FWS OIG Referral

Dear Jimmy Tobias <requests@muckrock.com>,
Your password has been updated per your request. You can change your password in the future from your
profile page.
If you believe you received this email in error or need additional assistance, please contact the FOIAonline Help Desk. (mailto:foia.help@epa.gov)
Thank you!
FOIAonline Team (mailto:foia.help@epa.gov)

This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://www.foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/submissionDetails?trackingNumber=DOI-FWS-2021-006184&type=request)

* Tracking Number: DOI-FWS-2021-006184
* Requester Name: Jimmy Tobias
* Date Submitted: 09/21/2021
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

Any and all documents, interviews, reports or emails stemming from OIG Complaint #OI-HQ-21-0402-R, which was referred by DOI OIG to the Fish and Wildlife Service for internal investigation.

I am a reporter for 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. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Jimmy Tobias

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) FOIA office received your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, dated 09/02/2021, and assigned it control number DOI-FWS-2021-005835.  Please cite this number in any future communications with our office regarding your request. Fee Category and Fee
We have classified you as a representative of the news media.  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 .  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. (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#43:1.1.1.1.2.7.5.3) 43 C.F.R. § 2.39 See 43 C.F.R. § 2.37(g)
Because there will be no billable cost to process your request, there is no need to address your fee waiver request. Multitrack Processing
We use Multitrack Processing to process FOIA requests.  The Simple track is for requests that would generally take one to five workdays to process.  The Normal track is for requests that would generally take six to twenty workdays to process.  The Complex track is for requests that would generally take twenty-one to sixty workdays to process.  The Extraordinary track is for requests that would generally take more than sixty workdays to process.  The Expedited track is for requests that have been granted expedited processing, which are processed as soon as practicable.  Within each track, requests are usually processed on a first-in, first-out basis. Your request falls into the Complex processing track. Delay
The Headquarters FOIA Office is currently experiencing a backlog of request. This is due to retirements, turnovers, and or absences.    We apologize for the delay in processing your request. Mediation/Dispute Resolution
If after contacting us as described below, you need further information or assistance with your request, you may wish to seek dispute resolution services from the Department’s FOIA Public Liaison, Natasha Alcantara by email at doifoiapublicliaison@sol.doi.gov.
If you need further information or assistance after contacting the Department’s FOIA Public Liaison, you may wish to seek dispute resolution services from the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS). The 2007 FOIA amendments created the OGIS to offer mediation services to resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation.  Using OGIS services does not affect your right to pursue litigation.  You may contact OGIS in any of the following ways:
Office of Government Information Services
National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road - OGIS
College Park, MD 20740-6001
E-mail: ogis@nara.gov (mailto:ogis@nara.gov)
Web: https://www.archives.gov/ogis (https://www.archives.gov/ogis)
Telephone: 202-741-5770
Fax: 202-741-5769
Toll-free: 1-877-684-6448
Please note that using OGIS services does not affect the timing of filing an appeal with the Department’s FOIA & Privacy Act Appeals Officer. Appeal Rights
You may appeal this response to the Department’s FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer.  If you choose to appeal, the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer must receive your FOIA appeal no later than 90 workdays from the date of this communication. Appeals arriving or delivered after 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, will be deemed received on the next workday.
Your appeal must be made in writing.  You may submit your appeal and accompanying materials to the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer by mail, courier service, fax, or email.  All communications concerning your appeal should be clearly marked with the words: "FREEDOM OF INFORMATION APPEAL."  You must include an explanation of why you believe this response is in error.  You must also include with your appeal copies of all correspondence between you and FWS concerning your FOIA request, including your original FOIA request and this response.  Failure to include with your appeal all correspondence between you and FWS will result in the Department's rejection of your appeal, unless the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer determines (in the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer’s sole discretion) that good cause exists to accept the defective appeal.
Please include your name and daytime telephone number (or the name and telephone number of an appropriate contact), email address and fax number (if available) in case the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer needs additional information or clarification of your appeal. DOI FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Office Contact Information
Department of the Interior
Office of the Solicitor
1849 C Street, N.W.
MS-6556 MIB
Washington, DC 20240
Attn: FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Office
Telephone: (202) 208-5339
Fax: (202) 208-6677
Email: FOIA.Appeals@sol.doi.gov (mailto:FOIA.Appeals@sol.doi.gov)
For additional information please feel free to contact us at fwhq_foia@fws.gov or by phone at 703-358-2239. (mailto:fwhq_foia@fws.gov)

Your request for Fee Waiver for the FOIA request DOI-FWS-2021-006184 has been
determined to be not applicable as the request is not billable.
Additional details for this request are as follows:

* Request Created on:
09/21/2021
* Request Description:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

Any and all documents, interviews, reports or emails stemming from OIG Complaint #OI-HQ-21-0402-R, which was referred by DOI OIG to the Fish and Wildlife Service for internal investigation.

