§ 360.500 Petitions to add a taxon to the noxious weed list.

A person may petition the Administrator to have a taxon added to the noxious weeds lists in § 360.200. Details of the petitioning process for adding a taxon to the lists are available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/weeds/downloads/listingguide.pdf. Persons who submit a petition to add a taxon to the noxious weed lists must provide their name, address, telephone number, and (if available) e-mail address. Persons who submit a petition to add a taxon to the noxious weed lists are encouraged to provide the following information, which can help speed up the review process and help APHIS determine whether the specified plant taxon should be listed as a noxious weed: (a) Identification of the taxon. (1) The taxon's scientific name and author; (2) Common synonyms; (3) Botanical classification; (4) Common names; (5) Summary of life history; (6) Native and world distribution; (7) Distribution in the United States, if any (specific States, localities, or Global Positioning System coordinates); (8) Description of control efforts, if established in the United States; and (9) Whether the taxon is regulated at the State or local level. (b) Potential consequences of the taxon's introduction or spread. (1) The taxon's habitat suitability in the United States (predicted ecological range); (2) Dispersal potential (biological characteristics associated with invasiveness); (3) Potential economic impacts (e.g., potential to reduce crop yields, lower commodity values, or cause loss of markets for U.S. goods); and (4) Potential environmental impacts (e.g., impacts on ecosystem processes, natural community composition or structure, human health, recreation patterns, property values, or use of chemicals to control the taxon). (c) Likelihood of the taxon's introduction or spread. (1) Potential pathways for the taxon's movement into and within the United States; and (2) The likelihood of survival and spread of the taxon within each pathway. (d) List of references.