82 FR 45796 - Availability of an Environmental Assessment for the Biological Control of Yellow Toadflax

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 189 (October 2, 2017)

Page Range		45796-45797
FR Document		2017-21105

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared a draft environmental assessment relative to the control of yellow toadflax (Linaria vulgaris). The environmental assessment considers the effects of, and alternatives to, the field release of a stem gall weevil, Rhinusa pilosa, into the continental United States for use as a biological control agent to reduce the severity of yellow toadflax infestations. We are making the environmental assessment available to the public for review and comment.

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 189 (Monday, October 2, 2017)

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 189 (Monday, October 2, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45796-45797]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21105]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2017-0071]


Availability of an Environmental Assessment for the Biological 
Control of Yellow Toadflax

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 a draft environmental assessment 
relative to the control of yellow toadflax (Linaria vulgaris). The 
environmental assessment considers the effects of, and alternatives to, 
the field release of a stem gall weevil, Rhinusa pilosa, into the 
continental United States for use as a biological control agent to 
reduce the severity of yellow toadflax infestations. 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 
November 1, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2017-0071.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2017-0071, 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 http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2017-
0071 or in our reading room, which is located in Room 1141 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. Colin D. Stewart, Assistant 
Director, Pests, Pathogens, and Biocontrol Permits, Permitting and 
Compliance Coordination, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 851-2327, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Yellow toadflax is an invasive plant in 
pastures and crops, particularly in the northern prairies of North 
America. First introduced to northeastern North America in the 1600s, 
yellow toadflax has since spread throughout the United States. 
Invasions of yellow toadflax in pastures and rangelands displace native 
and planted--and more valued and nutritious--forage species. Yellow 
toadflax is difficult to control using chemical, mechanical, cultural, 
or existing biological control practices, and infestations of the plant 
have caused economically significant losses to peppermint producers, 
mainly because chemical control is generally incompatible with 
production cropping practices. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) is proposing to issue permits for the field release of 
a stem gall weevil, Rhinusa pilosa, into the continental United States 
to reduce the severity of yellow toadflax infestations and to reduce 
economic losses in the areas of greatest impact since other 
alternatives are not effective or feasible.
    APHIS' review and analysis of the proposed action are documented in 
detail in a draft environmental assessment (EA) entitled ``Field 
release of the stem gall weevil Rhinusa pilosa (Coleoptera: 
Curculionidae) for classical biological control of yellow toadflax 
(Linaria vulgaris) (Plantaginaceae) in the contiguous United States'' 
(March 2017). We are making this 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 a link to 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 1b), and (4) 
APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).


[[Page 45797]]


    Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of September 2017.
Michael C. Gregoire,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-21105 Filed 9-29-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P

45796 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 189 / Monday, October 2, 2017 / Notices

