Correspondence from Texas elected officials

Dear Mr. Kotch:

On August 30, 2017, the USGS Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) office
received your FOIA request, dated August 30, 2017, and assigned it control
number USGS-2017-00197. Please cite this number in any future
communications with our office regarding your request. You request the
following information:

· All correspondence from these selected Texas members of Congress
(listed below) and their staff members, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and former
Texas Gov. Rick Perry to the U.S. Geological Survey from January 1, 2015
through the present: Sen. John Cornyn, Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Louie Gohmert,
Rep. Ted Poe, Rep. Sam Johnson, Rep. John Ratcliffe, Rep. Jeb Hensarling,
Rep. Joe Barton, Rep. John Culberson, Rep. Kevin Brady, Rep. Michael McCaul,
Rep. Michael Conaway, Rep. Kay Granger, Rep. Mac Thornberry, Rep. Randy
Weber, Rep. Bill Flores, Rep. Jodey Arrington, Rep. Lamar Smith, Rep. Pete
Olson, Rep. Will Hurd, Rep. Kenny Marchant, Rep. Roger Williams, Rep.
Michael Burgess, Rep. Blake Farenthold, Rep. John Carter, Rep. Pete Session,
Rep. Brian Babin and former Rep. Randy Neugebauer.

(For email correspondence, this refers to all communications from these
elected officials sent to any usgs.gov or affiliated email addresses.)

Before proceeding with your request, I want to inform you that this request
presents unusual circumstances for the following reason: the need to search
for or collect records from a field facility or establishment separate from
the office processing the request. Therefore, we are taking a 10-workday
extension under
<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf
88dec&rgn=div5&view=text&node=43:1.1.1.1.2&idno=43#43:1.1.1.1.2.4.5.6> 43
C.F.R. § 2.19(b).

As a result of the unusual circumstances, your request meets the exceptions
to Section 2 of the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 rule against assessing FOIA
processing fees. We will notify you if we need to take an additional
extension.

We have classified you as a representative of the “news media” requester.
As such, we may charge you for some of our duplication costs, but we will
not charge you for our search or review costs; you also are entitled to up
to 100 pages of photocopies (or an equivalent volume) for free. See
<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf
88dec&rgn=div5&view=text&node=43:1.1.1.1.2&idno=43#43:1.1.1.1.2.7.5.3>
<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf
88dec&rgn=div5&view=text&node=43:1.1.1.1.2&idno=43#43:1.1.1.1.2.7.5.3> 43
C.F.R. § 2.39. If, after taking into consideration your fee category
entitlements, our processing costs are less than $50.00, we will not bill
you because the cost of collection would be greater than the fee collected.
See
<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf
88dec&rgn=div5&view=text&node=43:1.1.1.1.2&idno=43#43:1.1.1.1.2.7.5.13>
<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf
88dec&rgn=div5&view=text&node=43:1.1.1.1.2&idno=43#43:1.1.1.1.2.7.5.13> 43
C.F.R. § 2.49(a)(1). You can expect to hear from us promptly regarding the
outcome of this search.

You have asked us to waive the fees for processing your request. Our FOIA
regulations state that bureaus will waive, or partially waive, fees if
disclosure of all or part of the information is:

1. In the public interest because it is likely to contribute
significantly to public understanding of government operations or
activities, and

2. Not primarily in your commercial interest.

See
<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf
88dec&rgn=div5&view=text&node=43:1.1.1.1.2&idno=43#43:1.1.1.1.2.7.5.9>
<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf
88dec&rgn=div5&view=text&node=43:1.1.1.1.2&idno=43#43:1.1.1.1.2.7.5.9> 43
C.F.R. § 2.45(a). Our FOIA regulations also provide four specific criteria
that are used to determine whether these two requirements are met. See
<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf
88dec&rgn=div5&view=text&node=43:1.1.1.1.2&idno=43#43:1.1.1.1.2.7.5.12>
<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf
88dec&rgn=div5&view=text&node=43:1.1.1.1.2&idno=43#43:1.1.1.1.2.7.5.12> 43
C.F.R. § 2.48(a). Your request meets the criteria and supports your
requested fee waiver; therefore, I approve your request and waive the FOIA
processing fees.

We use Multitrack Processing to process FOIA requests. The Simple track is
for requests that can be processed in one to five workdays. The Normal
track is for requests that can be processed in six to twenty workdays. The
Complex track is for requests that can be processed in twenty-one to sixty
workdays. The Exceptional/Voluminous track is for requests requiring more
than sixty workdays for processing. The Expedited track is for requests
that have been granted expedited processing. Within each track, requests
are usually processed on a first-in, first-out basis.

Your request falls into the Complex processing track. We therefore
anticipate that we will complete a final response to you by November 27,
2017. During the interim, we will attempt to provide records to you in
batches.

