2017-02-16: NISAW
events and the National Park Service
From Terri Hogan:
A new InsideNPS article explains how parks and
programs can participate in National Invasive Species Awareness Week
(NISAW), February 27-March 3. The NPS
national Natural Resources Stewardship and Science
offices are planning to really promote NISAW and the importance of managing invasive
species, and we are inviting parks, regions, and programs to participate!
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2017-02-16: APHIS
Extends Comment Period on Proposed Rule that Revises Requirements for
Importation and Interstate Movement of Plant Pests, Biocontrol Agents, and Soil
APHIS proposes to revise the
regulations in 7 CFR part 330 that govern the movement into and within the
United States of plant pests, biological control agents, and soil, and is soliciting public comments until
April 19, 2017. The comment period has been extended for 30
days to give stakeholders and the public additional time to submit comments on
the proposed change. The proposed action will align plant pest regulations with
current APHIS policies, remove obsolete requirements, streamline the permit
process for low risk organisms, and update requirements for the import of
foreign soil.
Regarding the regulation of plant
pests, this proposed rule would:
· Clarify
the risk-based criteria APHIS uses to determine if an organism is a plant pest
and to evaluate and issue permits.
·
Revise the definition of a plant pest to include organisms of
unknown risk if those organisms are similar to known plant pests.
·
Allow the use of general web-based permits for importation and
interstate movement into the continental United States of certain low risk
pests.
·
Put in place a notice-based process to establish and maintain a
list of pests exempted from standard permit requirements. The exempted list
would include plant pests that are established throughout their geographical
range in the United States; low risk; or commercially available and under
purview of another Federal agency, such as the Environmental Protection Agency.
As it relates to the regulation
of biological control organisms, this proposed rule would:
· Establish
criteria regarding the movement and release of certain biological control
agents in the continental United States, and
·
Establish exemptions for certain biological control organisms
similar to what is being proposed for widely prevalent, low-risk plant pests.
The proposed rule would also
update the regulations to more appropriately reflect the risk from soil that
accompanies a plant pest by:
· Including
soil as an “associated article” (i.e., soil that accompanies a plant pest),
·
Updating the definition of soil, and
·
Clarifying what is not considered soil.
The proposed rule is available in
the Federal Register. The deadline to submit comments is extended until April
19, 2017. APHIS will carefully review and consider all comments received before
making a decision regarding the importation and interstate movement of plant
pests, biocontrol agents, and soil.
To review the proposed rule or
submit comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2008-0076.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2008-0076, Regulatory Analysis and
Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale,
MD 20737-1238.
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2017-02-16: You are invited to
the National Invasive Species Awareness Week in Washington, DC
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Meet the Experts to Learn About Pressing Invasive Species
Issues
Help us observe National Invasive Species Awareness Week on
Capitol Hill during the week of February
27th-March 3rd, held in cooperation with the
Congressional Invasive Species Caucus. Participate in events throughout this
week to raise awareness and identify solutions to invasive species issues at
local, state, tribal, regional, and national scales.
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A Week's Worth of Events
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Lunchtime Seminars
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Afternoon Webinars
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Evening Fair and Reception
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Field Trips
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We Thank Our Generous Sponsors: Bayer
Crop Science, Dow AgroSciences, Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council, Pacific
States Marine Fisheries Commission, Reduce Risks from Invasive Species
Coalition, Syngenta, Weed Science Society of America, National Association of
Invasive Plant Counsels
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