USFWS has just posted this (May 10, 2021): Notice Pursuant to Executive Order 12600 of Receipt of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); Requests for Wildlife/Flora Import and Export Data stored in LEMIS
The deadline to contact USFWS with an objection to the release of the identified requested material (see below) is June 1, 2021. This may be important to protect confidential and/or proprietary information including addresses, seller contact details, etc.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has received FOIA requests for information related to the import and export of wildlife specimens and flora into and out of the United States contained in the Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS) database. Information contained in LEMIS comes from data collected on the USFWS Declaration for Importation or Exportation of Fish and Wildlife (Form 3-177). The Service has prepared this notice to provide businesses or persons who have submitted information on Form 3-177 with an opportunity to review the information subject to potential disclosure under the FOIA and object to such disclosure.
This Notice ONLY applies to businesses who import or export wildlife specimens and flora for business use OR on behalf of an individual (i.e. a broker) and file Form 3-177. Submitters of this type of information can contact USFWS to review records subject to possible release (see below). If you are a submitter of this information, you have a limited opportunity to object to the disclosure of such information (by June 1, 2021). The Service will presume that you do not object to the disclosure of your information if a response to this Notice is not received by the date specified at the end of this Notice (June 1, 2021).
LINK 1 to full text and details: https://www.fws.gov/irm/bpim/foia.html
If you are an affected party, you must contact USFWS and must certify and explain that:
- the information you object to disclosing is confidential, the business has not disclosed the information to the public;
- the information is not routinely available to the public from other sources;
- the business treats the information as private;
- you must let USFWS know that you provided the information under an express or implied assurance of privacy.
ADDRESS for SUBMISSION: You may submit comments or objections by one of the following methods:
- Email to Submitter_Notice@fws.gov.
- Fax at (703) 358-2271
- U.S. mail or hand-delivery: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement (FOIA), 5275 Leesburg Pike (MS: OLE), Falls Church, Virginia 22041.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS NOTICE CONTACT:
- Email to fwhq_fws.gov
- Fax at (703) 358-2271
- U.S. mail or hand-delivery: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement (FOIA), 5275 Leesburg Pike (MS: OLE), Falls Church, Virginia 22041.
TO RECEIVE A COPY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN LEMIS
RELATED TO YOUR BUSINESS, SEND YOUR REQUEST TO:
- Email to fwhq_fws.gov
- Fax at (703) 358-2271
- U.S. mail or hand-delivery: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement (FOIA), 5275 Leesburg Pike (MS: OLE), Falls Church, Virginia 22041.