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Importation of Artificially Dwarfed Plants
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: August 19, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 160)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 53727-53731]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19au02-1]
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Rules and Regulations
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[[Page 53727]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
7 CFR Part 319
[Docket No. 00-042-2]
Importation of Artificially Dwarfed Plants
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: We are amending the regulations for importing plants and plant
products by requiring artificially dwarfed plants that are imported
into the United States to have been grown under certain conditions in
greenhouses or screenhouses within nurseries registered with the
government of the country where the plants were grown. This action is
necessary to protect against the introduction of longhorned beetles
into the United States.
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 18, 2002.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Inder P. Gadh, Import Specialist,
Phytosanitary Issues Management Team, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit
140, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-6799.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The regulations in 7 CFR part 319 prohibit or restrict the
importation of certain plants and plant products into the United States
to prevent the introduction of plant pests. The regulations contained
in ``Subpart--Nursery Stock, Plants, Roots, Bulbs, Seeds, and Other
Plant Products,'' Secs. 319.37 through 319.37-14 (referred to below as
the regulations), restrict, among other things, the importation of
living plants, plant parts, and seeds for propagation.
Under Sec. 319.37-2(b)(2) of the regulations, the importation from
all foreign places except Canada of any naturally dwarf or miniature
form of tree or shrub exceeding 305 mm (approximately 12 inches) in
length from the soil line is prohibited, unless the plants are imported
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for experimental or scientific
purposes in accordance with Sec. 319.37-2(c). Because the regulations
do not explicitly prohibit the importation of naturally dwarf plants
under 305 mm in length or artificially dwarfed plants, and because the
regulations do not contain restrictions particular to their
importation, such plants may be imported into the United States if they
are accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate of inspection. Such
plants are also subject to inspection and, if necessary, treatment for
plant pests, at the port of first arrival in the United States, and
under Sec. 319.37-8, such plants must be free of sand, soil, earth, or
other growing media.
On April 20, 2001, we published in the Federal Register (66 FR
20208-20211, Docket No. 00-042-1) a proposal to amend the regulations
by requiring artificially dwarfed plants that are imported into the
United States to have been grown under certain conditions in nurseries
registered with the government of the country where the plants were
grown. We proposed this action in order to protect against the
introduction of longhorned beetles and other plant pests into the
United States.
We solicited comments concerning our proposal for 60 days ending
June 19, 2001. We received four comments by that date. They were from
State agricultural officials, agricultural trade organizations, and an
environmental advocacy group. The comments are discussed below.
Comment: The relationship between the proposed rule and another
proposed rule involving penjing from China is not clear.
Response: This rule is worldwide in scope and is intended to
increase and clarify the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's
(APHIS's) requirements regarding the importation of all artificially
dwarfed plants eligible for importation under current regulations.
Current regulations allow the importation of artificially dwarfed
plants only if they are bare-rooted and accompanied by a phytosanitary
certificate. The requirements contained in this rule are intended to
clarify what type of plant may be considered an artificially dwarfed
plant for the purposes of the regulations, so as to eliminate the
possibility that field-grown plants could be imported into the United
States under the requirements for artificially dwarfed plants.
In our proposed rule regarding the importation of penjing from
China (See 65 FR 56803-56806, Docket No. 98-103-1), we proposed to
allow, under certain conditions, the importation in growing media of
five genera of artificially dwarfed plants from China.
Comment: Several experts have questioned whether annual inspection
by an exporting country's plant protection agency is sufficient to
ensure greenhouses are pest-free. Inspections should take place once
every 6 months rather than once every 12 months.
Response: We proposed to require that artificially dwarfed plants
be grown in a registered nursery for at least 2 years, and that the
nursery where they were grown be inspected for any evidence of pests
and found free of pests of quarantine significance to the United States
at least once every 12 months by the plant protection service of the
country where the plants were grown. Several comments that we received
indicated that the commenters assumed that we had proposed to require
that the plants be grown in a greenhouse at the nursery. Rather, we had
simply proposed to require that the plants be grown in a nursery. Based
on the apparent support among commenters for a requirement that plants
be grown in a greenhouse for 2 years, we have added a requirement in
this final rule based on the comments we received. We believe that
requiring artificially dwarfed plants to be grown in a greenhouse or
screenhouse, in conjunction with the other requirements described in
the proposed rule, will reduce the risk that imported artificially
dwarfed plants could become infested with quarantine pests.
