APHIS Inspection Reports 2021

Attached is a correspondence pertaining to your recent (FOIA) request.

September 30, 2021 DearJimmy Tobias: This is to acknowledge receipt of your Freedom ofInformation Act (FOIA) request dated September 28, 2021. Your request was received in the APHIS FOIAOffice on September 28, 2021, andassigned tracking number # 2021-APHIS-06012-F. The target response date for your request is October 27, 2021. A copy of your request isattached. Weare currently processing your request for information. You may contact Robbie Perry if you have questions concerning your request at robbie.t.perry@usda.gov. You may alsocontact the FOIA office at FOIA.Officer@aphis.usda.gov Please refer to your tracking number in allfuture communications with us regarding your request. If you prefer, you can check the status ofyour request online through the USDA Public Access Link (PAL), at https://efoia-pal.usda.gov/palMain.aspx Sincerely, Tonya G Woods
Director
Freedom of Information and Privacy Act
Legislative and Public Affair Enclosure(s)

Attached is a correspondence pertaining to your recent (FOIA) request.

Attached is a correspondence pertaining to your recent FOIA request.

Good morning,

Your request was assigned for processing to Government Information Analyst Mr. Robbie Perry. I have included him in your email for a direct response to your status check email. Mr. Perry, can you please give Mr. Tobias a status update pertaining to his FOIA request 2021-APHIS-06012-F. Mr. Perry, I have also uploaded this email in your correspondence log.

Thanks in advance,

KeWanda McCain
Legislative and Public Affairs
Resource Management Operations
FOIA Intake Specialist
Tel. (301) 851-4066
Fax. (301) 734-5941
Email. KeWanda.L.McCain@usda.gov<mailto:KeWanda.L.McCain@usda.gov>

Good afternoon Mr. Jimmy Tobias of Muck Rock News:

I have received a completed search from one of our programs. I will review it today. I will contact you once a determination has been made.

Thank you,

Robbie Perry
Government Information Specialist
USDA APHIS LPA FOIA

Dear Mr. Tobias This email acknowledges receipt of your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, dated November 02, 2021, which was received in the Washington Office (WO) FOIA Service Center on November 03, 2021 .  In summary, y ou requested records related to an OIG referral dated October 15, 2020, that was sent to the USDA Forest Service Office of Professional Responsibility. Please be advisedthat the WO FOIA Service Center has a backlog of pending FOIA requests andappeals.  We are diligently working to process each request and appeal inthe order in which it was received.  Your patience is greatly appreciated. To check on the status of your request you may contact Melani Gonzalez at melani.gonzalez@usda.gov.  Please reference your assigned case number, 2022-FS-WO-00603-F.
Thank you,

FOIA Service Center Team Forest Service

Good Afternoon Mr. Jimmy Tobias:

Your request needs more clarification to process at this time. Currently, our Animal Care database is not able to identify separately the: 'listings for kennels'; 'amusement parks'; 'sanctuaries'; and/or 'rental agencies'. If AC fulfils this request it would include these types of customers and will also have all other types of customers - without distinction. As it stands, the only way AC will be able to fulfil this request is by providing inspections and photos for: all breeders, exhibitors, and research facilities for the period of 1/1/2021 through the present.

This will be a voluminous amount of records. Would you, Mr. Tobias of Muck Rock News, be willing to reduce the search to a: particular state; types of facilities; reduce the date range; and/or except a report of the inspections conducted with a shorter date range for the photos?

We would like to speak with you via conference call. You may email me your response (status) at robbie.t.perry@usda.gov<mailto:robbie.t.perry@usda.gov>. You may also call me at 301-851-4105. Your FOIA request sources/initiatives are attached.

Thank you,

Robbie Perry
Government Information Specialist
USDA APHIS LPA FOIA
robbie.t.perry@usda.gov<mailto:robbie.t.perry@usda.gov>
301-851-4105

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

DearJimmy Tobias, Iam emailing to update you on the status of the above-mentioned Freedom ofInformation Act (FOIA) request. Theoffice(s) responsible for records related to your request has/have forwarded tothe FOIA office copies of any responsive documents.  Your request is nowin the queue for processing, and I will provide you with a releasedetermination as quickly as possible. Iwill contact you again when I have more definitive information about yourrequest. Ifyou need additional assistance or have questions about your request in themeantime, please feel free to contact me directly at sophana.n.lau_lopez@usda.gov or301-851-4083. Sincerely, Sophie Lau-Lopez

Thanks for your email. This request assigned to our FOIA Specialist Mr. Robbie Perry. I did forward this email to him already. He will reply to your email soon.
Thanks!