I am a reporter for 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. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Jimmy Tobias

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
* Fee Waiver Original Justification:
I am a reporter for 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.
* Fee Waiver Disposition Reason:
N/A

Your request is assigned to the complex FOIA request category.  Because we will need to consult with the Office of Inspector General's office and FWS staff offices whom have a substantial interest in the determination of the request, we are taking a 20 workday extension under .  We therefore expect that we will dispatch a determination to you by December 10, 2021. We apologize for this delay.  You may narrow the scope of your request to obtain quicker processing in your currently-assigned track or move the request into a different track (which may have the effect of having it processed more quickly). (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) 43 C.F.R. § 2.19(b) Mediation/Dispute Resolution
If after contacting us as described below, you need further information or assistance with your request, you may wish to seek dispute resolution services from the Department’s FOIA Public Liaison, Natasha Alcantara by email at doifoiapublicliaison@sol.doi.gov.
If you need further information or assistance after contacting the Department’s FOIA Public Liaison, you may wish to seek dispute resolution services from the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS). The 2007 FOIA amendments created the OGIS to offer mediation services to resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation.  Using OGIS services does not affect your right to pursue litigation.  You may contact OGIS in any of the following ways:
Office of Government Information Services
National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road - OGIS
College Park, MD 20740-6001
E-mail: ogis@nara.gov (mailto:ogis@nara.gov)
Web: https://www.archives.gov/ogis (https://www.archives.gov/ogis)
Telephone: 202-741-5770
Fax: 202-741-5769
Toll-free: 1-877-684-6448
Please note that using OGIS services does not affect the timing of filing an appeal with the Department’s FOIA & Privacy Act Appeals Officer. Appeal Rights
You may appeal the delay to your request to the Department’s FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer.  If you choose to appeal, the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer must receive your FOIA appeal  no later than 90 workdays from the date of this communication. Appeals arriving or delivered after 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, will be deemed received on the next workday.
Your appeal must be made in writing.  You may submit your appeal and accompanying materials to the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer by mail, courier service, fax, or email.  All communications concerning your appeal should be clearly marked with the words: "FREEDOM OF INFORMATION APPEAL."  You must include an explanation of why you believe this response is in error.  You must also include with your appeal copies of all correspondence between you and FWS concerning your FOIA request, including your original FOIA request and this response.  Failure to include with your appeal all correspondence between you and FWS will result in the Department's rejection of your appeal, unless the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer determines (in the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer’s sole discretion) that good cause exists to accept the defective appeal.
Please include your name and daytime telephone number (or the name and telephone number of an appropriate contact), email address and fax number (if available) in case the FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Officer needs additional information or clarification of your appeal. DOI FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Office Contact Information
Department of the Interior
Office of the Solicitor
1849 C Street, N.W.
MS-6556 MIB
Washington, DC 20240
Attn: FOIA/Privacy Act Appeals Office
Telephone: (202) 208-5339
Fax: (202) 208-6677
Email: FOIA.Appeals@sol.doi.gov (mailto:FOIA.Appeals@sol.doi.gov)
For additional information please feel free to contact us at fwhq_foia@fws.gov or by phone at 703-358-2239. (mailto:fwhq_foia@fws.gov)

With this letter we are correcting the following in our November 7, 2021 Acknowledgment letter to you:
Request date from 09/02/2021 to 09/21/2021
Request tracking number from DOI-FWS-2021-5835 to DOI-FWS-2021-006184
We apologize for any inconvience this may have caused.
For additional information please feel free to contact us at fwhq_foia@fws.gov or by phone at 703-358-2239. (mailto:fwhq_foia@fws.gov)

Dear Jimmy Tobias <requests@muckrock.com>,
Your password has been updated per your request. You can change your password in the future from your
profile page.
If you believe you received this email in error or need additional assistance, please contact the FOIAonline Help Desk. (mailto:foia.help@epa.gov)
Thank you!
FOIAonline Team (mailto:foia.help@epa.gov)

Dear Mr. Tobias,

DOI-FWS-2021-006184 has been processed with the following final disposition: Partial Grant/Partial Denial.

Records were released to the public as a result of this request. You may retrieve these records immediately using the following link: View Records Over the next 2 hours, these records are also being added to FOIAonline's search pages, further enabling you to retrieve these documents associated with your FOIA request at any time. (https://foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/submissionDetails?trackingNumber=DOI-FWS-2021-006184&type=request)

Respectfully,

Tiffany Joseph
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Headquarters Information Resources & Technology Management
Government Information Specialist
tiffany_joseph@fws.gov

Dear Jimmy Tobias <requests@muckrock.com>,
Your password has been updated per your request. You can change your password in the future from your
profile page.
If you believe you received this email in error or need additional assistance, please contact the FOIAonline Help Desk. (mailto:foia.help@epa.gov)
Thank you!
FOIAonline Team (mailto:foia.help@epa.gov)