Under this change, in addition to the requirements described in the
proposed rule, imported artificially dwarfed plants must be grown in a
greenhouse or screenhouse. The greenhouse or screenhouse must have
screening with openings of not more than 1.6 mm on all vents and
openings, and all
[[Page 53728]]
entryways must be equipped with automatic closing doors. These
screening and entryway requirements will help ensure that pests of
concern are excluded from the structures in which the artificially
dwarfed plants are grown. The phytosanitary certificate accompanying
imported artificially dwarfed plants must state that the above
requirements have been met. We are making this change to provide added
assurance that longhorned beetles are not able to access and infest
foreign-grown artificially dwarfed plants that are intended for export
to the United States.
Regarding the timing of inspections, we believe that annual
inspections are sufficient to ensure that nurseries are practicing
appropriate phytosanitary measures, and to ensure that nurseries meet
the conditions described in this document and the proposed rule.
Comment: Why did the proposed rule not address naturally dwarf or
miniature forms of tree or shrubs smaller than 305 mm? The pest risk
posed by naturally dwarf plants does not differ greatly from risk posed
by artificially dwarfed plants, and the scientific rationale for
different regulatory treatment of each is not clear.
Response: The current regulations in Sec. 319.37(b)(2) prohibit the
importation of naturally dwarf plants that are larger than 305 mm.
Naturally dwarf or miniature forms of tree or shrubs smaller than 305
mm are subject to inspection as a condition of entry into the United
States, and must be bare-rooted and accompanied by a phytosanitary
certificate.
The proposed rule was intended to address the apparently increased
pest risk posed by imported plants labeled or manifested as
artificially dwarfed plants. As stated in our proposed rule, we believe
that many plants that have recently been imported into the United
States that have been labeled or manifested as artificially dwarfed
plants may in fact be field-collected plants that are produced quickly
in their country of origin for mass export. These plants include
species that, historically, have not been imported as artificially
dwarfed plants and that may not be given the same meticulous care and
safeguards as traditional artificially dwarfed plants such as bonsai
and penjing.
Essentially, the proposed rule was intended to clarify what type of
plant could be considered an artificially dwarfed plant for the
purposes of the regulations, so as to eliminate the possibility that
field-grown plants could be imported into the United States under the
requirements for artificially dwarfed plants. We have not proposed to
amend the requirements for naturally dwarf plants because there is no
evidence to suggest that the pest risk associated with imported
naturally dwarf plants has increased in a manner corresponding to the
risk associated with plants following the artificially dwarfed plant
pathway. Because naturally dwarf plants must be 305 mm or less in
height to be eligible for importation, and since such plants do not
have large woody stems into which longhorned beetles could bore, we do
not believe such plants serve as suitable hosts for longhorned beetles.
Comment: What height limitation is applied to imported artificially
dwarfed plants? It appears that a 305 mm height limitation currently
applies to artificially dwarfed plants, and that the proposal would not
change that limitation. If under existing regulations there is no
height restriction for artificially dwarfed plants, a reasonable height
restriction should be considered to facilitate more effective
inspection.
Response: The 305 mm height restriction contained in
Sec. 319.37(b)(2) applies only to naturally dwarf plants. At present,
no height restrictions apply to imported artificially dwarfed plants.
Further, the regulations in Sec. 319.37(b)(6) prohibit the importation
of any plants (other than stem cuttings, cactus cuttings, artificially
dwarfed plants, palms, and plants whose growth habits simulate palms)
that are larger than 460 mm.
We agree that there is a need to consider adopting a height
restriction to facilitate the effective inspection of artificially
dwarfed plants. We intend to address this issue in a subsequent
rulemaking.
Comment: Is there any track record for pest interceptions
associated with naturally dwarf plants?
