Federal Privacy Laws, Guidance, and Regulations related to the U.S. Forest Service
What are the privacy laws, rules, regulations and mandates?
The U.S. Forest Service is required to comply with all applicable Federal privacy laws, regulations and guidance, and must establish and apply data safeguards. Protecting Personally
Identifiable Information (PII) is one of the agency’s primary focuses. However, the following tasks are also priorities:
•
Support mechanisms that allow individuals to review records about themselves and amend their personal records if there is erroneous information;
•
Keep a record of disclosures made outside of the U.S. Forest Service to authorized routine uses described in the Privacy Act system notice;
•
Maintain only accurate, timely, and complete information;
•
Follow the Privacy Act and other regulations regarding the release and/or withholding of information;
•
Ensure contracts involving Privacy Act data contain the appropriate Federal Acquisition
Regulation (FAR) privacy clauses;
•
Factor Privacy into the workplace; and
•
Develop Best Practices.
The Chief Information Officer (CIO) Privacy Office is charged with assisting the Agency in complying with applicable Federal laws such as the Privacy Act of 1974, the e-Government Act of 2002, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Clinger Cohen Act of 1996, as well as all of the various legislation mandated by Congress. In addition to Federal law, the agency must also adhere to U.S. Forest Service Directives, U.S. Department of Agriculture Directives, Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) requirements, and National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) guidance, as well as many other Federal requirements in order to safeguard the people’s information.
In compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974, you may request copies of any U.S. Forest Service records that:
• are about you and
• are filed and can be retrieved by your name or a personal identifier (such as Social
Security number).
You can also ask the U.S. Forest Service to correct records that are inaccurate, incomplete, untimely, or irrelevant. In some cases, the Privacy Act may not allow release of your personal records. If you have any questions about records, please see the Freedom of Information Web
Page at http://www.fs.fed.us/im/foia/makearequest.htm
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Requests for information about you contained in a U.S. Forest Service Privacy Act system of record must:
•
Be in writing and signed.
•
Be addressed to the appropriate U.S. Forest Service activity you believe is maintaining the information about you.
•
Identify the applicable U.S. Forest Service Privacy Act system of records notice that might contain the information you are seeking, and your relationship with the U.S. Forest
Service and the time period of that relationship. Privacy Act systems of records notices are found at http://www.fs.fed.us/im/foia/pasystems.htm
•
Provide any other documentation as listed under the Notification or Access elements within the Privacy Act system of records notice.
•
When in doubt, contact the U.S. Forest Service Privacy Act Officer at the U.S. Forest
Service Washington Office Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act Service Center
(202) 205-1542 or wo_foia@fs.fed.us
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