Emergrency Letter

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Marketing and Regulatory Programs

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Washington, DC 20250

January 26, 2007

Subject: Phytophthora Ramorum; Quarantine and Regulations

To: Margaret A. Malanoski, OMB Desk Officer

Through: Ruth Brown, OCIO Clearance Officer

APHIS is requesting emergency review, processing, and approval of an information collection activity that is needed in connection with the efforts of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prevent the spread of Phytophthora. ramorum to noninfested areas in the State of California, Washington, Oregon, and to other parts of the United States.

This interim rule restricts the interstate movement of nursery stock from nurseries in nonquarantined areas in California, Oregon, and Washington, updates conditions for the movement of regulated articles of nursery stock from quarantined areas, adds restrictions on the movement of decorative trees without roots from quarantined areas, and restricts the interstate movement of all other nursery stock from nurseries in quarantined areas. This rule also updates the list of plants regulated because of P. ramorum and the list of areas that are quarantined for P. ramorum.

P. ramorum is a fungus-like disease of certain trees, shrubs, and plants (commonly called sudden oak death, ramorum blight and ramorum die-back). P. ramorum causes fatal bark cankers in California tan-oak, California live oak, and several other native California oaks. P. ramorum can also cause leaf blights on species of Rhododendron and California bay, spreading rapidly in an area from plant to plant.

This action is necessary on an emergency basis to prevent the spread of P. ramorum outside quarantined areas in California, and Oregon and infected nursery sites in California, Oregon, and Washington. Its implementation will require APHIS to engage in certain information collection activities. APHIS is requesting approval of the paperwork package by February 2, 2007.

If you need additional information regarding this request, please contact Jonathan Jones, National Program Manager, Plant Health Programs, PPQ, at (301) 734-8247.

Richard L. Dunkle, Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Attachment

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