Response: APHIS's pest interception records do not distinguish
between naturally dwarf and artificially dwarfed plants. However,
inspection personnel have not reported detections of the pests
addressed by this rule (longhorned beetles, specifically) on naturally
dwarf plants. Further, as stated earlier in this document, we do not
believe naturally dwarf plants serve as suitable hosts for longhorned
beetles.
Comment: How were the mitigation measures selected? There is no
discussion of pests under consideration, except to identify them as
longhorned beetles and other dangerous plant pests. Will these measures
provide adequate assurance that risks are being reduced to an
acceptable level? Can an acceptable level of risk be more clearly
defined and communicated?
Response: As stated earlier in this document, the proposed
mitigation measures were intended to clarify what type of plant could
be considered an artificially dwarfed plant for the purposes of the
regulations, so as to eliminate the possibility that field-grown plants
could be imported into the United States under the requirements for
artificially dwarfed plants. We believe these measures are necessary
because field-grown plants that are labeled or manifested as
artificially dwarfed plants appear to present a higher risk of
introducing longhorned beetles into the United States than do
traditionally grown artificially dwarfed plants. We believe that the
requirements contained in the rule will significantly reduce the risk
that imported artificially dwarfed plants could be infested with these
longhorned beetles.
Comment: The list of pests considered in the pest risk assessment
is not complete and the mitigation measures in the proposed rule are
not adequate to exclude pests of economic significance.
Response: Again, the proposed rule was intended to address the risk
posed by field-grown plants that are labeled or manifested as
artificially dwarfed plants and that have served as pathways for the
introduction of longhorned beetles into the United States. We are
confident that the mitigation measures contained in this rule will
accomplish that goal. We are not aware of any pests of quarantine
significance associated with genuine artificially dwarfed plants that
pose risks to U.S. agriculture that are not mitigated by existing
phytosanitary measures (i.e., that the plants be accompanied by a
phytosanitary certificate, that they are bare-rooted upon importation,
and that they are subject to inspection upon arrival in the United
States).
Comment: Due to the pest risk associated with artificially dwarfed
plants, APHIS should not allow imports of field-grown artificially
dwarfed plants even when bare-rooted. Furthermore, APHIS should not
allow greenhouse-grown plants to be rooted in the field.
Response: As stated in our proposed rule, in the last 3 years,
APHIS has detected increasing numbers of longhorned beetles associated
with imported plants following the artificially dwarfed plant pathway.
We would like to clarify that the requirements contained in this final
rule for importing artificially dwarfed plants are designed to address
the risk posed by these longhorned beetles, which are wood-boring pests
that are difficult to detect by visual inspection. We believe that the
proposed regulations address
[[Page 53729]]
the increased pest risk posed by longhorned beetles and other wood-
boring pests. Further, we are confident that our inspectors are capable
of identifying other pests on bare-rooted artificially dwarfed plants
by visual inspection at the port of entry.
Also, as stated above, we proposed to require artificially dwarfed
plants to be grown in a nursery, but did not specify that the
artificially plants be grown in a greenhouse at the nursery. However,
in this document, based on public comments, we are requiring imported
artificially dwarfed plants to be accompanied by a phytosanitary
certificate stating, among other requirements, that the plants have
been grown for at least 2 years in a greenhouse or screenhouse in
approved nurseries that are inspected annually. We have not prohibited
artificially dwarfed plants from being grown in fields prior to their
2-year greenhouse/screenhouse growth period because we believe that the
requirements of this rule are sufficient to ensure that plants eligible
for importation into the United States are protected against
infestation by longhorned beetles.
Comment: The proposed rule is flawed because it allows propagative
material that may be infested with pests to be placed in sterile media
in a pest-free greenhouse setting. At the instant a field-grown plant
is placed in sterile growing media, the media is no longer sterile, and
such a requirement does not mitigate the risk posed by soil-borne pests
and pathogens. It is absolutely essential to start with clean
propagative material. Nematode testing should be included as part of
the import requirements for artificially dwarfed plants due to the risk
for root nematodes associated with field-grown plants that are moved
into greenhouses under the regulations. All field-grown plants should
be washed completely free of soil using clean, pressurized water from a
known nematode-free source prior to potting in sterile media and
containers.
