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FOREST SERVICE MANUAL
NORTHEASTERN AREA
STATE AND PRIVATE FORESTRY (NA)
NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA
FSM 1600 – INFORMATION SERVICES
CHAPTER 1630 – PUBLISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
Supplement No.: NA-1600-2009-1
Effective Date: January 23, 2009
Duration: Effective until superseded or removed.
Approved: KATHRYN P. MALONEY
Area Director
Date Approved: 01/23/2009
Posting Instructions: Supplements are numbered consecutively by Title and calendar year. Post by
document name. Remove entire document and replace with this supplement. Retain this transmittal as
the first page of this document. The last supplement to this Title was
NA-1600-2007-1.
New Document(s):
Superseded Document(s):
(The last supplement was
NA-1600-2005-1 dated 07/06/2005.)
1630
1631
1633
1630
1631
1633
9 Pages
4 Pages
Digest:
1630
Designates the Group Leader, Office of Communications, as the Publications Control
Officer.
1631
Replaces the Desktop Guide with the 10 Step Publication Process. Replaces the
Information Product Request form with three new forms for processing publications.
Revises the required Reviews and Clearances. Supplement NA-1600-2005-1 is
obsolete.
1633
Reassigns responsibility for posting Web-formatted information products to the
Office of Communications Public Affairs Specialist in the Area Headquarters.
NA SUPPLEMENT 1600-2009-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/23/2009
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 1600 – INFORMATION SERVICES
CHAPTER 30 - PUBLISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
1630.4 – RESPONSIBILITY
1630.42a – Area Director
The Area Director designates the Group Leader, Office of Communications, as the
Publications Control Officer for the Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry.
1630.43 – Authors
It is the responsibility of all employees to familiarize themselves with the content of this supplement and
the national issuances of FSM 1630 and FSH 1609.11, before developing an information product.
1631 – PUBLICATIONS MANAGEMENT
1631.14 – Processing Proposals for Publication
The author will follow the step-by-step developmental sequence described in
The 10 Step Publication Process, which is attached as Exhibit 1 and available on the Intranet at
http://fsweb.na.fs.fed.us/staff/BusOps/oc/communications_naw.shtml. All forms will be completed and
routed electronically.
1631.15 – Reviews and Clearances
The author of an information product will submit “Form A—Information Product Proposal” (NA-160014, Exhibit 2) to their highest level supervisor (Assistant Director or Field Representative depending on
authors’ supervisory structure), along with a proposed distribution plan created specifically for the
information product. The Information Product Request Form (NA-1600-13) is obsolete and will no
longer be used. Highest level supervisors will ensure that proposals are concurrent with their work plan
and the author is the right person to develop the product. In addition, Assistant Directors will ensure
that the project is a program priority and that funds have been allocated for the work. The Assistant
Director will then forward Form A to the Publications Control Officer for review and clearance. The
Publications Control Officer approves the publication proposal and forwards Form A to the Creative
Services Team Leader.
The Creative Services Team Leader sets up a conference with the author to discuss development of the
information product, initiates “Form B—Information Product Development”
(NA-1600-15, Exhibit 3), and sends a copy to the author. The author drafts the content of the
information product in accordance with the submission guidelines, obtains the necessary content and
policy reviews, and forwards the draft product and Form B to the Assistant Director. The Assistant
Director reviews and approves the draft before submitting it, along with Form B, to the Creative
Services Team Leader for product development.
Authors requesting reprints of previously published materials, requiring no changes to text or graphics,
should complete “Form C—Reprint Request” (NA-1600-16, Exhibit 4) and submit it through their
highest level supervisor and Assistant Director to the Publications Control Officer.
NA SUPPLEMENT 1600-2009-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/23/2009
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 1600 – INFORMATION SERVICES
CHAPTER 30 - PUBLISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
1631.2 – Standards for Publishing
The following standards are established for the Northeastern Area in addition to those outlined in the
publication, “USDA Visual Information Standards – Print, Exhibit, and Presentation Media
Specifications and Uses.”
1. The outside front cover of each information product will contain the following information:
a. Publication number, assigned by the Printing Specialist of the Office of Communications
Creative Services staff at Area headquarters.
b. Month and year of issuance.
c. Corporate identifier—“United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern
Area State and Private Forestry”
d. Forest Service shield and Northeastern Area logo.
2. The inside front cover or outside back cover will contain the following information:
a. The Area headquarters’ mailing address—“Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, 11
Campus Blvd., Suite 200, Newtown Square, PA 19073.”
b. The Northeastern Area’s Web site address—“www.na.fs.fed.us.”
3. An optional statement may be added when the author is located at an Area field office or satellite
location. For example, for an author located at Durham: “[Author’s full name] works at the
Northeastern Area’s field office in Durham, NH 03824-0640, phone 603-868-7600.”
(Note the use of the field office’s main phone number.)
