[Federal Register: March 10, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 45)]
[Notices]
[Page 10224-10225]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10mr09-32]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2008-0142]
Availability of an Environmental Assessment for a Biological
Control Agent for Yellow Starthistle
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 an environmental assessment relative to
the control of yellow starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis (Asteraceae).
The environmental assessment considers the effects of, and alternatives
to, the release of a weevil, Ceratapion basicorne, into the environment
for use as a biological control agent to reduce the severity of yellow
starthistle infestations in the continental United States. 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 April
9, 2009.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://
www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/
main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2008-0142 to submit or view comments and
to view supporting and related materials available electronically.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of
your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2008-0142, Regulatory Analysis and
Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118,
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to
Docket No. APHIS-2008-0142.
Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on the
environmental assessment in our reading room. The reading room is
located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and
Independence Avenue, SW.,
[[Page 10225]]
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) 690-2817 before coming.
Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its
programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Carmen Soileau, Senior
Entomolgist, Evaluation and Permitting of Regulated Organisms and Soil,
PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1237; (301)
734-5055.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing
to issue permits for release of a weevil, Ceratapion basicorne, into
the environment for use as a biological control agent to reduce the
severity of yellow starthistle infestations in the continental United
States.
Yellow starthistle is a highly invasive weed that has become one of
California's worst pests since its introduction prior to 1860. Since
then, it has been reported in 41 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States, with
the heaviest infestations in the States of California, Idaho, Oregon,
and Washington. Yellow starthistle infests grassland habitats and
displaces desirable plants in both natural and grazing areas. Its
flowers have inch-long spines that deter feeding by and cause injury to
grazing animals and lower the utility of recreational lands. Although
consumption of yellow starthistle by grazing animals is rare,
consumption by horses is toxic. Continued feeding causes ulcers in the
mouth and results in brain lesions that cause a fatal syndrome known as
``chewing disease'' or nigropallidal encephalomalacia.
There are currently several control methods for yellow starthistle,
including herbicides, mowing, timed grazing, prescribed burns, and
other methods. However, these control methods have proven to be
ineffective. Therefore, APHIS is proposing to issue permits for the
release of a weevil, Ceratapion basicorne, into the environment for use
as a biological control agent to reduce the severity of yellow
starthistle infestations in the continental United States.
The proposed biological control agent, C. basicorne, is native to
Europe and southwestern Asia. The weevil has a wide tolerance to
climate and is therefore expected to become established throughout the
range of yellow starthistle if released in the United States. Female C.
basicorne lay their eggs in the yellow starthistle leaves from late
March to early May. The eggs hatch after approximately 10 days. The
larvae then mine in the leaf blade and down the leaf stalk. During the
following 2 months, the larvae feed in the root crown while they
develop. Adults emerge in June, feed on the yellow starthistle leaves
for a few days, and then disappear. Field impact studies in California
show that plants infested with C. basicorne have slower growth rates
and decreased seed production compared to uninfested plants.
Host specificity tests indicate that no plant species outside the
subtribe Centaureinae are at risk of larval damage. The closest native
species to yellow starthistle are C. americana and C. rothrockii, but
they were not able to maintain larval development of C. basicorne. Test
results also indicate that there may be low attack and larval damage to
C. melitensis, Crupino vulgaris, Cnicus benedictus, and C. cyanus, but
risk of attack was not measured in specificity experiments because
there is no interest to protect these invasive species in North
America. Based on these results, release of C. basicorne in the
continental United States is not expected to have any negative
cumulative impacts.
APHIS' review and analysis of the potential environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action are documented in detail in an
environmental assessment (EA) entitled ``Field Release of Ceratapion
basicorne (Coleotera: Apionidae), a Weevil for Biological Control of
Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), in the Continental United
States'' (October 2008). We are making the 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 instructions for accessing
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 1), and (4)
APHIS' NEPA Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).
Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of March 2009.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E9-5052 Filed 3-9-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P