Press Release

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

USDA PROPOSES TO AMEND MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS ON PINE BARK PRODUCTS FROM QUARANTINED AREAS

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2005—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to allow pine bark products to be moved interstate from pine shoot beetle quarantined areas under a certificate for interstate movement from July 1 through Oct. 31. The quarantine regulations currently restrict the movement of pine logs, pine Christmas trees, bark nuggets and pine nursery stock from infested areas to uninfested areas year round.

This proposal would relieve restrictions on the interstate movement of pine bark products during the four months of the year when pine shoot beetles are not present in pine bark. During this time, life-stages of the pine shoot beetle are only found in pine branch shoots where they feed. Additionally, research indicates that mechanical processing and, in some cases, composting are effective at killing pine shoot beetles that may be present in pine bark products. Based on these new research findings, no specific risk mitigation measures are necessary for pine bark products produced from trees felled during the months of July through and October and moved intestate from a quarantined area.

This proposal also would allow pine bark products to be moved interstate during the rest of the year if they are produced and processed in accordance with a proposed management method. The management method would serve as an alternative to the methyl bromide treatment currently required by the quarantine regulations.

Pine shoot beetle is a pest of pine trees that can cause stunted and distorted growth in host trees. This beetle is also a carrier of several diseases injurious to pines. Pine shoot beetle hosts include all pine species, with hard pine species being the preferred host. The pine shoot beetle is established in 13 states—Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

This proposed rule was published in the June 6 Federal Register. APHIS documents published in the Federal Register 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 Aug. 5. Send an original and three copies of postal mail or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. 04-031-1,

Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. If you wish to submit a comment using the Internet, go to EDOCKET at http://www.epa.gov/feddocket, click on View Open APHIS Dockets,” and locate agency Docket No.
04-031-1.

Comments are posted on the EDOCKET Web site and may also be viewed 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.

Note to Reporters: USDA news releases, program announcements and media advisories are available on the Internet. Go to the APHIS news release page at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/news/press.html. Also, anyone with an e-mail address can sign up to receive APHIS press releases automatically. Send an e-mail message to lyris@mdrdlyriss10.aphis.usda.gov and leave the subject blank. In the message, typesubscribe press_releases.