Karnal Bunt; Public Forum

We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is hosting a public forum in Washington, DC, on the Agency's program to control and eradicate Karnal bunt. The forum will provide an additional opportunity for the public to comment on the regulations established and amended by a series of interim rules published in the Federal Register since March, 1996. The regulations quarantine portions of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas because of infestations of Karnal bunt, restrict the movement of regulated articles from the quarantined areas, and provide compensation for certain individuals in order to mitigate losses and expenses incurred because of Karnal bunt. Comments will also be accepted addressing any aspect of the Karnal bunt program not included in the regulations, including control and survey activities conducted in the quarantined areas, the national Karnal bunt survey program, and the certification of wheat for export. Information gathered at the public forum will be considered by the Department in developing guidelines and procedures for conducting the Karnal bunt program for the 1996-97 wheat growing season. USDA intends to schedule additional public forums on the Karnal bunt program, to be held in Arizona, California, and Kansas over the next 2 months. We will give notice of these additional forums in the Federal Register.