Response: As stated earlier in this document, this rule was
intended to address the risk posed by wood-boring pests such as
longhorned beetles. If, in the future, we determine that imported
artificially dwarfed plants pose a significant risk of introducing
soil-borne pests and pathogens into the United States, we will address
the issue at that time. At present, we are confident that the
requirement that imported artificially dwarfed plants be bare-rooted,
coupled with the inspection procedures we use, will enable us to detect
nematodes if they are indeed present on imported artificially dwarfed
plants.
Comment: APHIS should require that imported plants be defoliated as
well as bare-rooted. Such a provision would ensure that additional
pests do not hitchhike on the plants.
Response: Pests are capable of hitchhiking on a wide variety of
imported plants. To address the risk posed by hitchhiking pests,
imported plants are subject to inspection at the port of entry. We are
confident that our inspection procedures are adequate to detect such
pests on imported commodities, and do not believe that defoliating
plants would substantively improve inspections of imported plants.
Comment: Given that the regulations contain an exception for plants
from Canada, what safeguards are in place, or could be put in place, to
address the risk of transshipment through Canada of plants that would
no longer be directly enterable into the United States if the proposed
rule is adopted?
Response: Propagative material, whether grown in, or transhipped
through Canada must either (1) be accompanied by a phytosanitary
certificate of inspection, or (2) in the case of greenhouse-grown
plants that meet the applicable conditions of Sec. 319.37-4(c), be
accompanied by a certificate of inspection in lieu of a phytosanitary
certificate. Both types of certificate include a declaration of the
plants' origin.
Comment: Does APHIS have sufficient resources to ensure that
imported plants are grown under the conditions specified in the
proposed rule? The proposed rule puts an extreme reliance on the
infrastructure of foreign regulatory agencies. Many countries simply do
not have the infrastructure or resources to provide the kind of
regulatory oversight that was envisioned by the proposed rule.
Response: This rule requires the plant protection organization of
the exporting country to certify on the phytosanitary certificate
accompanying plants imported into the United States that imported
artificially dwarfed plants have been grown and inspected according to
APHIS requirements. When plants are presented for importation into the
United States, we verify that the phytosanitary certificate
accompanying the plants contains all the required declarations.
The certification requirements contained in the regulations are in
addition to our port of entry inspections, not in lieu of them. Because
the United States is a signatory party of international agreements such
as the World Trade Organization Agreement on the Application of
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and the International Plant
Protection Convention, we are obligated to consider foreign
certifications as equivalent to our own unless there are documented
reasons to consider them otherwise. Under these circumstances, APHIS
believes that the proposed requirements will provide adequate
protection against the introduction of plant pests into the United
States.
One commenter requested additional plant quarantine action to
control the spread of Phythophthora ramorum, the fungus that causes
what has commonly been referred to as Sudden Oak Death. This matter is
outside the scope of this rulemaking action, but we have restricted the
interstate movement of Sudden Oak Death host articles in an interim
rule published in the Federal Register on February 14, 2002 (67 FR
6827-6837, Docket No. 01-054-1), and intend to address the importation
of Sudden Oak Death host articles from foreign countries in an upcoming
rulemaking.
Finally, we have made several nonsubstantive editorial changes for
the sake of clarity.
Therefore, for the reasons given in the proposed rule and in this
document, we are adopting the proposed rule as a final rule, with the
changes discussed in this document.
Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act
This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12866. The rule
has been determined to be not significant for the purposes of Executive
Order 12866 and, therefore, has not been reviewed by the Office of
Management and Budget.
In this document, we are amending the regulations for importing
plants and plant products by requiring artificially dwarfed plants that
are imported into the United States to have been grown under certain
conditions in greenhouses or screenhouses within nurseries registered
with the government of the country where the plants were grown. This
action is necessary to protect against the introduction of longhorned
beetles into the United States.
The requirements of this rule are intended to prevent the
introduction of longhorned beetles into the United States. A recent
APHIS study on the importation of solid wood packing material from
China has shown that production losses resulting from a widespread
Asian longhorned beetle infestation in the United States could total in
excess of $27.4 billion.
