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Page 1 News Releases-

Release No. 0002.94 Jill Bauermeister (202) 205-1134 David Detar (301) 722-9807

USDA FOREST SERVICE ANNOUNCES A NEW PHONE NUMBER FOR CAMPGROUND RESERVATION SERVICE

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3---Effective January 1, 1994 the number for reserving USDA Forest Service campground sites throughout America will be changed to 1-800-280-2267. For the hearing and speech impaired, the number will be TDD 1-800-879-4496. These numbers replace the campground reservation numbers used in previous years.

Both family and group reservations will be accepted for many of the campgrounds in the 156 national forests and grasslands which are located within the continental United States, Alaska, and Puerto Rico. The reservation center will be able to tell customers which campground in which states are available for advance reservations through this system. This system will allow visitors to plan ahead for their trips and make greater use of the national forests and grasslands campgrounds.

The National Forest Reservation Center operating hours are:

January through September Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 9:00 pm EST

October through December Monday - Friday 11:00 am - 7:00 pm EST

Fees for reserving campsites through this system are S7.50 per family for a site and S15.00 for a group site. There is a S7.50 cancellation fee for reservations made through this system.

Release No. 0003.94 Ed Curlett (301) 436-7255 Ron Hall (202) 720-3310

USDA PROPOSES PROGRAM THAT WOULD END QUARANTINE ON CANADIAN SEED POTATOES

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3--The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to put in place a seed potato certification program that could make a federal quarantine on Canadian seed potatoes unnecessary. Because of this proposed certification program, a quarantine which had been imposed to stop the spread of the necrotic strain of potato virus Y (PVYn) would no longer be necessary.

The Canadian seed potato certification program, which resulted from a recent agreement between the United States and Canada, is called the Canada/United States PVYn Management Plan.

"The implementation of this plan would protect U.S. agriculture from potential risks imposed by PVYn, making federal regulations that apply to Canada with respect to PVYn unnecessary with regard to protection of U.S. agriculture," said B. Glen Lee, deputy administrator for plant protection and quarantine with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The management plan calls for testing seed potatoes for PVYn in early generations and mandates the removal of infected seedlots from seed potato production.

Copies of the plan can be obtained by writing James Petit de Mange, operations officer. Port Operations Staff, PPQ, APHIS, USDA, Room 632, Federal Building, 6505 Belcrest Road, Hyattsville, Md. 20782.

Consideration will be given to comments received within 30 days of the proposed rule's publication in the Federal Register. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 20.

An original and three copies of written comments referring to docket number 93-021-2 should be sent to Chief, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, USDA, Room 804, Federal Building, Hyattsville, Md. 20782.

Comments may be inspected at USDA, Room 1141 South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, D.C., between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.