National Academies Press: OpenBook

Research Opportunities in Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey (2002)

Chapter: Appendix D: Letter from P. Lynn Scarlett

« Previous: Appendix C: Acronyms
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Letter from P. Lynn Scarlett." National Research Council. 2002. Research Opportunities in Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10486.
×

Appendix D

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Letter from P. Lynn Scarlett." National Research Council. 2002. Research Opportunities in Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10486.
×
This page in the original is blank.
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Letter from P. Lynn Scarlett." National Research Council. 2002. Research Opportunities in Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10486.
×

United States Department of the Interior

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

Washington, D.C. 20240

Memorandum

NOV–8 2001

To: Solicitor

Inspector General

Assistant Secretaries

Heads of Bureaus and Offices

From: P.Lynn Scarlett

Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget

Subject: Protection of Sensitive Information

The events of September 11 and the weeks that have followed should leave no doubts that we are living and working in a greatly changed world. Prominent American icons have been attacked and it is prudent to anticipate that further attacks are entirely probable. Clearly, we must make every reasonable effort to prevent unauthorized or inadvertent disclosure of particularly sensitive information that could aid in planning or executing future attacks.

The current situation requires that we reassess whether certain kinds of information, which may have been available to the public on websites, reading rooms, libraries and similar venues should continue to be available in these ways. It also requires us to reassess the extent to which other information, on internal computer systems and at other locations such as offices, needs to be made inaccessible to the public and even to employees who do not have a legitimate “need to know.” The determination of whether information is particularly sensitive requires thoughtful, rational decisions on the part of all senior managers, program managers, and information owners. To determine if certain information is particularly sensitive, at a minimum the following questions should be asked:

  • Would the decision to protect or not protect the information be in compliance with public laws, Executive Branch directions, Federal standards, and DOI’s own policies? Further, in the absence of precise guidance, would the decision to protect or not protect be considered reasonable and prudent?

  • Could a compromise of the information reasonably be expected to directly or indirectly lead to a loss of life, property, money, or public confidence?

  • Could the compromise of the information reasonably be expected to prevent or severely hamper DOI’s ability to conduct its primary missions or respond to a future attack?

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Letter from P. Lynn Scarlett." National Research Council. 2002. Research Opportunities in Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10486.
×

Once a determination is made that the information is particularly sensitive, physical and electronic access should be restricted to only those employees or other authorized individuals with a legitimate need to know the information. At the same time we must recognize that any actions to restrict public and other access to information must be undertaken in accordance with legal requirements. Also, where an individual requests information in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or the Privacy Act, release of the information is required unless protected from release by the applicable statute.

Questions concerning the protection of information should be directed to the Deputy Chief Information Officer on (202) 208–6194. Questions concerning FOIA or Privacy Act should be directed to appropriate bureau FOIA or Privacy Act officers.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Letter from P. Lynn Scarlett." National Research Council. 2002. Research Opportunities in Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10486.
×
Page 127
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Letter from P. Lynn Scarlett." National Research Council. 2002. Research Opportunities in Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10486.
×
Page 128
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Letter from P. Lynn Scarlett." National Research Council. 2002. Research Opportunities in Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10486.
×
Page 129
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Letter from P. Lynn Scarlett." National Research Council. 2002. Research Opportunities in Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10486.
×
Page 130
Research Opportunities in Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $48.00 Buy Ebook | $38.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

Research Opportunities in Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides perspective and guidance to the geography discipline about its future research and strategic directions. The report makes specific recommendations about scientific research priorities and partnerships within and outside the agency, and outlines a long-term core research agenda for the USGS.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!