Ebola Outbreak Posts (USFWS)

Dear Mr. Triplett

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Headquarters FOIA Office
received your request today. We have assigned it tracking number
FWS-2015-00133. Please refer to this number in communications regarding
your request.

We have forwarded your request to FWS Office of External Affairs for
processing. Because we will need to search for and collect requested
records from field facilities or other establishments that are separate
from the office processing the request, we are taking a 10-workday
extension under *43 C.F.R. § 2.19*
<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf88dec&rgn=div5&view=text&node=43:1.1.1.1.2&idno=43#43:1.1.1.1.2.4.5.6>.
You will receive a formal acknowledgment shortly.

In the interim, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Respectfully,

Pam Mozina
(703)358-2698

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <requests@muckrock.com>
Date: Fri, Oct 24, 2014 at 11:31 PM
Subject: Freedom of Information Request: Ebola Outbreak Posts (USFWS)
To: fwhq_foia@fws.gov

October 24, 2014
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Ray McLaughlin
FWS FOIA Officer
Division of Information Resources and Technology Management
4401 N. Fairfax Drive
Suite 380
Arlington, VA 22203

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Background:
According to this CNS News article written by Penny Starr (
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/penny-starr/us-fish-and-wildlife-service-ebola-consequence-deforestation-and-climate),
the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) posted an article describing that
claims or claimed that the current Ebola outbreak is a "direct consequence
of deforestation and human disturbance" at the following URL:
https://www.fws.gov/international/publications-and-media/ebola-outbreak.html

The URL, which ends in ebola-outbreak.html, now redirects visitors to
another page entitled "Wildlife Disease" (
http://www.fws.gov/international/wildlife-without-borders/global-program/wildlife-disease.html)
which mentions Ebola, along with tuberculosis, rabies, influenza, and other
diseases. This doesn't appear to be anything like the original USFWS page
that CNS News mentions, however, as none of the quotes described in the CNS
article appear on the webpage.

CNS News also mentions a blog post written by Estelle Raballand, director
of Project Primate, Inc., and posted on the USFWS blog "Open Spaces" that
was also linked to ebola-outbreak.html. This blog post has since been
removed (
http://www.fws.gov/news/blog/index.cfm/2014/8/12/How-the-Current-Ebola-Outbreak-is-Affecting-OntheGround-Conservation-Work),
but not before it was publicized in a tweet by a handle belonging to USFWS
International (https://twitter.com/USFWSInternatl/status/499578609833484290
; In case this tweet is deleted, an archived version can be found here:
https://archive.today/tLhRT).

It appears as though the USFWS has removed the original article/webpage
that was linked, redirected the URL to a different article/webpage, and
removed the blog post written by Estelle Raballand.

Therefore, I hereby request the following records:

1. A copy of the article/webpage that was originally found at the following
link before it was removed:
https://www.fws.gov/international/publications-and-media/ebola-outbreak.html
2. A copy of any/all revisions to the following article/webpage within the
last 60 days:
http://www.fws.gov/international/wildlife-without-borders/global-program/wildlife-disease.html
3. A copy of the blog post written by Estelle Raballand, which was
originally posted to the blog "Open Spaces" and found at the following link:
http://www.fws.gov/news/blog/index.cfm/2014/8/12/How-the-Current-Ebola-Outbreak-is-Affecting-OntheGround-Conservation-Work
4. Any/all emails or other correspondence regarding the above
articles/webpages/blog posts, as well as the CNS News article (
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/penny-starr/us-fish-and-wildlife-service-ebola-consequence-deforestation-and-climate
).

I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as I believe this
request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made
available to the general public free of charge as part of the public
information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the
news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for
commercial usage.

