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SIBERIAN TIMBER MITIGATION PROTOCOL 



After consultation with USDA and State agency officials and based on the USDA APHIS 

 report entitled "An Efficacy Review of Control Measures for Potential Pests of Imported 

 Soviet Tiinber," Texas Timber and Exporting (TTE) proposed test shipments of Siberian larch 

 logs to help establish the necessary logistical parcimeters and the market feasibility of long- 

 term timber imports. Tfiis mitigation protocol was drafted by TTE to prescribe the import 

 conditions for three shiploads of Siberian larch logs into Humboldt Bay, California. The 

 foUowing is a revision of the TTE mitigation protocol by the Test Shipment Advisory Panel to 

 USDA. This revised protocol is specific to these test shipments. 



A similar scientific advisory panel will review the effectiveness of this protocol under the 

 auspices of USDA after completion of the test shipments, and the protocol will be revised 

 where necessary. The mitigation protocol will be carried out by TTE and overseen by 

 APHIS. In TTE's original proposal, methyl bromide fumigation was to be used as a 

 mitigation method. However, data do not support the effectiveness of methyl bromide 

 fumigation for treatment of raw logs to kill potential pest organisms at the center of the logs. 

 Previous tests have shown that methyl bromide is effective against fungi orily within 2 to 

 3 centimeters of the log surface. 



The following procedures are prescribed: 



1. Treatment activities at the port of origin: 



a. Debark logs as completely as possible. Bark reduces the uniformity and rate of 



heating of the logs, decreases the uniformity of prophylactic treatments, ajid 

 provides a vehicle for collecting soil and potential pest organisms. 



BA 



