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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The corrected version of the Notice
of Availability of a Draft Pest Risk Assessment on Honey Bees Imported from <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region> is
attached. I apologize for any confusion. Please contact<font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'> </span></font><a
href="mailto:colin.stewart@aphis.usda.gov">colin.stewart@aphis.usda.gov</a> with
any questions. Thank you!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
<br>
</span></font><font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:sans-serif'> I have attached a copy of the draft risk
assessment at the end of this email. We encourage comments from all sides
of the issue. Please respond as directed below so that your comments are
properly recorded instead of commenting directly to Wayne Wehling or me (Colin
Stewart). Please forward this message on to anyone who may be interested
in it.</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri'><br>
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE<br>
<br>
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service<br>
<br>
[Docket No. APHIS-2010-0001]<br>
<br>
<br>
Notice of Availability of a Draft Pest Risk Assessment on Honey <br>
Bees Imported from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region><br>
<br>
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.<br>
<br>
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.<br>
<br>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health <br>
Inspection Service has prepared an evaluation of the pest risks <br>
associated with the importation of honey bees from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The draft <br>
pest risk assessment considers potential pest risks involved in the <br>
importation of honeybees into the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region>
from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region> after <br>
concerns that exotic honey bee pathogens or parasites may have been <br>
introduced into <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
We are making the draft pest risk assessment <br>
available to the public for review and comment.<br>
<br>
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before May <br>
14, 2010.<br>
<br>
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:<br>
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to (</span></font><a href="http://"><font
size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri'>http://</span></font></a><u><font
color=blue><span style='color:blue'><br>
</span></font></u><a href="http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/"><font
size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri'>www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/</span></font></a><font
size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri'><br>
main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2010-0001 <</span></font><a
href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail%26d=APHIS-2010-0001"><font
size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri'>http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail%26d=APHIS-2010-0001</span></font></a><font
size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri'>> )
to submit or view comments <br>
and to view supporting and related materials available electronically.<br>
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of <br>
your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2010-0001, Regulatory Analysis and <br>
Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, <br>
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to <br>
Docket No. APHIS-2010-0001.<br>
Reading Room: You may read any comments that we receive on the <br>
draft pest risk assessment in our reading room. The reading room is <br>
located in room 1141 of the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">USDA</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">South</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Building</st1:PlaceType>,
<st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">14th Street</st1:address></st1:Street>
and <br>
<st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Independence Avenue</st1:address></st1:Street>,
SW., <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Washington</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">DC</st1:State></st1:place>. <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Normal</st1:place></st1:City>
reading room hours are <br>
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure <br>
someone is there to<br>
help you, please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.<br>
Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its <br>
programs is available on the Internet at (</span></font><a
href="http://www.aphis.usda.gov/"><font size=2 face=Calibri><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri'>http://www.aphis.usda.gov</span></font></a><font
size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri'> <</span></font><a
href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.aphis.usda.gov"><font
size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri'>http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.aphis.usda.gov</span></font></a><font
size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri'>> ).<br>
<br>
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Colin D. Stewart, Senior <br>
Entomologist, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD <br>
20737-1237; (301) 734-0774.<br>
<br>
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:<br>
<br>
Background<br>
<br>
The regulations in 7 CFR part 322 restrict the importation, <br>
interstate movement, and transit through the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region> of bees, <br>
beekeeping byproducts, and beekeeping equipment to prevent the <br>
introduction of pests into the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region> through the importation of <br>
honeybees from approved regions. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>
is currently on the list of <br>
approved regions from which adult honeybees maybe imported into the <br>
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>
under certain conditions.<br>
In March 2002, APHIS issued a report assessing the risks of pest <br>
introduction into the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region>
in imports of honey bees (Apis <br>
mellifera L.) from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
The evaluation identified 15 pathogens <br>
and pests of bees in that country, all of which occur in the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United <br>
States</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The evaluation concluded that there
were no quarantine-<br>
significant honey bee pathogens or pests occurring in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<br>
In the 7 years since the completion of the evaluation for <br>
Australian bees, new threats to the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> honey bee population have <br>
emerged. The most prominent threat is Colony Collapse Disorder, a <br>
mysterious syndrome characterized by the abrupt disappearance of a <br>
colony's adult worker bee population, leaving a substantial population <br>
of healthy brood, an absence of dead bees, and the delayed invasion of <br>
hive pests and robbing of hive stores by neighboring colonies. A link <br>
between the disorder, first reported in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region> in 2006, and <br>
honey bee imports from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>
has been suggested. The May 2007 <br>
discovery of colonies of the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) near <st1:City
w:st="on">Cairns</st1:City>, <br>
<st1:State w:st="on">Victoria</st1:State>, also has raised concerns that exotic
honey bee pathogens or <br>
parasites may have been introduced into <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region> with the arrival of <br>
this foreign bee. These developments suggest a need to reevaluate the <br>
risks involved in importation of bees from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<br>
APHIS' review and analysis of the risks associated with the <br>
importation of honey bees from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>
are documented in detail in a <br>
draft pest risk assessment (PRA) titled, ``Evaluation of Pest Risks <br>
Associated with Importation of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.) from <br>
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>''
(November 2009). Findings presented in the draft PRA state <br>
that there are honey bee viruses present in Australia that are not <br>
known to occur in the United States. The draft PRA concludes that <br>
zoosanitary measures may be necessary to reduce the possibility of the <br>
introduction of these viruses to the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region> via the importation <br>
of honey bees from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<br>
We are making the draft PRA available to the public for review and <br>
comment. We will consider all comments that we receive on or before the <br>
date listed under the heading DATES at the beginning of this notice. <br>
The draft PRA and the comments received may be the basis for a future <br>
change in the regulations.<br>
The draft PRA may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site or in <br>
our reading room (see ADDRESSES above for instructions for accessing <br>
Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of the <br>
reading room). You may request paper copies of the draft PRA by calling <br>
or writing to the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. <br>
Please refer to the title of the draft PRA when requesting copies.<br>
Done in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Washington</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">DC</st1:State></st1:place>, this 8\th\ day of March 2010.<br>
<br>
Kevin Shea,<br>
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.<br>
[FR Doc. 2010-5573 Filed 3-12-10; 8:45 am]<br>
BILLING CODE 3410-34-S</span></font> <br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'><br>
Regards,</span></font> <font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'><br>
Colin</span></font> <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=sans-serif><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Colin
D. Stewart, PhD<br>
Senior Entomologist<br>
USDA/APHIS, Plant Protection and Quarantine<br>
<st1:place w:st="on">Pest</st1:place> Permitting Branch<br>
<st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">4700 River Rd.</st1:address></st1:Street>,
Unit 133<br>
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Riverdale</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">MD</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">20737-1231</st1:PostalCode></st1:place><br>
Phone: (301) 734-0774<br>
FAX: 301-734-8700<br>
Email: colin.stewart@aphis.usda.gov</span></font> <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
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