1633 - PRINTING AND DISTRIBUTION
1633.04 – Responsibility
All printing and binding, including reprinting, will be submitted to the Printing Specialist, Office of
Communications Creative Services staff at the Area Headquarters, for purchasing through the
Government Printing Office.
1633.13 – Printing Approvals
The author will request advance approval for color printing (black plus one or more colors) by sending a
written description of the proposed use of color and a justification to the Creative Services Group
Leader.
NA SUPPLEMENT 1600-2009-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/23/2009
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 1600 – INFORMATION SERVICES
CHAPTER 30 - PUBLISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
1633.2 – Distribution
1. The staff that initiates an information product is responsible for distributing the completed
product to the unique distribution plan that was submitted with the Information Product Proposal (Form
NA-1600-14).
2. The staff will send 18 copies of printed and digital publications to the Printing Specialist, Office
of Communications Creative Services staff, at the Area Headquarters.
3. The Office of Communications Public Affairs Specialist in the Area Headquarters is responsible
for having Web-formatted information products posted onto www.na.fs.fed.us.
NA SUPPLEMENT 1600-2009-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/23/2009
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 1600 – INFORMATION SERVICES
CHAPTER 30 - PUBLISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
Exhibit 1
Office of Communications—Creative Services
10 STEP PUBLICATION PROCESS
Follow these steps when planning a new information product for print, Web, other electronic medium, or display. Visit
http://fsweb.na.fs.fed.us/staff/BusOps/oc/communications_naw.shtml for publication process forms and information,
or contact the Office of Communications Group Leader, Gina Childs or Creative Services Team Leader, Victoria Evans.
February 2009
NA SUPPLEMENT 1600-2009-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/23/2009
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 1600 – INFORMATION SERVICES
CHAPTER 30 - PUBLISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
Exhibit 1 (continued)
What needs to go through the 10 Step Process
1. Hard copy publications
2. Revisions of hard copy publications
3. Displays and exhibits
4. New Web publications and documents
5. Corporate products (Success Stories, State Fact
Sheets, etc.)
6. First edition newsletters hard copy or electronic
What needs to go through Public Affairs
Articles to be published outside of the
FS(journalarticles, magazine articles, etc). These will
be edited by the publication to their standards; however,
they do need to be reviewed by:
• Assistant Director (for technical accuracy and
adherence to program policy).
• Public Affairs Team Leader (for adherence to Forest
Service policy).
Intranet Materials (NA WEB)—Materials to be posted
to the NA Web site can be e-mailed to the Newtown
Square Public Affairs Specialist for review and posting.
Internet Materials (WWW)—Revisions and updates to
existing Internet Materials (other than formal
publications) can be e-mailed to the Newtown Square
Public Affairs Specialist for review and posting.
News releases, press and Congressional contacts.
Criteria for Printing
Not all documents need to be printed. Consideration for
printing will be given to documents that:
1. Result from a congressional request or mandate
2. Need to be portable to the field
3. Depend on visuals for communication—such as
posters, displays, and exhibits
4. Brand the FS/NA identity—product is critical to
communicating agency mission
5. Describe critical/emerging issues that need broadest
possible distribution
6. Target an audience that does not access the Internet
Reprints
Reprints of publications, with no changes to text,
require Form C.
Color Printing
The agency has specific criteria for color printing and
allows it only in limited circumstances: it is necessary for
the image to be usable (such as a map), to properly
portray an image where detail is important (such as a
drawing of an insect) or similar circumstances. “Because
it will look nicer” is not an acceptable criterion. If you think
you can justify color, start the process during the Product
Planning Meeting.
Submission Guidelines
These guidelines describe minimum requirements for
information products submitted to the Office of
Communications. Following these guidelines will help
to minimize production delays.
Text
• MS Word, unformatted: no indents, mixing of fonts,
hyphens or justified paragraphs. Times New
Roman 12 point. Avoid all capitals for Headings.
(Note: text copied from the Web, even if the same
type style and font, has different characteristics
and must be converted to “normal”).
• Include full sentence captions for all figures. No
graphics in text document.
• Text must be proofread and spell-checked with
hyperlinks removed.
• Citations must follow the American National
Standard for Bibliographic References as shown in
FSH 1609.11, Section 16. Electronic sources
should follow the Columbia Guide to Online Style
and include the date accessed in parentheses.
• Printout with text double-spaced and electronic file
on CD.
Charts, Graphs, and Illustrations
• Submit graphics and text in separate files. Indicate
in the text where each graphic should go.
• Include source data for charts or graphs in case
they need to be re-designed to fit the publication’s
style.
• Charts and graphs should be submitted in Excel or
separate Word file when possible, or submit data
only and explain the format you want.
• For visuals designed with other software, submit
the product in vector format (can be resized without
loss of quality) whenever possible. File extensions
should be WMF, EMF, OR EPS. If vector is not
possible, submit in the original format at 300 dots
per inch (dpi) for the size image you want to
appear in the product.
Images, Photos, and Slides
• Submit images in electronic and hard copy,
showing any crop lines on hard copy. Resolution
should be a minimum of 300 dpi for the desired
size. If in doubt, ask Creative Services staff for
assistance.
