APS REGULATORY ALERT E-MAIL

9/22/03

To: APS U.S. Members

From: APS Public Policy Board

Re: Regulatory Alert - APHIS Requests Comments on Importation of Dwarfed (Penjing) Plants and Logs, Lumber and Other Unmanufactured Wood Articles

 

IMPORTATION OF SPECIFIC SPECIES OF ARTIFICIALLY DWARFED (PENJING) PLANTS

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has prepared an environmental assessment for a proposal to allow the importation of specific species of 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. APHIS is making this environmental assessment available to the public for review and comment. APHIS will consider all comments that are received on or before October 15, 2003. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. 98-103-3. Complete information can be found at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-23545.htm. 

 

 

IMPORTATION OF LOGS, LUMBER, AND OTHER UNMANUFACTURED WOOD ARTICLES INTO THE UNITED STATES

APHIS is proposing to amend the regulations that govern the importation of logs, lumber, and other unmanufactured wood articles into the United States to require that logs and lumber of tropical species of Eucalyptus from South America be fumigated with methyl bromide or heat treated prior to importation and that wood chips of tropical species of Eucalyptus from South America be fumigated with methyl bromide, heat treated, or heat treated with moisture reduction prior to importation. They are also proposing to allow wood chips derived from both tropical and temperate species of Eucalyptus from South America to be treated with a surface pesticide. These proposed changes are necessary in order to prevent the introduction of plant pests into the United States through the importation of eucalyptus logs, lumber, and wood chips from South America. APHIS will consider all comments received on or before November 14, 2003. Complete information can be found at

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-23432.htm.