Melon Fruit Fly Regulations; Regulated Areas, Regulated Articles, and Removal of Quarantined Area

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, two interim rules that amended the melon fruit fly regulations. In one interim rule published in the Federal Register on February 22, 2000, we established the melon fruit fly regulations and quarantined a portion of Los Angeles County, CA. The establishment of the melon fruit fly regulations and quarantine of a portion of Los Angeles County, CA, were necessary on an emergency basis to prevent the spread of the melon fruit fly into noninfested areas of the United States. In another interim rule published in the Federal Register on June 28, 2000, we removed the quarantined portion of Los Angeles County, CA. The removal of the quarantined portion of Los Angeles County, CA, was necessary to relieve restrictions that were no longer needed to prevent the spread of the melon fruit fly because we determined that the melon fruit fly was eradicated from this portion of Los Angeles County, CA. This portion of Los Angeles County, CA, was the only area in California quarantined for the melon fruit fly. Therefore, as a result of the interim rule that removed the quarantine on a portion of Los Angeles County, CA, there are no longer any areas in the continental United States quarantined because of the melon fruit fly.