Pine Shoot Beetle; Additions to Quarantined Areas

AGENCY:

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Affirmation of interim rule as final rule.

SUMMARY:

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the pine shoot beetle regulations by adding Decatur, Jennings, and Ripley Counties, IN, and Franklin County, NY, to the list of quarantined areas. As a result of that action, the interstate movement of regulated articles from those areas is restricted. The interim rule was necessary to prevent the spread of pine shoot beetle, a pest of pine products, into noninfested areas of the United States.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

The interim rule became effective on June 7, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Weyman Fussell, Program Manager, Pest Detection and Management Programs, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 134, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-5705.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

In an interim rule effective and published in the Federal Register on June 7, 2004 (69 FR 31723-31725, Docket No. 04-036-1), we amended the pine shoot beetle regulations contained in 7 CFR 301.50 through 301.50-10 by adding Decatur, Jennings, and Ripley Counties, IN, and Franklin County, NY, to the list of quarantined areas in § 301.50-3. That action was necessary to prevent the spread of pine shoot beetle into noninfested areas of the United States.

Comments on the interim rule were required to be received on or before August 6, 2004. We did not receive any comments. Therefore, for the reasons given in the interim rule, we are adopting the interim rule as a final rule.

This action also affirms the information contained in the interim rule concerning Executive Order 12866 and the Regulatory Flexibility Act, Executive Orders 12372 and 12988, and the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Further, for this action, the Office of Management and Budget has waived its review under Executive Order 12866.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 301

• Agricultural commodities
• Plant diseases and pests
• Quarantine
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
• Transportation

PART 301—DOMESTIC QUARANTINE NOTICES

Accordingly, we are adopting as a final rule, without change, the interim rule that amended 7 CFR part 301 and that was published at 69 FR 31723-31725 on June 7, 2004.

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

Section 301.75-15 also issued under Sec. 204, Title II, Pub. L. 106-113, 113 Stat. 1501A-293; sections 301.75-15 and 301.75-16 also issued under Sec. 203, Title II, Pub. L. 106-224, 114 Stat. 400 (7 U.S.C. 1421 note).