requirements. We accepted comments on our proposal for a total of 90 
days, ending December 1, 1998.\1\
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    \1\ The comment period on the proposed rule was extended from 60 
to 90 days in a notice published in the Federal Register on October 
29, 1998 (63 FR 57932).
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    In response to comments received on the proposed rule, APHIS 
narrowed the application of the rule to Phalaenopsis spp. from Taiwan 
only and entered into formal section 7 consultation with the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service (FWS) to assess the potential effects of the 
proposed action on endangered or threatened species, as required under 
the Endangered Species Act. On April 7, 2003, FWS concluded the section 
7 consultation process by concurring with APHIS's determination that 
the importation of Phalaenopsis spp. from Taiwan in growing media will 
not adversely affect federally listed or proposed endangered or 
threatened species or their habitats.
    Upon receiving concurrence from FWS, APHIS prepared an 
environmental assessment in accordance with: (1) The National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (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 1b), and (4) 
APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).
    This notice announces the availability of the environmental 
assessment for public review and comment. The assessment, titled 
``Proposed Rule for the Importation of Moth Orchids (Phalaenopsis spp.) 
in Growing Media From the Republic of China (Taiwan),'' and dated April 
2003, may be viewed on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/es/ppqdocs.html. You may request paper copies of the environmental 
assessment from the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT. Please refer to the title of the environmental assessment when 
requesting copies.
    The environmental assessment is also available for review in our 
reading room (the location and hours of the reading room are listed 
under the heading ADDRESSES at the beginning of this notice).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day of May 2003.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 03-11538 Filed 5-8-03; 8:45 am]
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