[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 135 (Thursday, July 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43595-43596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-14323]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2026-0826]
Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an
Information Collection; Citrus Canker, Citrus Greening, and Asian
Citrus Psyllid; Quarantine and Interstate Movement Regulations
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Revision to and extension of approval of an information
collection; comment request.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's
intention to
[[Page 43596]]
request a revision to and extension of approval of an information
collection associated with the regulations to prevent the spread of
citrus canker, citrus greening, and citrus greening's vector, the Asian
citrus psyllid, to noninfested areas of the United States.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
September 14, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov.
Enter APHIS-2026-0826 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-2026-0826, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., #AP760, Beltsville, MD 20705.
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may
be viewed at www.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: For information on the regulations for
the interstate movement of regulated articles to prevent the spread of
citrus canker, citrus greening, and citrus greening's vector, the Asian
citrus psyllid, contact Dr. Abby Stilwell, National Policy Manager for
Citrus Health Response Program, EDP, PPQ, APHIS, 920 Main Campus Drive,
Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27606; (919)-323-6296. For information on the
information collection reporting process, contact Ms. Sheniqua Harris,
APHIS' Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, at (301) 851-2528 or email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Citrus Canker, Citrus Greening, and Asian Citrus Psyllid;
Quarantine and Interstate Movement Regulations.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0363.
Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an
information collection.
Abstract: The Plant Protection Act (PPA, 7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.)
authorizes the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
either independently or in cooperation with States, to carry out
operations or measures to detect, eradicate, suppress, control,
prevent, or retard the spread of plant pests and diseases that are new
to or not widely distributed within the United States. Under the Act,
the Secretary may also issue regulations requiring plants and plant
products moved in interstate commerce to be subject to remedial
measures determined necessary to prevent the spread of the pest or
disease, or requiring the objects to be accompanied by a permit issued
by the Secretary prior to movement. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) administers the regulations to implement the
PPA.
Citrus canker is a plant disease that is caused by the bacterium
Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri that affects plants and plant parts of
citrus and citrus relatives of the Rutaceae family. Citrus canker can
cause defoliation and other serious damage to the leaves and twigs of
susceptible plants. It can also cause lesions on the fruit of infected
plants and cause infected fruit to drop from trees before reaching
maturity. The aggressive A (Asiatic) strain of citrus canker can infect
susceptible plants rapidly and lead to extensive economic losses in
commercial citrus-producing areas. Citrus greening, also known as
Huanglongbing, is considered to be one of the most serious citrus
diseases in the world. Citrus greening is a bacterial disease that
attacks the vascular system of host plants. This bacterial pathogen can
be transmitted by grafting and, under laboratory conditions, by
parasitic plants. The pathogen can also be transmitted by two insect
vectors, one of which is Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, the Asian citrus
psyllid (ACP). ACP can also cause economic damage to citrus in groves
and nurseries by direct feeding. Both adults and nymphs feed on young
foliage, depleting the sap and causing galling or curling of leaves.
High populations feeding on a citrus shoot can kill the growing tip.
Under the regulations in ``Subpart M-Citrus Canker'' (7 CFR 301.75-
1 through 301.75-17) and ``Subpart N-Citrus Greening and Asian Citrus
Psyllid'' (7 CFR 301.76 through 301.76-11), APHIS restricts the
interstate movement of regulated articles from quarantined areas to
control the artificial spread of citrus canker and citrus greening and
its vector, ACP, to noninfested areas of the United States. The
regulations contain requirements that involve information collection
activities, including labeling; recordkeeping; and appealing the
cancellation of a certificate, permit, or compliance agreement.
We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve
our use of these information collection activities, as described, for
an additional 3 years. APHIS has amended this information collection by
removing PPQ Form 519 (Compliance Agreement), PPQ Form 530 (Limited
Permit), PPQ Form 540 (Federal Certificate) and PPQ Form 523 (Emergency
Action Notification) and moving these activities to a new PPQ Permit
information collection. In addition, the total annual respondents has
decreased.
The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection.
These comments will help us:
(1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including
whether the information will have practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology
and assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated,
electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies; e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of responses.
Estimate of burden: The public burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 0.398 hours per response.
Respondents: Commercial nurseries/operations in U.S. States or U.S.
Territories quarantined for citrus canker, citrus greening, or ACP.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 593.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 16,609.
Estimated annual number of responses: 9,849,138.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 325,201 hours. (Due
to averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product
of the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden
per response.)
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of
public record.
Done in Washington, DC, this 9th day of July 2026.
Kelly Moore,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-14323 Filed 7-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P