ÿWPCÐ <%;tÊ_¤’ïÖµçÆÌmœº'Bþ"E E'Ñgmcÿ´U µo&U0ߨ§ºü2à åÃAűÈg·“MZmܾ9”ß•éM8‹ªŠY>^Nû锲ð6s8Ú·-]et“@³8j þŒSó¦7È$XÃy®4Ëÿ¯×N%±è“£ç®I¼o{_Ë_”ꉡÅ^-Æõ—n_7cxmû›(ž~l(ð!q’¡ªŒ&>Ó¾‡oB‡áä~ê—gkàÿNÿ ¡5é¿yæ« rÆ/Ý‚ ê`Ðò›ñ%D }ýS¿vƒ@ãû—BLíÖKQýÓt'LÉGÅŽ¼Ý.øï!±ýRø¹Õ1Ç BõŠÜ?VU\ì–¤ÓF]}’ÓZÔu)$“°N÷’2PPc%¿ZGèÞAƒ›‰¡o èÆ\¨¾¬¿¯å%»ËWï&†ÞÃCš$sT]@50äÅ뱞]k½õy>ÉÏRR><ÕIã' FpM»ãËh$âÑqÌpãÅÖÎÞAm‰¨IÒ_5EatöUÀ,¾Êl£Å Ÿô©6Ú±@³)“¤=—^òýà€¦‚û5PH °Û?’„6á]·'.Šº¬ ˆýnñI³D{Ð@ø# ÒU NÝ %+ 0(1YzaBÛU Nw@k4«¿ 0DÎ 0DzV˜Main PrinterHPBFDB1ÈÈÈÈÈÈÈÈ0vLÒ(ÖÃ9 Z ‹6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡ pÝ ƒ ¯)ÝÝ  ÝPage€Ú  Ú2Ú  Ú€„€December€19,€2000,€Freedom€of€Information€Act€Request 8Ñ°4ÑÑ°°ÑÒ°°ÒÒ°°Ò(ÖÃ9 Z ‹6Times New Roman Regular WXEYEZ[\E]^E_`eb])3|x`(3¯$§§Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý(3¯$©©Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý pÝ ƒ ¯)ÝÝ  ÝPage€Ú  Ú2Ú  Ú€„€December€19,€2000,€Freedom€of€Information€Act€RequestÝ ƒ!ÝÝ  ÝÔ‡X^XXXÔÑ4°ÑÒŒ °ÒÑ€^ÑCERTIFIED€MAILÐ 4 ÐRETURN€RECEIPT€REQUESTEDÌà ä àà < àÌDecember€19,€2000ÌÌò òFREEDOM€OF€INFORMATION€ACT€REQUESTÐ Ð œ ÐÌó óFreedom€of€Information€Act€OfficerÐ ¨t ÐNational€Oceanic€and€Atmospheric€AdministrationÌPublic€Reference€Facility€(OFA€53)Ì1305€East€West€Highway€(SSMC4)ÌRoom€8627ÌSilver€Spring,€Maryland€20910ÌÌò òRE:à ä àNational€Marine€Fisheries€Service€Comments€on€the€Forest€à ü! àÐ è  Ðà ä àServiceððs€November€9,€2000,€Final€Rule€Regarding€National€à ü! àÐ Ô  Ðà ä àForest€System€Land€Resource€Management€PlanningÌÌó óDear€Madam€or€Sir:Р̘ ÐÌà ä àThis€is€a€request€for€public€information€pursuant€to€the€FreedomÔ#†X^XXX^#Ô€ofÐ ¤p ÐInformation€Act,€5€U.S.C.€552€et.€seq.,€submitted€on€behalf€of€the€EcologyÏCenter,€Inc.€€The€Ecology€Center€is€a€501(c)(3)€non-profit,€public€interest,Ïpublic€education€organization,€headquartered€in€Missoula,€Montana.ÌÌÔ‡X^XXX^Ôà ä àOn€November€9,€2000,€the€Forest€Service€published€its€final€ruleÐ @  Ðregarding€National€Forest€System€Land€Resource€Management€Planning.€€Ì65€Fed.€Reg.€€67513„67581€(hereinafter,€ð ðNovember€9,€2000,€Final€Ruleðð).€ÏThe€November€9,€2000,€Final€Rule€will€guide€and€govern€the€management€ofÏnational€forest€lands€across€the€country.€€Information€concerning€theÏdevelopment€and€implementation€of€this€final€rule€is€therefore€critical€toÏconservation€organizations€and€members€of€the€public€who€have€a€strongÏinterest€in€the€proper€management€of€our€national€forests.