2010-31460. Gypsy Moth Generally Infested Areas; Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Ohio, and Virginia

AGENCY:

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

We are adopting as a final rule, with several changes, an interim rule that amended the regulations to add areas in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Ohio, and Virginia to the list of generally infested areas based on the detection of infestations of gypsy moth in those areas. This document corrects errors in the listing of generally infested areas in Maine in the interim rule. The interim rule was necessary to prevent the artificial spread of the gypsy moth to noninfested areas of the United States.

DATES:

Effective Date: December 16, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Julie S. Spaulding, Forest Pest Programs Manager, Emergency and Domestic Programs, Plant Protection and Quarantine, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 137, Riverdale, MD 20737; [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) is a destructive pest of forest and shade trees. The gypsy moth regulations (contained in 7 CFR 301.45 through 301.45-12 and referred to below as the regulations) restrict the interstate movement of regulated articles from generally infested areas to prevent the artificial spread of the gypsy moth.

In accordance with § 301.45-2 of the regulations, generally infested areas are, with certain exceptions, those States or portions of States in which a gypsy moth general infestation has been found by an inspector, or each portion of a State that the Administrator deems necessary to regulate because of its proximity to infestation or its inseparability for quarantine enforcement purposes from infested localities. Less than an entire State will be designated as a generally infested area only if: (1) The State has adopted and is enforcing a quarantine or regulation that imposes restrictions on the intrastate movement of regulated articles that are substantially the same as those that are imposed with respect to the interstate movement of such articles; and (2) the designation of less than the entire State as a generally infested area will be adequate to prevent the artificial interstate spread of infestations of the gypsy moth. Section 301.45-3 of the regulations lists generally infested areas.

In an interim rule ^[1] effective and published in the Federal Register on September 21, 2009 (74 FR 48001-48002, Docket No. APHIS-2008-0083), we amended § 301.45-3(a) by adding 3 counties in Illinois, 1 county in Indiana, 32 townships in Maine, 1 county in Ohio, and 1 county in Virginia to the list of generally infested areas. We took that action because, in cooperation with the States of Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Ohio, and Virginia, the United States Department of Agriculture conducted surveys that detected multiple life stages of the gypsy moth in Cook, Du Page, and McHenry Counties, IL; St. Joseph County, IN; several townships in Aroostook, Franklin, Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset Counties, ME; Morrow County, OH; and Montgomery County, VA.

Comments on the interim rule were required to be received on or before November 20, 2009. We did not receive any comments.

However, a drafting error in the amendatory instructions in the interim rule caused the areas previously designated as generally infested in the five counties in Maine to be removed from § 301.45-3. We are correcting this error in this final rule and adding the areas back into the listing of generally infested areas in Maine. In addition, there were several typographical errors in the listing of the townships. The complete list of generally infested areas in Aroostook, Franklin, Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset Counties, ME, can be found in the regulatory text at the end of this document.

Therefore, for the reasons given in the interim rule and in this document, we are adopting the interim rule as a final rule, with the changes discussed in this document.

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.

Effective Date

Pursuant to the administrative procedure provisions in 5 U.S.C. 553, we find good cause for making this rule effective less than 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. The interim rule adopted as final by this rule became effective on September 21, 2009. This rule corrects the descriptions of generally infested areas in Maine that were incorrectly set out in the interim rule. Immediate action is necessary to correct those errors in order to prevent the artificial spread of gypsy moth to noninfested areas of the United States. Therefore, the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that this rule should be effective upon publication in the Federal Register.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 301

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

Accordingly, the interim rule amending 7 CFR part 301 that was published at 74 FR 48001-48002 on September 21, 2009, is adopted as a final rule with the following changes:

PART 301—DOMESTIC QUARANTINE NOTICES

1. The authority citation for part 301 continues to read as follows:

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

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

2. In § 301.45-3, paragraph (a), under the heading Maine, the entries for Aroostook County, Franklin County, Penobscot County, Piscataquis County, and Somerset County are revised to read as follows:

§ 301.45-3

Generally infested areas.