The art of miniature (or artificially dwarfed) plant gardening is a
recent phenomenon in the United States. Because it is a highly time
consuming
[[Page 53730]]
and very labor intensive activity, it is practiced by a relatively
small number of U.S. nurseries and households. The size of these
artificially dwarfed plants range from 4 inches to 60 inches in height,
with prices ranging from $10 to more than $10,000. The median price of
an artificially dwarfed plant is close to $100, and its value increases
with age, regardless of size.
Plants that have been imported from Asia represent approximately 80
percent of the value of the entire artificially dwarfed plant market.
Such imports come predominantly from Japan, the People's Republic of
China, and the Republic of Korea. The remaining 20 percent of value
corresponds to plants that have been domestically produced. With
respect to volume, 20 percent of the artificially dwarfed plants
available in the U.S. market are imported from Asia, and the rest are
domestically produced. Domestically produced artificially dwarfed
plants are the smallest, simplest, and most inexpensive ones. Plants
produced in and imported from Asian countries are the largest, most
elaborate, and most expensive.
In 1997, the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC, surveyed
U.S. nurseries that sell artificially dwarfed plants, as well as other
businesses related to the growing of artificially dwarfed plants. A
summary of the results of the survey was published in the American
Nurseryman Magazine in April 1999. According to that survey, in 1997,
there were at least 366 artificially dwarfed plant-related businesses
in the United States. Based on that survey, artificially dwarfed plant
businesses can be divided into two categories: Full-service nurseries
and specialty companies focusing on one product.
Full-service nurseries may carry a wide range of artificially
dwarfed plants in varying sizes, including some that they have
developed themselves and others they have purchased or have imported
from Asia. Many of these businesses also sell pots for these plants, as
well as related tools and books. On the other hand, specialty companies
may produce one product, such as plants, pots, or tools, or may be
limited to teaching or publishing.
The survey identified 97 full service artificially dwarfed plant
nurseries (see table below). These entities ranged from relatively
small family owned and operated enterprises to a few large companies.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of
Type of company companies
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Full service artificially dwarfed plant nurseries.......... 97
Specialty artificially dwarfed plant related companies:
Plants (including seeds)................................. 82
Tools, supplies, stands.................................. 81
Containers and pots...................................... 46
Magazines, books, and newsletters........................ 32
Consultants and teachers................................. 28
------------
Total.................................................. 366
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 1997 survey found that artificially dwarfed plant-related
businesses were fairly well distributed throughout the United States.
However, the largest concentrations were in the Southeast (107) and the
Southwest (102), including California. The Northeast had 84
artificially dwarfed plant-related businesses. The Midwest had 37
related businesses, and the Northwest had 26.
Effect on Small Entities
According to Small Business Administration (SBA) guidelines, a
small business involved in the sale or importation of artificially
dwarfed plants or related products is one having less than $6 million
of annual receipts from sales (see NAICS codes 444220, ``Nursery and
Garden Centers,'' and 453110, ``Florists'').
There are between 20 to 50 importers of artificially dwarfed plants
in the United States, with the number varying each year. However, on
average, this number is closer to 20. All of them can be considered
small entities according to the SBA definition. We do not expect that
this final rule will significantly affect the price of imported
artificially dwarfed plants or have a significant effect on importers
of artificially dwarfed plants.
Most of the businesses engaged in the production and distribution
of artificially dwarfed plants and related materials are family owned
and operated. Approximately 99 percent of these firms are considered
small according to SBA criteria. There is no reason to believe that
these entities would be significantly affected by implementation of
this rule because the price of imported artificially dwarfed plants is
not expected to change significantly.
