Revealed: US moves to keep endangered species discussions secret
Source: The Guardian
Revealed: US moves to keep endangered species discussions secret
In a confidential document obtained by the Guardian, Trump officials say releasing records could have a ‘chilling effect’ on their deliberations
Jimmy Tobias
Thu 18 Oct 2018 11.00 BST
The Trump administration is moving to restrict the release of information about its decisions on endangered species, according to a confidential internal document obtained by the Guardian.
It comes as wildlife advocates and scientists accuse the government of attempting to weaken protections for wildlife, including wolves, grizzly bears and sage grouse, while boosting domestic energy production and mining in crucial animal habitat.
In a private September guidance sent to offices around the country, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, or FWS, recommended that employees with its Ecological Services program – which administers the Endangered Species Act – take a less transparent approach when responding to certain Freedom of Information Act requests from the public.
The guidance contains a list of records that “should be considered for withholding in full or in part” from the public, including draft versions of policies and rules; internal Power Point presentations and webinars; deliberative email communications and meeting notes; and others.
Such records should be carefully reviewed and possibly withheld, the guidance suggests, if they might hamper the defense of the government’s decisions in certain court cases and cause “foreseeable harm” to the federal government by sowing “public confusion” or subjecting officials to public scrutiny and thereby creating a “chilling effect” on internal decision making processes.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/18/trump-administration-us-endangered-species-discussions-secret
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