(a) * * *

Maine

* * * * *

Aroostook County. The townships of Amity, Bancroft, Benedicta, Cary Plantation, Crystal, Dyer Brook, Forkstown, Glenwood Plantation, Haynesville, Hodgdon, Houlton, Island Falls, Linneus, Macwahoc Plantation, Molunkus, New Limerick, North Yarmouth Academy Grant, Oakfield, Orient, Reed Plantation, Sherman, Silver Ridge, Upper Molunkus, Weston, T1 R5 WELS, T2 R4 WELS, T3 R3 WELS, T4 R3 WELS, and TA R2 WELS.

* * * * *

Franklin County. The townships of Avon, Carthage, Chesterville, Coplin Plantation, Crockertown, Dallas Plantation, Davis, Farmington, Freeman, Industry, Jay, Jerusalem, Kingfield, Lang, Madrid, Mount Abraham, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Perkins, Phillips, Rangeley, Rangeley Plantation, Redington, Salem, Sandy River Plantation, Strong, Temple, Washington, Weld, Wilton, Wyman, Township 6 north of Weld, Township D and Township E; and the Eustis area.

* * * * *

Penobscot County. The townships of Alton, Argyle, Bangor City, Bradford, Bradley, Brewer City, Burlington, Carmel, Carroll Plantation, Charleston, Chester, Clifton, Corinna, Corinth, Dexter, Dixmont, Drew Plantation, E. Millinocket, Eddington, Edinburg, Enfield, Etna, Exeter, Garland, Glenburn, Grand Falls Plantation, Greenbush, Greenfield, Grindstone, Hampden, Hermon, Hersey Town, Holden, Hopkins Academy Grant, Howland, Hudson, Indian Purchase, Kenduskeag, Kingman, Lagrange, Lakeville, Lee, Levant, Lincoln, Long A, Lowell, Mattamiscontis, Mattawamkeag, Maxfield, Medway, Milford, Millinocket, Newburgh, Newport, Old Town City, Orono, Orrington, Passadumkeag, Plymouth, Prentiss Plantation, Seboesis Plantation, Soldiertown, Springfield, Stacyville, Stetson, Summit, Veazie, Webster Plantation, Winn, Woodville, T1 ND, T1 R6 WELS, T1 R8 WELS, T2 R8 NWP, T2 R8 WELS, T2 R9 NWP, T3 R1 NBPP, T3 R9 NWP, T5 R1 NBPP, TA R7, TA R8, and TA R9; and the Patten area.

Piscataquis County. The townships of Abbot, Atkinson, Barnard, Blanchard Plantation, Bowerbank, Brownville, Dover-Foxcroft, Elliotsville, Greenville, Guilford, Katahdin Iron Works, Kingsbury Plantation, Lakeview Plantation, Medford, Milo, Monson, Orneville, Parkman, Sangerville, Sebec, Shirley, Veazie Gore, Williamsburg, Willimantic, Willington, T1 R9 WELS, T2 R9 WELS, T4 R9 NWP, T5 R9 NWP, T1 R10 WELS, T1 R11 WELS, T7 R9 NWP, TA R10 WELS, TA R11 WELS, TB R10 WELS, TB R11 WELS, and T2 R10 WELS.

* * * * *

Somerset County. The townships of Anson, Athens, Bald Mountain, Bingham, Bowtown, Brighton Plantation, Cambridge, Canaan, Caratunk, Carrying Place, Carrying Place Town, Concord Plantation, Cornville, Dead River, Detroit, East Moxie, Embden, Fairfield, Harmony, Hartland, Highland Plantation, Lexington Plantation, Madison, Mayfield, Mercer, Moscow, Moxie Gore, New Portland, Norridgewock, Palmyra, Pittsfield, Pleasant Ridge Plantation, Ripley, Skowhegan, Smithfield, Solon, St. Albans, Starks, The Forks Plantation, and West Forks Plantation.

* * * * *

Done in Washington, DC, this 9th day of December 2010.

Kevin Shea,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Footnotes

1.  To view the interim rule and its supporting economic analysis, go to http://www.regulations.gov/​fdmspublic/​component/​main?​main=​DocketDetail&​d=​APHIS-2008-0083.