In the event that fees cannot be waived, 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. I
look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business
days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Donald Triplett, III

Filed via MuckRock.com
E-mail (Preferred): requests@muckrock.com

For mailed responses, please address (see note):
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 13938
PO Box 55819
Boston, MA 02205-5819

PLEASE NOTE the new address as well as the fact that improperly addressed
(i.e., with the requester's name rather than MuckRock News) requests might
be returned by the USPS as undeliverable.
--
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters Freedom of Information Act Office
MS: IRTM
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041

Dear Mr. Triplett,

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Headquarters Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) Office received your request on October 24, 2014. We
have assigned it tracking number FWS-2015-00133. Please refer to this
number in communications regarding your request. We have forwarded your
request to FWS Internal External/International Affairs for processing.

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 “Exceptional/Voluminous” processing track.
Because
we will need to search for and collect requested records from field
facilities or other establishments that are separate from the office
processing the request, we are taking a 10-workday extension under *43
C.F.R. § 2.19*
<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf88dec&rgn=div5&view=text&node=43:1.1.1.1.2&idno=43#43:1.1.1.1.2.4.5.6>.
We therefore expect to complete your request on or about December 5, 2014

The Bureau has reviewed your request and determined that disclosure of the
requested information is in the public interest and is consistent with
the Department of Interior's FOIA regulations; therefore all fees will be
waived.

In the interim, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Respectfully,

Pam Mozina
(703) 358-2698
--
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters Freedom of Information Act Office
MS: IRTM
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041

Dear Mr. Triplett,

Pam Mozina here in the HQ FOIA Office is currently working on this request.
I believe that all the responsive records have been collected. I have
copied Ms. Mozina so she can provide a more specific update.

Respectfully,

Melissa Allen
--
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters Freedom of Information Act Office
MS: IRTM
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041

Good Morning Mr. Tripplet:

The status of your FOIA request: There are approximately 100 documents, I
am reviewing the documents as we speak. After my review the package may
need to go to our solicitor for review as well. Then our response letter
will be signed and sent to you. You should have the package on or around
December 12th.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks

********************************************************
*Pam Mozina*

*Government Information Specialist (FOIA) *
*U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service*
*Division of Information Resources & Technology Management*
*5275 Leesburg Pike*
*MS: IRTM*
*Falls Church, VA 22041*

*Phone: (703) 358-2698*

********************************************************

Good Afternoon Mr. Triplett:

Please see the attached letter.

This email contains our response letter along with responsive records for
items 1-3. Item 4 is quite large so that will follow in about 5 separate
emails.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me on 703-358-2698 or
email me at: pamela_mozina@fws.gov
--
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters Freedom of Information Act Office
MS: IRTM
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041

Good Afternoon Mr. Triplett:

This is the final package of fully releasable responsive records for item 4.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me on 703-358-2698 or
email me at: pamela_mozina@fws.gov
--
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters Freedom of Information Act Office
MS: IRTM
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041

This message was undeliverable because of it size. I will attempt to send
this again in 2 separate emails.

Good Afternoon Mr. Triplett:

This email contains responsive records for item 4 (Package 1).

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me on 703-358-2698 or
email me at: pamela_mozina@fws.gov

--
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters Freedom of Information Act Office
MS: IRTM
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041
--
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters Freedom of Information Act Office
MS: IRTM
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041

Good Afternoon Mr. Triplett:

This email contains responsive records for item 4 (Package 2).

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me on 703-358-2698 or
email me at: pamela_mozina@fws.gov

--
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters Freedom of Information Act Office
MS: IRTM
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041
--
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters Freedom of Information Act Office
MS: IRTM
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041

Good Afternoon Mr. Triplett:

This email contains Item 4C (Package 1a).

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me on 703-358-2698 or
email me at: pamela_mozina@fws.gov

--
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters Freedom of Information Act Office
MS: IRTM
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041
--
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters Freedom of Information Act Office
MS: IRTM
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041

Good Evening Mr. Triplett:

Please see attachments. If you have any questions or concerns, call Pam
Mozina on (703)358-2698.
--
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Headquarters Freedom of Information Act Office
MS: IRTM
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041