Comment from Mora-Acedo A Dennis, Universidad de Costa Rica

DOCKET N? 03-002-04 With reference to the proposal: Importation of Nursery Stock; Postentry Quarantine Requirements for Potential Hosts of Chrysanthemum White Rust made by APHIS-USDA, the Service of Technical Assistance to Export of the University of Costa Rica fully supports the proposal as it is, considering that the USDA proposal is : ? Very well-conceived as it takes into account only criteria that have been scientifically tested in various places of the world where chrysanthemum is produced and where White Rust is being investigated. ? Updated, and technically and scientifically applicable, as no new scientific research paper has been published in the past years that would prove that the incubation period of the Puccinia horiana justifies more than two months quarantine for the planting material. ? Coincides with the measures of quarantine for plant material imposed by other chrysanthemum producing countries. ? Technically viable to enable the companies of the United States to safely import chrysanthemum plant material to be used in the production of flowers. ? Safe for the producers and exporters of chrysanthemum plant material to the United States and for the importers and producers of flowers and plant material within the United States.