• Digital cameras should be set to TIF or to the JPG
setting with the least compression (highest quality
jpg image). Do not edit original images because a
loss of quality will occur. Always edit a copy. Send
both the original and the copy.
• All graphics and images must have a full-sentence
caption and photo credit information.
Images/Graphics for Web Posting -Same
submission rules apply, except 150 dpi is acceptable.
NA SUPPLEMENT 1600-2009-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/23/2009
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 1600 – INFORMATION SERVICES
CHAPTER 30 - PUBLISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
Exhibit 2
Form A — Information Product Proposal (To be initiated by author)
Product Title
Date
Author’s Name
Phone
E-mail
Program
Time Sensitive (Yes
) (No
)
Target Date
Describe the product and what information need it
addresses.
Purpose of
Information
Product
Job Code
How will the information product be used?
How do you know this subject/product is in demand?
Target
Audience
Who is the product designed for? (Be specific.)
How will your product get to the target audience?
Distributio
n Plan
How will the audience learn the product exists?
If product is to be mailed or e-mailed, please include the lists
or reference which lists in the Contacts Database.
Cooperator
s
What other staff groups or organizations are you working
with on this product?
Reviewers
Who will be reviewing this product?
Deadline
Final
Product
Budgeted
Funding
Evaluation
If this product is needed for a specific event, please list the
event and the date.
Cost of final product
How will you measure the product’s success? (Web
statistics? Number of requests? Cooperator/user
feedback?)
Final Product Format (Check all that apply.)
Printed
Web
DVD/CD
Video
PowerPoint
Display
Poster(s)
Newsletter
Quantity
# Pages
Size
Color
Requested Service (Check all that apply.)
Creative Writing
Reprinting
Editing
Photocopying
Graphic Design
Scanning
Initial Approval/ Proposal Approval
Field Representative
(If Field Office employee)
Staff Assistant Director
Publications Control
Officer
Director’s Approval
(If necessary)
Reason for Disapproval
Illustration
Laminate/Dry Mount
Approve
Printing
Other
Disapprove
Signature
Product is in concurrence with work plan and the author
is the right person to develop product.
Approves product based on available budget and it is a
program priority.
Approves product proposal based on NA mission
critical, not a duplicative effort, fits criteria for
printing/Web distribution.
Decision in case of disagreement.
Submitted to Creative Services
Date:
NA SUPPLEMENT 1600-2009-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/23/2009
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 1600 – INFORMATION SERVICES
CHAPTER 30 - PUBLISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
Exhibit 3
Form B — Information Product Development (To be initiated by Creative Services)
Product Title
Date
Author’s Name
Phone
E-mail
Program
Time Sensitive
(Yes
)
(No
Draft Approval
)
Target Date
Job Code
Approve
Disapprove
Signature
Date
Comments
Complete
Incomplete
Signature
Date
Comments
Approve
Disapprove
Signature
Date
Comments
Assistant Director
Sign Off
Editor
Graphic Designer
Author
Certification for
Production
Publications Control Officer
Area Director
For Office of Communications, Creative Services use only
Product Information (Check all that apply.)
Printed
Publication
Web
Publication
DVD/CD
Video
Exhibit/
Display
Poster(s)
Newsletter
Full
Color
Ink
Color
Paper
Color
Paper
Weight
Other
Product Format (Check all that apply.)
Quantity
Size
Brochure
Booklet
Binding
Single Sheet
Publication Number
Paper
Finish
Other
Date Color Approval
Budgeted Amount
Distribution List
Name
Address
Phone
E-mail
Quantity
Requested Service (Check all that apply.)
Editing
Graphic Design
Illustration
Photocopying
Creative Writing
Scanning
Printing
Laminate/Dry Mount
Reprinting
Other
NA SUPPLEMENT 1600-2009-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/23/2009
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 1600 – INFORMATION SERVICES
CHAPTER 30 - PUBLISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
Exhibit 4
Form C — Reprint Request (No changes to publication)
Product Title
Publication Number
Date
Point of Contact
Phone
E-mail
Program
Time Sensitive (Yes
) (No
)
Target Date
Cost
Amount budgeted for reprinting.
Reason for
Reprint
Describe reason for reprinting.
Target
Audience
Who is the product designed for? (Be specific.)
Distribution
Plan
How will your product get to the target audience? How will
the audience learn the product exists?
Job Code
$
Total Quantity Requested
Shipping Quantity
Shipping
Address
Initial Approval/ Proposal Approval
Field Representative
(If Field Office employee)
Product is in concurrence with work plan and current
needs.
Staff Assistant Director
Funding is available and it is a program priority.
Publications Control
Officer
Director’s Approval
(If necessary)
NA mission critical, not a duplicative effort, fits criteria for
printing/Web distribution.
Reason for Disapproval
Approve
Disapprove
Signature
Decision in case of disagreement.
Submitted to Creative Services
Date