April
14, 2006
Dear Stakeholder:
The following docket has been published in the Federal Register:
Docket No: 02-119-2 Importation of Small Lots of Seed Without Phytosanitary
Certificates
We are amending the nursery stock regulations to allow the importation of
small lots of seed under an import permit with specific conditions, as an
alternate to the current phytosanitary certificate requirement. This change
is necessary because several entities that import small lots of
seedindividual importers, scientists, horticultural societies, arboreta,
and small businesshave had difficulty obtaining the necessary certificates
and have been adversely affected by the phytosanitary certificate movement.
The change makes it feasible for those entities to import small lots of
seed and ensures prompt and consistent service for such importers while
continuing to protect against the introduction of plant pests into the
United States and providing the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
with necessary information about the quality, quantity, and diversity of
the imported material.
For additional information, see attached link:
http://www.regulations.gov/ , click on the "Advanced Search" tab and select
"Docket Search." In the Docket ID field, enter APHIS-2006-0053, then click
on "Submit." The [final rule, affirmation, etc.] will appear in the
resulting list of documents. You may also contact Dr. Arnold T. Tschanz,
Senior Staff Officer, Commodity Import Analysis and Operations Staff, PPQ,
APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-5306.
Sincerely,
/s/
Linda C. Toran
Management Analyst
Regulatory Coordination, Plant Health Programs
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Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA
Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA