Public records request: Natural Resources Analysis Group and AFIDA Budgets

Mr. Schonander,
This letter acknowledges receipt of your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request dated August 8, 2022, to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation Business Center (FPAC-BC).  Your request was received in this office and assigned control number 2022-FSA-04930-F.  Please use this control number for all future communications regarding this request.  You requested the following: Request records reflecting the current personnel staffing levels and organizational structure (organizational charts, etc.), as well as the personnel budget for the Natural Resources Analysis Group in USDA and for the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) program. Also request personnel and budget-related records reflecting the personnel organization and budget for these offices and programs from period of January 1st, 2000, to December 31st, 2020.
Your request is being handled under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552 (http://www.usdoj.gov/oip/amended-foia-redlined.pdf).
We process requests on a first-in, first-out basis.  The actual processing time will depend upon the complexity of the request and whether or not it involves sensitive or voluminous records, or extensive searches and/or consultations.  We also process requests on a multi-track basis.  This means that simple requests, requiring minimal effort to respond, are processed in one track, and more voluminous and complex requests are processed in another track.  We have placed your request in the Simple track.
You were placed in the "Media Use" Category and there are no fees associated with the processing of your request.
The estimated date upon which we expect to provide you the requested records is on or before September 7, 2022.
If you have questions concerning this request, please contact Government Information Specialist, Kent Willett (503) 404-1121.  If Government Information Specialist, Kent Willett is not available, please contact Government Information Specialist, Christina Vander Linden at 816-823-2669 or Government Information Specialist, Carol Nagel at 701-530-2107.  We can also be reached at the group email address SM.FP.FOIA@usda.gov.
I appreciate the opportunity to assist you in this matter.
Sincerely, Patrick McLoughlin
Patrick McLoughlin
FOIA Officer
Farm Production and Conservation
NOTICE:  This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed.  The message, together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.  Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Hi Lars,

For review, you submitted request 2022-FSA-04930-F, which reads:

"Request records reflecting the current personnel staffing levels and organizational structure (organizational charts, etc.), as well as the personnel budget for the Natural Resources Analysis Group in USDA and for the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) program. Also request personnel and budget-related records reflecting the personnel organization and budget for these offices and programs from period of January 1st, 2000, to December 31st, 2020."

We need some guidance on what exactly you are requesting. Here are some specific questions:

* With the current personnel staffing level and organizational structure, are you wanting Names (including vacancies), Grades, and Titles of employees Economic and Policy Analysis Division (EPAD) with foreign investment specialists.
* Are you wanting a current snapshot of this information or do you want an annual basis on a fiscal year or calendar year basis (October 1 or January 1) going back to 1/1/2000.
* With the budget, could you be more specific on what sets of numbers you are requesting (total budget, personnel salary, full time employees, etc.)

Your assistance is appreciated.

Call if you have any questions.

Kent

Kent T Willett
Kent T Willett
Government Information Specialist (FOIA)
Farm Production and Conservation - Business Center
7620 SW Mohawk St.
Tualatin, OR 97062-8121
Voice: (503) 404-1121
kent.willett@usda.gov<mailto:kent.willett@usda.gov>

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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.

Thank You Lars,

This really helps. I will go back to the HR people.

Kent

Kent T Willett
Kent T Willett
Government Information Specialist (FOIA)
Farm Production and Conservation – Business Center
7620 SW Mohawk St.
Tualatin, OR 97062-8121
Voice: (503) 404-1121
kent.willett@usda.gov<mailto:kent.willett@usda.gov>

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA and is 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.

Lars,

Sorry to have missed your email Friday. I have enquired what the status of Request 2022-FSA-04930-F is.

I know the person gathering the data on your request was on vacation last week. She is due back Tomorrow (Tuesday 9/20/2022).

I will let you know as soon as I know something.

Kent

Kent T Willett
Kent T Willett
Government Information Specialist (FOIA)
Farm Production and Conservation – Business Center
7620 SW Mohawk St.
Tualatin, OR 97062-8121
Voice: (503) 404-1121
kent.willett@usda.gov<mailto:kent.willett@usda.gov>

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA and is 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.

Lars,

I wanted to give you a status report on both of your requests.

2022-FSA-05100-F - I have received the data and written a response to your AFIDA/Fines request. The data and letter are being held up in review by the Program Office for the official response. I have been informed that both the FOIA and AFIDA people will be meeting late next week and will hopefully come to resolution. Once I am informed of the proper verbiage, I will send you your response.

2022-FSA-04930-F - I contacted the Personnel people concerning your request for AFIDA staffing and organizational structure. I was informed that there has been a delay because of the 2018 Administrative change from FSA to FPAC-BC and no data was available. I requested that post change (2018 - present) be provided as soon as possible for an interim response. I was informed that FPAC-BC had filed the request to FSA again and they would pass it on to me.

We appreciate your patience but unfortunately there is not much I can report.

I do appreciate the opportunity to respond and answer any questions.
Kent

Kent T Willett
Kent T Willett
Government Information Specialist (FOIA)
Farm Production and Conservation - Business Center
7620 SW Mohawk St.
Tualatin, OR 97062-8121
Voice: (503) 404-1121
kent.willett@usda.gov<mailto:kent.willett@usda.gov>

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA and is 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.

