<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3392" dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2017/01/24/leaked-memo-silences-department-of-interior/" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3600" class="">http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2017/01/24/leaked-memo-silences-department-of-interior/</a><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3620"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3673"><span style="font-size: 23px; font-weight: 700; color: rgb(8, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Georgia, serif;">Leaked Memo Silences Department of Interior</span><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(8, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Georgia, serif;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3477"><div style="width: auto;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3478"><div style="min-height: auto; width: 781px; margin-bottom: 10px; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); overflow: hidden; color: rgb(53, 109, 169); padding: 6px 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3480"><a href="http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2017/01/24/leaked-memo-silences-department-of-interior/" style="color: rgb(187, 187, 187); word-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none; display: block; cursor: default; width: 10000px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3481"><img height="16px" width="16px" src="https://s2.googleusercontent.com/s2/favicons?domain=www.thewildlifenews.com" style="max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%; page-break-inside: avoid !important; cursor: default; margin-right: 3px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3482" data-id="725715f1-882b-cec5-e904-3d5d2506d8c1" class=""><strong style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3483">thewildlifenews.com</strong><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3484">/2017/01/24/leaked-memo-silences-department-of-interior/</span></a></div><span style="color: rgb(127, 127, 127); float: left; margin-bottom: 15px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3485">Ken Cole</span><span style="color: rgb(127, 127, 127); float: right; margin-bottom: 15px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3486">January 24, 2017</span><div style="clear: both; direction: ltr;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3487"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3488"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3489">A <a href="http://www.thewildlifenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Memo.pdf" style="color: rgb(2, 106, 217); word-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3490"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3491">memo</span></a> leaked today orders all of the bureaus of the Department of Interior, which includes the Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Bureau of Indian Affairs, and others, to clear nearly every decision or correspondence with the Office of the Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs (OES). Other departments such as the EPA have instituted similar gag orders. This sweeping gag order stops the bureaus from corresponding with entities ranging from tribal leaders, governors, and even Congress.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3492">The contents of the memo are below and the <a href="http://www.thewildlifenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Memo.pdf" style="color: rgb(2, 106, 217); word-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3493"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3494">memo is here</span></a></div><blockquote style="margin: 2.5em; padding: 0px 0.75em; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3495"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3496">Memorandum<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3497">To: Chiefs of Staff, Bureaus and Offices<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3498">From: Julie Lillie, Director, Office of Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3499">Subject: Federal Register Documents and Correspondence Clearance Procedures</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3500">As we begin a new administration, it is important that the incoming policy team has an opportunity to review documents. Effective immediately, and in addition to your internal clearance processes, <strong id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3501">all</strong> Federal Register documents, including all notices, and <strong id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3502">all</strong> correspondence to or from the Secretary must be forwarded to the Office of the Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs (OES) for review 5 days prior to any deadline for Departmental clearance, regardless of signature level. For Federal Register notices this includes, but is not limited to:</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3503">• any proposed or final regulation or policy action,<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3504">• notices of all meetings, including tribal consultation meetings,<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3505">• all notices related to NEPA documents<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3506">• information collection notices,<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3507">• FWS notices of low effect applications for permits,<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3508">• BLM notices of plat surveys, and<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3509">• BOEM quarterly notices of environmental documents prepared for the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3510">In addition to the above, <strong id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3511">all</strong> incoming congressional and gubernatorial correspondence as well as correspondence from Indian or Alaska tribal leaders and leaders from national level environment/recreational and industry organizations must be forwarded to DES prior to responding, regardless of addressee or signature level. No correspondence should be cleared to go to Congress or to any Governor until it has been reviewed by the Acting Chief of Staff and/or Senior White House Advisor. The OES will be responsible for tasking these letters for response . The incoming leadership team will decide whether to continue or modify these instructions.</div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3512"><br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3513"></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div><div class="signature" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3401"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1485363904497_3406"><br></div></div></div></body></html>