The requirements that imported artificially dwarfed plants be grown
in greenhouses or screenhouses in registered nurseries--and not
collected from open fields--could affect the number of artificially
dwarfed plants imported during the short term. Plants imported from
Asia are predominantly higher valued and nursery-grown, and comprise
only 20 percent of U.S. sales by quantity, but 80 percent of sales by
value. This rule will not likely have a significant effect on the
number of higher-valued plants imported from Asia. However, since
artificially dwarfed plants that are not grown in accordance with the
conditions in this rule are prohibited importation into the United
States, it is possible that some U.S. producers could benefit from
decreased competition. Nevertheless, the effect of this final rule on
those nurseries is expected to be insignificant, given the small number
of affected imports.
Under these circumstances, the Administrator of the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that this action would
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities.
Executive Order 12988
This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988,
Civil Justice Reform. This rule: (1) Preempts all State and local laws
and regulations that are inconsistent with this rule; (2) has no
retroactive effect; and (3) does not require administrative proceedings
before parties may file suit in court challenging this rule.
Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.), the information collection or recordkeeping requirements
included in this rule have been approved by the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) under OMB control number 0579-0176.
List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 319
Bees, Coffee, Cotton, Fruits, Honey, Imports, Nursery stock, Plant
diseases and pests, Quarantine, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Rice, Vegetables.
Accordingly, we are amending 7 CFR part 319 as follows:
PART 319--FOREIGN QUARANTINE NOTICES
1. The authority citation for part 319 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 166, 450, 7711-7714, 7718, 7731, 7732, and
7751-7754; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.
Sec. 319.37-2 [Amended]
2. Section 319.37-2 is amended as follows:
a. In paragraph (a), in the text before the table, by removing the
words
[[Page 53731]]
``Sec. 319.37-2(c) of this subpart'' and adding in their place the
words ``paragraph (c) of this section''.
b. In paragraph (b), introductory text, by removing the words
``Sec. 319.37-2(c) of this subpart'' and adding in their place the
words ``paragraph (c) of this section''.
c. In paragraph (b)(1), introductory text, by removing the words
``trees or shrubs'' and adding in their place the words ``plants
meeting the conditions in Sec. 319.37-5(q)''.
d. In paragraph (b)(6)(i), by removing the words ``such as bonsai''
and adding in their place the words ``meeting the conditions in
Sec. 319.37-5(q)''.
e. In paragraph (b)(7), introductory text, by removing the words
``tree or shrub'' the second time they appear and adding in their place
the words ``plant meeting the conditions in Sec. 319.37-5(q)''.
Sec. 319.37-5 [Amended]
3. Section 319.37-5 is amended as follows:
a. By adding a new paragraph (q) to read as follows.
b. At the end of the section, by revising the OMB control number
citation to read as follows.
Sec. 319.37-5 Special foreign inspection and certification
requirements.
* * * * *
(q) Any artificially dwarfed plant imported into the United States
must have been grown and handled in accordance with the requirements of
this paragraph and must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate
of inspection that was issued by the government of the country where
the plants were grown.
(1) Any growing media, including soil, must be removed from the
artificially dwarfed plants prior to shipment to the United States
unless the plants are to be imported in accordance with Sec. 319.37-8.
(2) The artificially dwarfed plants must be grown in accordance
with the following requirements and the phytosanitary certificate
required by this paragraph must contain declarations that those
requirements have been met:
(i) The artificially dwarfed plants must be grown for at least 2
years in a greenhouse or screenhouse in a nursery registered with the
government of the country where the plants were grown;
(ii) The greenhouse or screenhouse in which the artificially
dwarfed plants are grown must have screening with openings of not more
than 1.6 mm on all vents and openings, and all entryways must be
equipped with automatic closing doors;
(iii) The artificially dwarfed plants must be grown in pots
containing only sterile growing media during the 2-year period when
they are grown in a greenhouse or screenhouse in a registered nursery;
(iv) The artificially dwarfed plants must be grown on benches at
least 50 cm above the ground during the 2-year period when they are
grown in a greenhouse or screenhouse in a registered nursery; and
(v) The plants and the greenhouse or screenhouse and nursery where
they are grown must be inspected for any evidence of pests and found
free of pests of quarantine significance to the United States at least
once every 12 months by the plant protection service of the country
where the plants are grown.
(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control
number 0579-0176)
Done in Washington, DC this 14th day of August 2002.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 02-20940 Filed 8-16-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P