ÿWPCà T&Ë’ µÈöhó#äeyåÆ6¥!;Æ3Àƒ`k5aÒýûqû}6Áó¸ýÁèÓÐÍÉ?u%õϳS’Az™Ü-"tg'‡([Œy˜D„}¥ vª êšùT°¶Nøøõ“ðÙQŽÍå&ˆžã‹rÔ÷lózÕ@K±eW¡9¤}ÓýMÁ¹X'Ÿ:mý:”ý-÷"­¬Â"@œ"¿ò­&¼Âx!LÃÜÔ¤R*ãÛÖÊy„ÓŸ¬+Û0(¿‹C½zÒuI#S«§ªÜ‘¶ß€PvjEBs&/C¸.k· -ÏÉ—# àU Në %9 0(?g{oBêU N,w@z4ºÎ 0DÝ 0D!!{e˜Main PrinterHPBFDB1ÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ0vLÒ(ÖÃ9 Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡ qÝ ƒ ¯)ÝÝ  ÝÌPage€Ú  Ú2Ú  Ú€„€December€19,€2000,€Freedom€of€Information€Act€Request 8Ñ°4ÑÑ°°ÑÒ°°ÒÒ°°Ò(ÖÃ9 Z ‹6Times New Roman Regular ¶E·¸E¹º»E¼½E¾¿eb])3|x¿(3¯$§§Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý(3¯$©©Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý qÝ ƒ ¯)ÝÝ  ÝÌPage€Ú  Ú2Ú  Ú€„€December€19,€2000,€Freedom€of€Information€Act€RequestÝ ƒ!ÝÝ  ÝÔ‡XÆYXXXÔÑ4°ÑÒŒ °ÒÑ€^ÑCERTIFIED€MAILÐ 4 ÐRETURN€RECEIPT€REQUESTEDÌà ä àà < àÌDecember€19,€2000ÌÌò òFREEDOM€OF€INFORMATION€ACT€REQUESTÐ Ð œ ÐÌó óNaomi€CharboneauÐ ¨t ÐFOIA/PA€OfficerÌUSDA€Forest€ServiceÌFOIA/PA€Office,€Stop€1143ÌP.O.€Box€96090€ÌWashington,€DC€20090„6090ÌÌà ä àò òRE:à < àNovember€9,€2000,€Final€Rule€Regarding€National€Forest€Ð è  Ðà ä àà < àSystem€Land€Resource€Management€PlanningÌÌó óDear€Naomi€Charboneau:РଠÐÌà ä àThis€is€a€request€for€public€information€pursuant€to€the€FreedomÔ#†XÆYXXXÆY#Ô€ofÐ ¸„ ÐInformation€Act,€5€U.S.C.€552€et.€seq.,€submitted€on€behalf€of€the€EcologyÏCenter,€Inc.€€The€Ecology€Center€is€a€501(c)(3)€non-profit,€public€interest,Ïpublic€education€organization,€headquartered€in€Missoula,€Montana.ÌÌÔ‡XÆYXXXÆYÔà ä àOn€November€9,€2000,€the€Forest€Service€published€its€final€ruleÐ T  Ðregarding€National€Forest€System€Land€Resource€Management€Planning.€€Ì65€Fed.€Reg.€€67513„67581€(hereinafter,€ð ðNovember€9,€2000,€Final€Ruleðð).€ÏThe€November€9,€2000,€Final€Rule€will€guide€and€govern€the€management€ofÏnational€forest€lands€across€the€country.€€Information€concerning€theÏdevelopment€and€implementation€of€this€final€rule€is€therefore€critical€toÏconservation€organizations€and€members€of€the€public€who€have€a€strongÏinterest€in€the€proper€management€of€our€national€forests.€€The€Ecology€CenterÏhereby€requests€the€following€public€documents€and€records:ÌÌà ä à1)€The€Environmental€Assessment,€Decision€Notice,€and€Finding€ofÏNo€Significant€Impact€prepared€for€the€November€9,€2000,€Final€Rule;ÌÌà ä à2)€Any€and€all€Biological€Evaluations€and€Biological€AssessmentsÏprepared€for€the€November€9,€2000,€Final€Rule;€ÌÌÐ -à$( ÐÑ^ÑÑ°4ÑÑ°°ÑÒ°Œ ÒÒ°°ÒÑ  Ññ¿ñÖ€ÿÿÖñ¿ññ¿ñÖ€ÿÿÖñ¿ñà  à3)€€Any€and€all€correspondence,€memoranda,€facsimile€transmissions,€electronic€or€otherÏinter„agency€communication,€and€any€other€records€or€evidence€relating€to€the€Forest€ServiceððsÏdetermination€not€to€consult€with€the€United€States€Fish€and€Wildlife€Service€or€the€NationalÏMarine€Fisheries€Service€on€the€November€9,€2000,€Final€Rule€pursuant€to€Section€7€of€theÏEndangered€Species€Act;€ÌÌà  àÔ#†XÆYXXXÆYÙ#Ô4)€€Any€and€all€correspondence,€memoranda,€facsimile€transmissions,€electronic€or€otherÐ 8 ˆ Ðinter„agency€communication,€and€any€other€records€or€evidence€relating€toÔ‡XÆYXXXÆYÔ€the€Forest€ServiceððsÐ $ t Ðobligations€under€Section€7€of€the€Endangered€Species€Act€concerning€the€development€andÏimplementation€of€the€November€9,€2000,€Final€Rule;€andÌÌà  à5)€Any€and€all€Forest€Service€responses€to€comments€received€from€the€United€StatesÏFish€and€Wildlife€Service,€the€National€Marine€Fisheries€Service,€and€the€EnvironmentalÏProtection€Agency€during€the€development€of€the€November€9,€2000,€Final€Rule.