USGS FINAL Climate Change Memo

Dear Mr. Tobias:

On January 10, 2020, the USGS Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) office received your FOIA request, dated January 10, 2020, and assigned it control number USGS-2020-00065. Please cite this number in any future communications with our office regarding your request. You request the following information:

...a copy of the final version of the the draft memo titled "Memo to DOI NCAR and Climate Change".

Before proceeding with your request, I want to inform you that this request presents unusual circumstances: the need for consultation. Therefore, we are taking a 10-workday extension under 43 C.F.R. § 2.19(b)<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>.

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=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<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>. 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=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf88dec&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)<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#43:1.1.1.1.2.7.5.13>. 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=0fc3ab3499768eebc2e3691c8cf88dec&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)<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#43:1.1.1.1.2.7.5.9>. Our FOIA regulations also provide four specific criteria that are used to determine whether these two requirements are met. 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 April 6, 2020.

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, as follows:

USGS FOIA Office

Attention: Mr. Brian A. May

P.O. Box 411

Bel Air, Maryland 21014

Telephone: (443) 750-2620 (work cell)

Fax: (703) 648-7199

E-Mail: foia@usgs.gov<mailto:foia@usgs.gov>

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

Telephone: (202) 741-5770

Toll free: 1-877-684-6448

Fax: (202) 741-5769

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

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

If you have any questions concerning your request, please contact me by email at foia@usgs.gov<mailto:foia@usgs.gov>, or by phone at (703) 648-7179.

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

Sincerely,

Litsa Marinos
Government Information Specialist
U.S. Geological Survey
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Mail Stop 159, Room 4B105
Reston, Virginia 20192-0002
Phone: (703) 648-7179
Fax: (703) 648-7199
Email: smarinos@usgs.gov<mailto:smarinos@usgs.gov>

Dear Mr. Tobias,

We have completed the processing of your request, USGS FOIA Tracking #2020-00065, and I am attaching our response letter.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your interest in the U.S. Geological Survey.

Sincerely,

Janis Wilson
U.S. Geological Survey
Department of the Interior
Denver Federal Center
Box 25046
Mail Stop 406
Denver, CO 80225-0046
(303) 236-1476 (office)
(303) 236-1451 (fax)
jewilson@usgs.gov