Sophie

Hello Mr. Tobias,
I am reaching out to you for two things:

1. To pass along from the searching unit that APHIS has publicly acknowledged that the origins of CWD are unknown. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/programs/nwrc/sa_spotlight/accomplishments_chronic_wasting_disease. Are you still interested in the records requested? I pasted your request wording in below for your reference.
2. If you are still interested, could you please provide a timeframe for search?

Thank you!

FOIA Request 2022-APHIS-01590-F
Any reports, memos or other documents maintained by the agency concerning the origins of Chronic Wasting Disease.

Andrea McNally
Management and Program Analyst
Legislative and Public Affairs-FOIA
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA
202-799-7026
Andrea.c.mcnally@usda.gov<mailto:Andrea.c.mcnally@usda.gov>

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

DearJimmy Tobias, My name isCourtney D Jackson, and I am a Government Information Specialist with Freedom ofInformation staff of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and PlantHealth Inspection Service (APHIS). Ihave been assigned to the above-mentioned Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)request. APHISprocesses FOIA requests by date of receipt, on a first-in, first-outbasis. In an effort to identify andobtain the documents of interest to you, our intake staff previously forwardedyour request to the program office(s) believed to have purview over therecords. When that search has concluded,your case will be assigned a track (simple or complex), based on the complexityand/or volume of the documents identified. Any responsive documents that have been found will then be forwarded tome for review and possible release. Iassure you we will work as quickly as possible to provide you with a thoroughresponse to your request. Ifyou have questions about this e-mail or the processing of your request, pleasecontact me directly at courtney.d.jackson@usda.gov or 301-851-4019. Sincerely, Courtney D Jackson

DearJimmy Tobias, Iam emailing to update you on the status of the above-mentioned Freedom ofInformation Act (FOIA) request. Theoffices responsible for records related to your request have forwarded tothe FOIA office copies of any responsive documents.  Your request is nowin the queue for processing, and I will provide you with a releasedetermination as quickly as possible. Your request is in my complex track and is number 4 of 16 in line for review. Iwill contact you again when I have more definitive information about yourrequest. Ifyou need additional assistance or have questions about your request in themeantime, please feel free to contact me directly at sophana.n.lau_lopez@usda.gov or301-851-4083. Sincerely, Sophana Lau-Lopez

Hello Mr. Tobias, I'm checking back in on this inquiry.

Hello,
I have not been able to reach you through the muckrock link and am hoping to reach you through this email instead. Can you take a look at my email from January 18th and get back to me? Thank you!

Dear Jimmy Tobias, I am emailing to update you on the processing of theabove-mentioned Freedom of Information Act request. The program offices within APHIS forwarded to the Freedom ofInformation office copies of documents that are responsive to your request, andthose documents are now under review. Iam working as quickly as possible to provide you with a release determination.I anticipate that I will be able to provide you a first partial of records by June 3, 2022. If you need assistance or have questions in the meantime,please feel free to contact me directly at sophana.n.lau_lopez@usda.gov or301-851-4083. Sincerely, Sophana Lau-Lopez

DearJimmy Tobias, Iam emailing to update you on the status of the above-mentioned Freedom ofInformation Act request. The program office(s) responsible for records relatedto your request has/have completed its/their search/searches. We determined there are approximately ­­­­­­92 responsive pages, and I will provide you a release determination as soon as Ihave completed my review. Pleasecontact me directly at courtney.d.jackson@usda.gov or301-851-4019 if you have any questions or concerns about your request. Sincerely, Courtney D Jackson

DearJimmy Tobias, Iam emailing to update you on the status of the above-mentioned Freedom ofInformation Act request. The program office(s) responsible for records relatedto your request has/have completed its/their search/searches. We determined there are approximately 123 responsive pages, and I will provide you a release determination as soon as Ihave completed my review. Pleasecontact me directly at courtney.d.jackson@usda.gov or301-851-4019 if you have any questions or concerns about your request. Sincerely, Courtney D Jackson

Dear Mr. Tobias:

On April 27, 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service referred two pages to our Agency for processing. These pages were found in response to your September 29, 2021, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for:

* All records, including final reports, memos, emails, and photographs, relating to any and all Office of Law Enforcement investigations into one or more of the following individuals: Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin and/or Doc Antle. All three of these individuals were featured in the hit Netflix documentary Tiger King. I am a reporter with The Guardian and other outlets. The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes. In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not. Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter...

Your request was received in this office on April 27, 2022. This request was assigned case number FOIA 2022-APHIS-03358-F. We have determined that the two pages are appropriate for release. However, portions of the records are redacted under Exemption 6, 5 U.S.C. § 552 (b)(6), and Exemption 7C 5 U.S.C. § 552 (b)(7)(C) of the FOIA.

This FOIA request is closed now.

Sincerely,

Robbie Perry
Government Information Specialist
USDA APHIS LPA FOIA

Attachments

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.