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CFR Citation: 7 CFR Part 319

Docket ID: [Docket No. 98-103-2]

NOTICE: PROPOSED RULES

ACTION: Plant-related quarantine, foreign:

DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of reopening and extension of comment period.

SUBJECT CATEGORY: Importation of Artificially Dwarfed Plants in Growing Media From the People's Republic of China

DOCUMENT SUMMARY: We are reopening and extending the comment period for our proposed rule that would amend our regulations to allow artificially dwarfed (penjing) plants of the genera Buxus, Ehretia (Carmona), Podocarpus, Sageretia, and Serissa to be imported into the United States from the People's Republic of China in an approved growing medium subject to specified growing, inspection, and certification requirements. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments.

SUMMARY: Artificially dwarfed plants in growing media from China,

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

On September 20, 2000, we published in the Federal Register (65 FR 5680356806, Docket No. 981031) a proposed rule to amend our regulations governing the importation of plants and plant products to allow artificially dwarfed (penjing) plants of the genera Buxus, Ehretia (Carmona), Podocarpus, Sageretia, and Serissa to be imported into the United States from the People's Republic of China in an approved growing medium subject to specified growing, inspection, and certification requirements.

Comments on the proposed rule were required to be received on or before November 20, 2000. We are reopening and extending the comment period on Docket No. 981031 for an additional 30 days. This action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit comments. We will consider all comments that we received between September 20, 2000, and December 20, 2000.

Further, interested persons may now obtain the qualitative, pathwayinitiated pest risk assessment for this action, titled ``Pest Risk Assessments, Penjing Plants from China,'' on the APHIS web site at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/pim/.

Authority: Title IV, Pub. L. 106224, 114 Stat. 438, 7 U.S.C. 77017772; 7 U.S.C. 166 and 450; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.3.

Done in Washington, DC, this 21st day of November 2000. Craig A. Reed,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 0030597 Filed 113000; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 341034U

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Mr. Wayne D. Burnett, Senior Import Specialist, Phytosanitary Issues Management Team, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 140, Riverdale, MD 207371236; (301) 7346799.