[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 10, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10224-10225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5052]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2008-0142]


Availability of an Environmental Assessment for a Biological 
Control Agent for Yellow Starthistle

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment relative to 
the control of yellow starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis (Asteraceae). 
The environmental assessment considers the effects of, and alternatives 
to, the release of a weevil, Ceratapion basicorne, into the environment 
for use as a biological control agent to reduce the severity of yellow 
starthistle infestations in the continental United States. 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 April 
9, 2009.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2008-0142 to submit or view comments and 
to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of 
your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2008-0142, Regulatory Analysis and 
Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to 
Docket No. APHIS-2008-0142.
    Reading Room: 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.,

[[Page 10225]]

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.
    Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its 
programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Carmen Soileau, Senior 
Entomolgist, Evaluation and Permitting of Regulated Organisms and Soil, 
PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1237; (301) 
734-5055.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing 
to issue permits for release of a weevil, Ceratapion basicorne, into 
the environment for use as a biological control agent to reduce the 
severity of yellow starthistle infestations in the continental United 
States.
    Yellow starthistle is a highly invasive weed that has become one of 
California's worst pests since its introduction prior to 1860. Since 
then, it has been reported in 41 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States, with 
the heaviest infestations in the States of California, Idaho, Oregon, 
and Washington. Yellow starthistle infests grassland habitats and 
displaces desirable plants in both natural and grazing areas. Its 
flowers have inch-long spines that deter feeding by and cause injury to 
grazing animals and lower the utility of recreational lands. Although 
consumption of yellow starthistle by grazing animals is rare, 
consumption by horses is toxic. Continued feeding causes ulcers in the 
mouth and results in brain lesions that cause a fatal syndrome known as 
``chewing disease'' or nigropallidal encephalomalacia.
    There are currently several control methods for yellow starthistle, 
including herbicides, mowing, timed grazing, prescribed burns, and 
other methods. However, these control methods have proven to be 
ineffective. Therefore, APHIS is proposing to issue permits for the 
release of a weevil, Ceratapion basicorne, into the environment for use 
as a biological control agent to reduce the severity of yellow 
starthistle infestations in the continental United States.
    The proposed biological control agent, C. basicorne, is native to 
Europe and southwestern Asia. The weevil has a wide tolerance to 
climate and is therefore expected to become established throughout the 
range of yellow starthistle if released in the United States. Female C. 
basicorne lay their eggs in the yellow starthistle leaves from late 
March to early May. The eggs hatch after approximately 10 days. The 
larvae then mine in the leaf blade and down the leaf stalk. During the 
following 2 months, the larvae feed in the root crown while they 
develop. Adults emerge in June, feed on the yellow starthistle leaves 
for a few days, and then disappear. Field impact studies in California 
show that plants infested with C. basicorne have slower growth rates 
and decreased seed production compared to uninfested plants.
    Host specificity tests indicate that no plant species outside the 
subtribe Centaureinae are at risk of larval damage. The closest native 
species to yellow starthistle are C. americana and C. rothrockii, but 
they were not able to maintain larval development of C. basicorne. Test 
results also indicate that there may be low attack and larval damage to 
C. melitensis, Crupino vulgaris, Cnicus benedictus, and C. cyanus, but 
risk of attack was not measured in specificity experiments because 
there is no interest to protect these invasive species in North 
America. Based on these results, release of C. basicorne in the 
continental United States is not expected to have any negative 
cumulative impacts.
    APHIS' review and analysis of the potential environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed action are documented in detail in an 
environmental assessment (EA) entitled ``Field Release of Ceratapion 
basicorne (Coleotera: Apionidae), a Weevil for Biological Control of 
Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), in the Continental United 
States'' (October 2008). 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 Regulations.gov Web site or in our 
reading room (see ADDRESSES above for instructions for accessing 
Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of the 
reading room). 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 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 4th day of March 2009.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E9-5052 Filed 3-9-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P