the collection of information that such DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE and crops, particularly in the northern
persons are not required to respond to prairies of North America. First
the collection of information unless it Animal and Plant Health Inspection introduced to northeastern North
displays a currently valid OMB control Service America in the 1600s, yellow toadflax
number. [Docket No. APHIS–2017–0071] has since spread throughout the United
States. Invasions of yellow toadflax in
National Agricultural Statistics Service Availability of an Environmental pastures and rangelands displace native
Title: Livestock Slaughter. Assessment for the Biological Control and planted—and more valued and
of Yellow Toadflax nutritious—forage species. Yellow
OMB Control Number: 0535–0005.
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health toadflax is difficult to control using
Summary of Collection: The primary chemical, mechanical, cultural, or
Inspection Service, USDA.
functions of the National Agricultural existing biological control practices, and
Statistics Service (NASS) are to prepare ACTION: Notice of availability and
request for comments. infestations of the plant have caused
and issue current official State and economically significant losses to
national estimates of crop and livestock SUMMARY: We are advising the public peppermint producers, mainly because
production, disposition and prices and that the Animal and Plant Health chemical control is generally
to collect information on related Inspection Service has prepared a draft incompatible with production cropping
environmental and economic factors. environmental assessment relative to practices. The Animal and Plant Health
General authority for data collection the control of yellow toadflax (Linaria Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing
activities is granted under U.S. Code vulgaris). The environmental to issue permits for the field release of
Title 7, Section 2204(a). This statue assessment considers the effects of, and a stem gall weevil, Rhinusa pilosa, into
specifies the ‘‘The Secretary of alternatives to, the field release of a the continental United States to reduce
Agriculture shall procure and preserve stem gall weevil, Rhinusa pilosa, into the severity of yellow toadflax
all information concerning agriculture the continental United States for use as infestations and to reduce economic
which he can obtain . . . by the a biological control agent to reduce the
losses in the areas of greatest impact
collection of statistics . . . and shall severity of yellow toadflax infestations.
since other alternatives are not effective
distribute them among agriculturists’’. We are making the environmental
or feasible.
Information from federally and non- assessment available to the public for
review and comment. APHIS’ review and analysis of the
federally inspected slaughter plants are
DATES: We will consider all comments proposed action are documented in
used to estimate total red meat
that we receive on or before November detail in a draft environmental
production. NASS will use a Federally
1, 2017. assessment (EA) entitled ‘‘Field release
and non-Federally-inspected livestock
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments of the stem gall weevil Rhinusa pilosa
slaughter survey to collect data.
by either of the following methods: (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) for classical
Need and Use of the Information:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to biological control of yellow toadflax
NASS will combine information http://www.regulations.gov/#!docket (Linaria vulgaris) (Plantaginaceae) in the
collected from both types of plants to Detail;D=APHIS-2017-0071. contiguous United States’’ (March
estimate total red meat production, • Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 2017). We are making this EA available
consisting of the number of head Send your comment to Docket No. to the public for review and comment.
slaughtered plus live weights of cattle, APHIS–2017–0071, Regulatory Analysis We will consider all comments that we
calves, hogs, sheep, goats, and bison. and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station receive on or before the date listed
Accurate and timely livestock estimates 3A–03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, under the heading DATES at the
provide USDA and the livestock Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. beginning of this notice.
industry with basic data to project Supporting documents and any
comments we receive on this docket The EA may be viewed on the
future meat supplies and producer
may be viewed at http:// Regulations.gov Web site or in our
prices. Agricultural economists in both
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D= reading room (see ADDRESSES above for
the public and private sectors use this
APHIS-2017-0071 or in our reading a link to Regulations.gov and
information in economic analysis and
room, which is located in Room 1141 of information on the location and hours of
research.
the USDA South Building, 14th Street the reading room). You may request
Description of Respondents: Business paper copies of the EA by calling or
and Independence Avenue SW.,
or other for-profit. Washington, DC. Normal reading room writing to the person listed under FOR
Number of Respondents: 1,000. hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Please
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: through Friday, except holidays. To be refer to the title of the EA when
Monthly, Quarterly and Annually. sure someone is there to help you, requesting copies.
please call (202) 799–7039 before The EA has been prepared in
Total Burden Hours: 1,748. coming. accordance with: (1) The National
Charlene Parker, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Environmental Policy Act of 1969
Departmental Information Collection Colin D. Stewart, Assistant Director, (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
Clearance Officer. Pests, Pathogens, and Biocontrol seq.), (2) regulations of the Council on
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES

[FR Doc. 2017–21024 Filed 9–29–17; 8:45 am] Permits, Permitting and Compliance Environmental Quality for
BILLING CODE 3410–20–P Coordination, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River implementing the procedural provisions
Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737– of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), (3)
1231; (301) 851–2327, email: USDA regulations implementing NEPA
Colin.Stewart@aphis.usda.gov. (7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS’ NEPA
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Yellow Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part
toadflax is an invasive plant in pastures 372).

VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:01 Sep 29, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\02OCN1.SGM 02OCN1

Document Created: 2017-09-30 04:41:47
Document Modified: 2017-09-30 04:41:47

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice of availability and request for comments.
Dates		We will consider all comments that we receive on or before November 1, 2017.
Contact		Dr. Colin D. Stewart, Assistant Director, Pests, Pathogens, and Biocontrol Permits, Permitting and Compliance Coordination, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 851-2327, email: [email protected]
FR Citation		82 FR 45796

82 FR 45796 - Availability of an Environmental Assessment for the Biological Control of Yellow Toadflax

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 189 (October 2, 2017)

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service