You may limit the scope of your request, which may enable us to process it
more quickly, or agree to an alternative time period for processing by
communicating with us or our USGS FOIA Public Liaison, Mr. Brian May, email
at <mailto:f> f <mailto:oia@usgs.gov> oia@usgs.gov; telephone (443)
498-5521; fax (443) 498-5510; or by mail, USGS, 5522 Research Park Drive,
Baltimore, MD 21228. Additionally, you may contact the Office of
Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National Archives and Records
Administration to inquire about the FOIA mediation services they offer. The
contact information for OGIS is as follows:

Office of Government Information Services

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS

College Park, Maryland 20740-6001

E-mail: <mailto:ogis@nara.gov> ogis@nara.gov;

Web: <https://ogis.archives.gov/> https://ogis.archives.gov

Telephone: (202) 741-5770

Toll free: 1-877-684-6448

Fax: (202) 741-5769

If you have any questions concerning your request, please contact me by
email at <mailto:foia@usgs.gov> foia@usgs.gov or by phone at (303)
236-1476.

Thank you for your interest in the U.S. Geological Survey.

V/r

Andreas

//SIGNED//

Georg-Andreas Pogány

Government Information Specialist

Freedom of Information Act Office / FOIA

U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey

Denver Federal Center, Bldg 25

Box 25046, Mail Stop 406

Denver, Colorado 80225-0046

Ph: 303-236-1476

Email: <mailto:foia@usgs.gov> foia@usgs.gov

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
This message (including any attachments) is intended exclusively for the
individual or entity to which it is addressed. This communication may
contain information that is proprietary, privileged or confidential or
otherwise legally exempt from disclosure. If you are not the named
addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy or
disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this
message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete
all copies of the message.

Good Afternoon Mr. Kotch,

Please find attached to this email our Final Response to you FOIA request
dated August 30, 2017 and assigned FOIA Tracking # USGS-2017-00197.

Due to size, I will be sending the responsive records in two separate emails
after this one.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email or
telephone.

Thank you for your interest in the USGS.

V/r

Andreas

//SIGNED//

Georg-Andreas Pogány

Government Information Specialist

Freedom of Information Act Office / FOIA

U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey

Denver Federal Center, Bldg 25

Box 25046, Mail Stop 406

Denver, Colorado 80225-0046

Ph: 303-236-2737

Email: <mailto:foia@usgs.gov> foia@usgs.gov

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
This message (including any attachments) is intended exclusively for the
individual or entity to which it is addressed. This communication may
contain information that is proprietary, privileged or confidential or
otherwise legally exempt from disclosure. If you are not the named
addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy or
disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this
message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete
all copies of the message.

Good Afternoon Mr. Kotch,

Please find attached to this email our Final Response to your FOIA request
dated August 30, 2017 and assigned FOIA Tracking # USGS-2017-00197.

Additionally please find attached the responsive records.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email or
telephone.

Thank you for your interest in the USGS.

V/r

Andreas

//SIGNED//

Georg-Andreas Pogány

Government Information Specialist

Freedom of Information Act Office / FOIA

U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey

Denver Federal Center, Bldg 25

Box 25046, Mail Stop 406

Denver, Colorado 80225-0046

Ph: 303-236-2737

Email: <mailto:foia@usgs.gov> foia@usgs.gov

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
This message (including any attachments) is intended exclusively for the
individual or entity to which it is addressed. This communication may
contain information that is proprietary, privileged or confidential or
otherwise legally exempt from disclosure. If you are not the named
addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy or
disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this
message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete
all copies of the message.

See attached file

V/r

Andreas

//SIGNED//

Georg-Andreas Pogány

Government Information Specialist

Freedom of Information Act Office / FOIA

U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey

Denver Federal Center, Bldg 25

Box 25046, Mail Stop 406

Denver, Colorado 80225-0046

Ph: 303-236-2737

Email: <mailto:foia@usgs.gov> foia@usgs.gov

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
This message (including any attachments) is intended exclusively for the
individual or entity to which it is addressed. This communication may
contain information that is proprietary, privileged or confidential or
otherwise legally exempt from disclosure. If you are not the named
addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy or
disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this
message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete
all copies of the message.

See attached file

V/r

Andreas

//SIGNED//

Georg-Andreas Pogány

Government Information Specialist

Freedom of Information Act Office / FOIA

U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey

Denver Federal Center, Bldg 25

Box 25046, Mail Stop 406

Denver, Colorado 80225-0046

Ph: 303-236-2737

Email: <mailto:foia@usgs.gov> foia@usgs.gov

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
This message (including any attachments) is intended exclusively for the
individual or entity to which it is addressed. This communication may
contain information that is proprietary, privileged or confidential or
otherwise legally exempt from disclosure. If you are not the named
addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy or
disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this
message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete
all copies of the message.