Canker rulemaking

The USDA issued a May 22 notice on citrus canker regulation in Florida.

The USDA is extending the comment period until June 11 for the agency's interim rule that amended the citrus canker quarantine regulations to explicitly prohibit, with limited exceptions, the interstate movement of regulated nursery stock from a quarantined area.

From the notice:

In an order dated April 26, 2007, the United States District Court of the Middle District of Florida, Ocala Division, instructed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to begin a new round of notice-and-comment rulemaking on the issue of the interstate movement of regulated nursery stock from areas quarantined for citrus canker. We solicited comments on the interim rule for 60 days after its publication. Comments on the interim rule were required to be received on or before May 21, 2007. We are extending the comment period on Docket No. APHIS-2007-0032 for an additional 21 days, until June 11, 2007.