[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 111 (Monday, June 11, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 32057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-11242]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2007-0048]


Removal of Emergency Action Notice for Tiffany Creek Preserve in 
New York

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are giving notice that we have lifted restrictions placed 
on Tiffany Creek Preserve in Nassau County, NY. In 2004, the preserve 
was put under an Emergency Action Notice after a sample taken from a 
northern red oak tested positive for Phytophthora ramorum. The preserve 
was required to undergo biannual surveys for P. ramorum for 2 years, 
the last of which was conducted in September 2006. The results of all 
surveys conducted in Tiffany Creek Preserve, Nassau County, and the 
State of New York were negative. Therefore, we have released Tiffany 
Creek Preserve from all restrictions related to P. ramorum and consider 
no further surveys or actions are warranted.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 25, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jonathan M. Jones, Senior Staff 
Officer, Invasive Species and Pest Management, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River 
Road Unit 160, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-8247.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Phytophthora ramorum is a pathogen that 
causes the plant diseases commonly known as sudden oak death, ramorum 
leaf blight, and ramorum dieback. Since its initial discovery in Marin 
County, CA, in 1995, P. ramorum has been confirmed to exist in 13 
additional northern California counties and in a portion of Curry 
County, OR. P. ramorum has caused the death of thousands of mature oaks 
in these counties, and there is presently no known treatment for 
infected plants that kills the fungus but allows plants to survive.
    On June 30, 2004, a survey for P. ramorum was conducted at Tiffany 
Creek Preserve in Nassau County, NY. One of the samples taken during 
that survey was from a northern red oak tree. The sample was tested 
using an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) nested 
polymerase chain reaction protocol that resulted in reactions that 
indicated the presence of P. ramorum. The tree was removed and 
destroyed and APHIS, under the authority of the Plant Protection Act (7 
U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), placed the preserve under Emergency Action Notice 
(EAN) to contain any related risk. Under the EAN, the movement of soil, 
forest products, wood, and any plant material from the preserve was 
prohibited. APHIS also required 2 years of biannual surveys of the 
preserve, including sampling of the soil and water to determine if 
there were any indications of P. ramorum that could be associated with 
Tiffany Creek Preserve. In the EAN, we stated that if after 2 years all 
survey results were negative, the EAN would be lifted.
    Delimiting surveys, the last of which was conducted in September 
2006, of the Preserve and testing of all unhealthy appearing trees and 
shrubs yielded no further positive results and no sign of P. ramorum 
infestation. Surveys of the Preserve and surrounding natural 
environments in Nassau County and neighboring Suffolk County resulted 
in no further detections. In New York, no forests or nurseries surveyed 
have had P. ramorum detected. Therefore, we are giving notice that we 
have lifted restrictions on Tiffany Creek Preserve and that P. ramorum 
is known not to occur at Tiffany Creek Preserve and is not known to 
occur at any other location within Nassau County or the State of New 
York.

    Done in Washington, DC this 5th day of June 2007.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E7-11242 Filed 6-8-07; 8:45 am]
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