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.

Hi Lars,

You should have received the response for request 2022-FSA-5100. You received to letters one with Acknowledgement (wrong) and one with Final Response (correct). The first letter was a clerical mistake on my behalf. You should have access to the data and the correct letter through BOX.

As I said earlier, there was a meeting late last week concerning FOIA requests and AFIDA. The results of the meeting allowed me to send you the results for 2022-FSA-5100.

As far as 2022-FSA-04930, I will have to inquire. I know there has been some delay because AFIDA used to administered solely by FSA until 2018 when FPAC-BC was created and AFIDA became part of FPAC-BC with FSA assistance. There is a wrinkle in personnel records with the change and I think that the AFIDA organizational structure is so small it is not documented well.

I will have to inquire again.

Wish I had better news. When I get some information I will try to send you what I have.

Kent

Kent T Willett
Kent T Willett
Government Information Specialist (FOIA)
Farm Production and Conservation – Business Center
7620 SW Mohawk St.
Tualatin, OR 97062-8121
Voice: (503) 404-1121
kent.willett@usda.gov<mailto:kent.willett@usda.gov>

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA and is 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.

Mr. Schonander,
This responds to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request dated August 8, 2022, and assigned control number 2022-FSA-04930-F.  You requested the following: Request records reflecting the current personnel staffing levels and organizational structure (organizational charts, etc.), as well as the personnel budget for the Natural Resources Analysis Group in USDA and for the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) program. Also request personnel and budget-related records reflecting the personnel organization and budget for these offices and programs from period of January 1st, 2000, to December 31st, 2020.
AFIDA was administrated at the National level by the Farm Service agency until 2018 under the Natural Resource Analysis Group (NARG).  In 2018 the national AFIDA staff and responsibilities were transferred to FPAC-Business Center, Economic Policy and Policy Division (EPAD), in which AFIDA work was done at the branch level.  Organizational charts and personnel budgets are established at a Division level and co-mingled with the various branches and/or sections that make up the Division.  Additionally, we were unable to locate NARG funding for any year request, nor EPAD funding for Fiscal Year 2018.  Fiscal Year 2019 EPAD funding requests only included non-personnel numbers.  Therefore, while the agency can collect personnel and non-personnel funding for EPAD, if would be difficult to extrapolate and compile funding amounts for any specific section, as this information is not readily available and non-segregable.
In response to your request for organizational structure (organizational charts, etc.), we compiled and are releasing a single spreadsheet showing this information for the Natural Resource Analysis Group (2000 to 2018) and the Economic and Policy Analysis Staff (Branch) (2018 to current) for the AFIDA staff for specified years.
Your responsive records have been uploaded to BOX, a secure way for us to share data without having to create a CD or Thumb drive.  You should receive an invitation to box from the site.  If you don’t receive it, please visit https://account.box.com/login to retrieve your documents.  Please retrieve your documents on or before November 30, 2022.  If you have any problems retrieving your documents, contact us.
If you believe this determination to withhold information is incorrect and that there are, in fact, records responsive to your request in files maintained by FSA, you may appeal to the FSA Administrator.  The Appeals and Litigation Staff must receive your written appeal within ninety (90) calendar days of the date of this letter.  Please include in the appeal the location of the responsive records, if it is known to you, and the reason why you believe that there are records responsive to your request in FSA files.  Be sure to include a copy of your initial request letter in your appeal package.  You may submit your appeal electronically to FSAFOIAappeal@wdc.usda.gov or by mail.  If mailing the appeal, clearly mark both your letter and its envelope with the words “Freedom of Information Act Appeal.”  Mail your appeal package to the following address.
FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION BUSINESS CENTER
ATTN:  APPEALS AND LITIGATION STAFF
1400 INDEPENDENCE AVE SW RM 5971-S
WASHINGTON DC  20250-0570.
PHONE: (202) 690-3297
You may seek dispute resolution services from the FOIA liaison.  Contact information for the FOIA liaison is:
FPAC – BC PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIAISON
EMAIL: SM.FP.FOIA@USDA.GOV

You may contact the Office of Government Information Services at the National Archives and Records Administration to inquire about the FOIA mediation services they offer.  Contact information for the Office of Government Services is:
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
8601 ADELPHI ROAD-OGIS
COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND 20740-6001
PHONE: (202) 741-5770
TOLL FREE:  (877) 684-6448
FAX: (202) 741-5769
EMAIL:  ogis@nara.gov
Contacting the FOIA liaison or the Office of Government Information Services does not affect your right to administratively appeal to FSA Administrator.
You were placed in the "Media Use" Category and there were no fees associated with the processing of your request.
Request 2022-FSA-04930-F is officially closed.
If you have questions concerning this request, please contact Government Information Specialist, Kent Willett (503) 404-1121.  If Government Information Specialist, Kent Willett is not available, please contact Government Information Specialist, Christina Vander Linden at 816-823-2669 or Government Information Specialist, Carol Nagel at 701-530-2107.  We can also be reached at the group email address SM.FP.FOIA@usda.gov.
Sincerely, Patrick McLoughlin
Patrick McLoughlin
FOIA Officer
Farm Production and Conservation
NOTICE:  This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed.  The message, together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.  Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

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