€€The€Ecology€CenterÏhereby€requests€the€following€public€documents€and€records:ÌÌà ä à1)€All€comments€submitted€by€the€National€Marine€Fisheries€ServiceÏto€the€United€States€Forest€Service€concerning€or€related€to€the€November€9,Ï2000,€Final€Rule;€Ìà ä àÌà ä à2)€Any€and€all€correspondence,€memoranda,€facsimile€transmissions,Ïelectronic€or€other€inter„agency€communication,€and€any€other€records€orÐ -à$( ÐÑ^ÑÑ°4ÑÑ°°ÑÒ°Œ ÒÒ°°ÒÑ  Ñevidence€produced€by€the€National€Marine€Fisheries€Service€that€is€related€to€the€developmentÏand€implementation€of€the€November€9,€2000,€Final€Rule;€andÌÌñ`ñÖ€ÿÿÖñ`ññ`ñÖ€ÿÿÖñ`ñà  à3)€€Ô#†X^XXX^€#ÔAny€and€all€correspondence,€memoranda,€facsimile€transmissions,€electronic€or€otherÐ tÄ Ðinter„agency€communication,€and€any€other€records€or€evidence€relating€toÔ‡X^XXX^Ô€the€Forest€ServiceððsÐ `° Ðobligations€to€consult€with€the€National€Marine€Fisheries€Service€under€Section€7€of€theÏEndangered€Species€Act€for€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€National€Marine€Fisheries€Service€or€someone€else,€in€draft,€electronic,€orÏother€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#†X^XXX^» #ÔThe€Ecology€Center€expects€to€receive€all€non-exempt€portions€of€theÐ Ð  Ðdocuments€that€it€has€requested.Ô‡X^XXX^ÔÐ ¼  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#†X^XXX^É#ÔThe€information€requested€will€benefitÐ X ¨ Ðthe€citizens€of€the€United€States€through€public€education€and€by€encouraging€public€debate€onÏimportant€policy€issues€concerning€our€national€forests.€€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,ñWñ€ñWñscientists€and€the€general€public.€€Information€available€through€theÏEcology€Center€is€used€inñXñÌñXññZñ€ñZñpress€conferences€and€releases,€television€and€radio€interviews,€andÏregional€and€nationalñYñÌñYññ[ñ€ñ[ñpublications,€and€reaches€a€significant€number€of€individuals€nationwide.Ô‡X^XXX^ԀРÌ&"% 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#†X^XXX^š#ÔÐ |*Ì%) ÐÐ h+¸&* Ðà  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‡X^XXX^Ôà  àÔ#†X^XXX^v#ÔThis€request€is€not€being€submitted€for€commercial€purposesÔ‡X^XXX^Ô,€and€tÔ#†X^XXX^ÿ#Ôhe€release€of€thisÐ $ t Ðinformation€will€not€result€in€financial€benefit€to€the€Ecology€Center€or€any€individuals,€groups€orÏorganizations.Ô‡X^XXX^ÔÐ ü L  ÐÌà  àÔ#†X^XXX^â#ÔÔ‡X^XXX^ÔWe€would€like€the€requested€information€sent€ñ\ñdirectlyñ\ññ^ññ]ñoñ]ññ^ññ_ñinitiallyñ_ñ€to€the€Western€Environmental€LawÐ Ô$  ÐCenter€in€Eugene,€Oregon.€€Please€call€me€at€(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#†X^XXX^F#ÔÌ