APHIS Issues Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Garlic Mustard Biological Control

Agency Will Issue Permits for the Environmental Release of Ceutorhynchus scrobicollis 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is issuing an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for releasing the weevil Ceutorhynchus scrobicollis to biologically control the invasive weed garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in the continental United States. After careful analysis, APHIS has determined that the release of this biological control agent in the continental United States will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment.

About Garlic Mustard

Garlic mustard is native to Europe. It was first recorded in North America in 1868 on Long Island, New York. It has since spread to at least 37 states. Garlic mustard is a highly invasive species that displaces native plants and disrupts forest ecosystems. It produces abundant seeds and chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants, allowing it to form dense stands and outcompete other understory species. Traditional herbicide treatments have not provided effective long-term control, and unmanaged sites continually reintroduce seeds, making long-term management challenging.

Next Steps

APHIS will begin reviewing permit applications for the environmental release of Ceutorhynchus scrobicollis into the continental United States to control invasive garlic mustard. Each permit application requires a consultation period with the affected state(s).

The EA and FONSI are available for public review at: www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/environmental-assessments. For more information, send an email to PPQbiocontrol@usda.gov and include Ceutorhynchus scrobicollis in the subject line.

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