[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 180 (Friday, September 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 63735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-22328]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 180 / Friday, September 16, 2016 / 
Notices  

[[Page 63735]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2016-0047]


Pale Cyst Nematode; Update of Quarantined Areas

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have made changes to the 
areas in the State of Idaho that are quarantined to prevent the spread 
of pale cyst nematode. The description of the quarantined area has been 
updated several times since the last notice was published on September 
8, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jonathan M. Jones, National 
Program Manager, Emergency and Domestic Programs, PPQ, 4700 River Road, 
Unit 160, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-2128.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The pale cyst nematode (PCN, Globodera 
pallida) is a major pest of potato crops in cool-temperature areas. 
Other solanaceous hosts include tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, 
tomatillos, and some weeds. The PCN is thought to have originated in 
Peru and is now widely distributed in many potato-growing regions of 
the world. PCN infestations may be expressed as patches of poor growth. 
Affected potato plants may exhibit yellowing, wilting, or death of 
foliage. Even with only minor symptoms on the foliage, potato tuber 
size can be affected. Unmanaged infestations can cause potato yield 
loss ranging from 20 to 70 percent. The spread of this pest in the 
United States could result in a loss of domestic or foreign markets for 
U.S. potatoes and other commodities.
    In 7 CFR part 301, the PCN quarantine regulations (Sec. Sec.  
301.86 through 301.86-9, referred to below as the regulations) set out 
procedures for determining the areas quarantined for PCN and impose 
restrictions on the interstate movement of regulated articles from 
quarantined areas.
    Section 301.86-3 of the regulations sets out the procedures for 
determining the areas quarantined for PCN. Paragraph (a) of Sec.  
301.86-3 states that, in accordance with the criteria listed in Sec.  
301.86-3(c), the Administrator will designate as a quarantined area 
each field that has been found to be infested with PCN, each field that 
has been found to be associated with an infested field, and any area 
that the Administrator considers necessary to quarantine because of its 
inseparability for quarantine enforcement purposes from infested or 
associated fields.
    Paragraph (d) provides for the removal of fields from quarantine. 
An infested field will be removed from quarantine when a protocol 
approved by the Administrator as sufficient to support the removal of 
infested fields from quarantine has been completed and the field has 
been found to be free of PCN. An associated field will be removed from 
quarantine when the field has been found to be free of PCN according to 
a protocol approved by the Administrator as sufficient to support 
removal of associated fields from quarantine. Any area other than 
infested or associated fields that has been quarantined by the 
Administrator because of its inseparability for quarantine enforcement 
purposes from infested or associated fields will be removed from 
quarantine when the relevant infested or associated fields are removed 
from quarantine.
    Paragraph (a) of Sec.  301.86-3 further provides that the 
Administrator will publish a description of the quarantined area on the 
Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Web site. The description of the 
quarantined area will include the date the description was last updated 
and a description of the changes that have been made to the quarantined 
area. The description of the quarantined area may also be obtained by 
request from any local office of PPQ; local offices are listed in 
telephone directories. Finally, paragraph (a) establishes that, after a 
change is made to the quarantined area, we will publish a notice in the 
Federal Register informing the public that the change has occurred and 
describing the change to the quarantined area.
    Therefore, we are publishing this notice to inform the public of 
changes to the PCN quarantined areas in Bonneville and Bingham Counties 
in the State of Idaho. The changes are as follows:
     In 2011, we added 15,044 acres and removed 667 acres, 
resulting in 14,641 acres regulated, of which 1,467 acres were 
infested;
     In 2012, we added 4,356 acres and removed 5,363 acres, 
resulting in 14,740 acres regulated, of which 1,915 acres were 
infested;
     In 2013, we added 688 acres and removed 4,651 acres, 
resulting in 10,774 acres regulated, of which 2,300 acres were 
infested;
     In 2014, we added 1,315 acres and removed 2,094 acres, 
resulting in 7,734 acres regulated of which 2,897 acres were infested; 
and
     In 2015, we added 2,586 acres and removed 321 acres, 
resulting in 9,999 acres regulated, of which 2,897 acres were infested.
    The current map of the quarantined area can be viewed on the PPQ 
Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/potato/pcn.shtml.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701-7772 and 7781-7786; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, 
and 371.3.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 12th day of September 2016.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-22328 Filed 9-15-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P