(a) Regulated articles may be treated in accordance with part 305 of this chapter to neutralize the pine shoot beetle.

(b) Management method for pine bark products. The following procedures are authorized for use with pine bark products derived from white pine (Pinus strobus), Scotch pine (P. sylvestris), red pine (P. resinosa), and jack pine (P. banksiana) trees. Pine bark products will only be considered to have been produced in accordance with this management method if the following procedures are followed:

(1) For pine bark products produced from trees felled during the period November 1 through March 31:

(i) The trees must be harvested at a height of 4 inches or more above the duff line; and

(ii) The trees must have been mechanically debarked with a ring debarker or a Rosser head debarker; and

(iii) For Scotch pine, red pine, and jack pine, the bark must either be ground into pieces of 1 inch or less in diameter or composted in accordance with the procedure in paragraph (d)(3) of this section.

(2) For pine bark products produced from trees felled during the period April 1 through June 30:

(i) The trees must have been mechanically debarked with a ring debarker or a Rosser head debarker; and

(ii) The bark must either be ground into pieces of 1 inch or less in size or composted in accordance with the procedure in paragraph (d)(3) of this section.

(3) Composting for pine bark products for the management method in this paragraph (d) must be performed as follows:

(i) The pile of pine bark to be composted must be at least 200 cubic yards in size; and

(ii) The compost pile must remain undisturbed until the interior temperature of the pile reaches 120 °F (49 °C) and remains at or over that temperature for 4 consecutive days; and

(iii) After the 4-day period is completed, the outer layer of the compost pile must be removed to a depth of 3 feet; and

(iv) A second compost pile must be started using the cover material previously removed as a core. Core material must be removed from the first pile and used to cover the second compost pile to a depth of 3 feet; and

(v) The second compost pile must remain undisturbed until the interior temperature of the pile reaches 120 °F (49 °C) and remains at or over that temperature for 4 consecutive days. After this 4-day period, the composting procedure is complete.

(vi) Previously composted material generated using this procedure may be used as cover material for subsequent compost piles. A compost pile that uses previously composted material must remain undisturbed until the interior temperature of the pile reaches 120 °F (49 °C) and remains at or over that temperature for 4 consecutive days. After this 4-day period, the composting procedure is complete.

[57 FR 54496, Nov. 19, 1992, as amended at 58 FR 6348, Jan. 28, 1993; 58 FR 28335, May 13, 1993; 58 FR 63027, Nov. 30, 1993; 60 FR 55780, 55781, Nov. 3, 1995; 65 FR 51518, Aug. 24, 2000; 71 FR 13925, Mar. 20, 2006; 75 FR 4240, Jan. 26, 2010]