Press Release

Dore Mobley	(301) 734-7255
Jerry Redding	(202) 720-6959

USDA REGULATES PINE SHOOT BEETLE HOST MATERIAL FROM CANADA

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2004-The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service today announced new regulations for pine shoot beetle host material imported into the United States from Canada. The interim rule harmonizes U.S. regulations for trade in these materials with regulations in place in Canada.

With this interim rule, pine nursery stock, as well as pine products that consist of pine bark or have pine bark attached, must meet certain requirements regarding documentation, treatment, handling and utilization before they can enter the United States. A written permit is required for the importation of all restricted pine articles from Canada, except seed, regardless of its U.S. destination.

This action will help prevent the introduction and spread of the pine shoot beetle into non-infested areas of the United States. The pine shoot beetle currently infests portions of the northeastern United States.

The pine shoot beetle is a vector of several pine tree diseases that can cause economic losses to the timber, Christmas tree and nursery industries. This pest tunnels into the center of pine shoots causing stunted and distorted growth.

Notice of this interim rule is scheduled to appear in the Oct. 20 Federal Register and becomes effective upon publication. APHIS documents published in the Federal Register and related information, including the names of organizations and individuals who have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

Consideration will be given to comments received on or before Dec. 20 . Comments can be submitted by postal mail, commercial delivery or by e-mail. Send an original and three copies of postal or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. 00-073-2, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238 or e-mail comments to regulations@aphis.usda.gov. E-mail comments must be contained in the body of the message; do not send attached files. Please include your name and address in the message and type "Docket No. 00-073-2" on the subject line. To submit comments online, go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for locating this docket and submitting comments.

Comments can be reviewed at USDA, Room 1141, South Building, 14th St. and Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C., between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. To facilitate entry into the comment reading room, please call (202) 690-2817.

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