ÌÌà  àThe€following€additional€instructions€apply€to€this€request:ÌÌà  àThe€term€ð ðrecordsðð€is€to€be€given€the€broadest€interpretation€possible€under€the€FreedomÏof€Information€Act,€and€includes€any€correspondence,€memoranda,€notes,€or€other€documents,Ïwhether€created€by€the€Forest€Service€or€someone€else,€in€draft,€electronic,€or€other€forms;ÌÌà  à„€the€terms€ð ðandðð€and€ð ðorðð€should€be€construed€to€be€both€disjunctive€and€injunctive,€asÏnecessary,€to€give€this€request€its€broadest€scope;€and€Ìà  àÌà  à„€if€you€determine€that€any€of€the€requested€records,€or€any€portions€of€the€requestedÏrecords€are€exempt€from€release,€and€you€decide€to€withhold€those€records€or€portions€of€records,Ïplease€identify€and€describe€those€records€or€portions€of€records€and€state€the€exemption€that€youÏfeel€applies.€€Please€separately€state€your€reasons€for€not€invoking€your€discretionary€powers€toÏrelease€the€requested€information€in€the€public€interest.€€Such€statements€will€be€helpful€inÏdeciding€whether€to€appeal€an€adverse€determination,€and€in€formulating€arguments€in€case€anÏappeal€is€taken.€€Ô#†XÆYXXXÆYÏ #ÔThe€Ecology€Center€expects€to€receive€all€non-exempt€portions€of€theÐ X ¨ Ðdocuments€that€it€has€requested.Ô‡XÆYXXXÆYÔÐ D!” ÐÌà  àThe€Ecology€Center€requests€that€any€fees€associated€with€this€request€be€waived€pursuantÏto€5€U.S.C.€552(a)(4)(A),€and€any€applicable€regulations,€because€the€requested€information€willÏcontribute€significantly€to€the€public€understanding€of€the€Forest€Serviceððs€on„going€duties€andÏresponsibilities€with€respect€to€our€national€forests.€€Ô#†XÆYXXXÆYÌ#ÔThe€information€requested€will€benefitÐ à%0!$ Ðthe€citizens€of€the€United€States€through€public€education€anñ¶ñd€willñ¶ññ·ñd€byñ·ñ€encouragñ¸ñeñ¸ññ¹ñingñ¹ñ€public€debate€onÏimportant€policy€issuesñºñ€concerning€our€national€forestsñºñ.€€The€requested€information€will€be€madeÏavailable€to€the€public€through€the€Ecology€Center's€central€office€801€Sherwood€Street,€Suite€B,ÏMissoula,€Montana.€€The€Ecology€Centerððs€office€is€utilized€by€University€students,€grassrootsÏconservationists,€journalists,€scientists€and€the€general€public.€€Information€available€through€theÐ |*Ì%) ÐEcology€Center€is€used€in€press€conferences€and€releases,€television€and€radio€interviews,€andÏregional€and€national€publications,€and€reaches€a€significant€number€of€individuals€nationwide.Ô‡XÆYXXXÆYԀРœì ÐThe€requested€information€will€also€enable€the€Ecology€Center€and€other€conservationÏorganizations€across€the€county€to€determine€the€extent€to€which€the€Forest€Service€is€fulfillingÏits€on„going€statutory€and€regulatory€responsibilities€under€the€National€Environmental€PolicyÏAct,€National€Forest€Management€Act,€and€Endangered€Species€Act.€Ô#†XÆYXXXÆY¶#ÔÐ L œ ÐÌà  àThe€language€of€the€FOIA€clearly€indicates€that€Congress€intended€fees€not€to€be€a€barrierÏto€private€individuals€or€public€interest€organizations€seeking€access€to€government€records.€€InÌaddition,€the€legislative€history€of€the€FOIA€fee€waiver€language€indicates€that€Congress€intendedÌa€liberal€interpretation€of€the€phrase€"Primarily€benefiting€the€public."€€This€suggests€that€all€feesÌare€to€be€waived€whenever€the€release€of€information€contributes€to€public€debate€on€importantÌpolicy€issues.€ÌÌÔ‡XÆYXXXÆYÔà  àÔ#†XÆYXXXÆY~#ÔThis€request€is€not€being€submitted€for€commercial€purposesÔ‡XÆYXXXÆYÔ,€and€tÔ#†XÆYXXXÆY#Ôhe€release€of€thisÐ ˜è  Ðinformation€will€not€result€in€financial€benefit€to€the€Ecology€Center€or€any€individuals,€groups€orÏorganizations.Ô‡XÆYXXXÆYÔÐ pÀ ÐÌà  àÔ#†XÆYXXXÆYê#ÔÔ‡XÆYXXXÆYÔWe€would€like€the€requested€information€sent€ñ»ñdirectlyñ»ññ¼ñinitiallyñ¼ñ€to€the€Western€Environmental€LawÐ H˜ ÐCenter€in€Eugene,€Oregon.€€Please€call€meñ½ñ€ñ½ññ¾ñ€ñ¾ñat€(541)€485„2471€if€you€have€any€questions€about€thisÏrequest.€€As€provided€in€the€Freedom€of€Information€Act,€I€will€expect€your€response€withinÏtwenty€days.€€Thank€you€for€your€consideration.ÌÌÌÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àà p àSincerely,ÌÌÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àà p àMarc€D.€FinkÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àà p àÌÌÌcc:€€The€Ecology€CenterÌÌÔ#†XÆYXXXÆYN#ÔÌ