[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71250-71251]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19639]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2024-0032]


Notice of Availability of an Environmental Assessment for Release 
of Bagous nodulosus for Biological Control of Flowering Rush in the 
Continental United States

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment relative to 
permitting the release of the insect, Bagous nodulosus, for the 
biological control of flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus) in the 
continental United States. Based on the environmental assessment and 
other relevant data, we have reached a preliminary determination that 
the release of this control agent within the continental United States 
will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human 
environment. We are making the

[[Page 71251]]

environmental assessment available to the public for review and 
comment.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
October 3, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. 
Enter APHIS-2024-0032 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab, 
then select the Comment button in the list of documents.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2024-0032, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is located 
in room 1620 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) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Jinbo Wang, Assistant Director, 
Pests, Pathogens, and Biocontrol Permits, Permitting and Compliance 
Coordination, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 
20737-1238; (301) 851-2327; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) is proposing to issue permits for the release of the 
insect, Bagous nodulosus, for the biological control of flowering rush 
(Butomus umbellatus) in the continental United States. The action is 
proposed to reduce the severity of infestations of flowering rush in 
the continental United States.
    Flowering rush is an herbaceous aquatic perennial in the plant 
family Butomaceae. Native to Europe and Asia, flowering rush was 
introduced into North America by 1900, possibly both accidentally in 
ballast water and packing material and intentionally via the 
horticulture trade. It is now widely naturalized in wetlands, lakes, 
ditches, and slow-moving rivers in 23 States and nine provinces 
surrounding the United States/Canada border and is continuing to expand 
outward. Flowering rush displaces native plant species, impedes water 
flow, alters habitat structure and nutrient cycling, damages fishing, 
hunting, boating, and other recreational sectors, and is difficult to 
control. In western North America, it provides habitat for highly 
damaging invasive and nuisance species.
    Permitting the release of B. nodulosus in the continental United 
States is necessary to help control invasive flowering rush. B. 
nodulosus, a semi-aquatic weevil, is a highly specific and potentially 
very damaging biological control agent for flowering rush. Both adult 
and larval feeding of B. nodulosus have been shown to reduce the vigor 
of flowering rush and this agent attacks flowering rush very early 
during the field season (adults are active from April onwards) and over 
a long period of time (larvae can be found feeding in the plants from 
April to September), which should reduce the ability of the plant to 
compensate for the attack. Host-specificity testing indicates B. 
nodulosus is unlikely to attack non-target species.
    Flowering rush is very difficult to control. Conventional 
management strategies are often costly to implement, vary in their 
effectiveness, and sometimes result in extensive non-target damage. 
However, flowering rush is an excellent target for biological control 
because it is a perennial plant growing in stable habitats and because 
it is the only species in its family, Butomaceae, in North America. 
Classical biological control is a potentially useful management 
strategy for an invasive pest species whenever effective resident 
natural enemies are lacking in the new distribution range.
    APHIS' review and analysis of the potential environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed release are documented in an environmental 
assessment (EA) titled ``Field release of the weevil Bagous nodulosus 
(Coleoptera: Curculionidae) for classical biological control of 
flowering rush (Butomaceae) in the continental United States'' (May 
2024). Based on our findings in the EA, we are proposing to issue 
permits for the release of the insect, B. nodulosus, as a biological 
control agent to reduce the severity of infestations of flowering rush. 
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 website or in our 
reading room (see ADDRESSES above for a link to regulations.gov and 
information on the location and hours of the reading room). You may 
also 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) 
in effect as of the date of this notice, (3) USDA regulations 
implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing 
Procedures (7 CFR part 372).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 16th day of August 2024.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-19639 Filed 8-30-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P