Publication Items

Secret GSA Contractor Database Could Reveal Waste, Fraud, Abuse [1]

Jim Morris of the Sunlight Foundation reports on the Project on Government Oversight's (POGO) so-far unsuccessful efforts to FOIA the data.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Secret GSA Contractor Database Could Reveal Waste, Fraud, Abuse [1]
FCC Broadband Plan May Promote Open Gov [6]

John Wonderlich of the Sunlight Foundation has been tracking the Federal Communications Commission plan.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Technology [7]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about FCC Broadband Plan May Promote Open Gov [6]
Comments on Fed Agencies' Open Government Plans Due March 19 [8]

Various trackers are sorting through and compiling ideas, comments, and agencies' progress towards meeting the deadline.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
People & Population [9]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Comments on Fed Agencies' Open Government Plans Due March 19 [8]
OSHA Sampling Data Still Unavailable [10]

A former Occupational Safety and Health Administration official requested the data under the Freedom of Information Act in 2005, but was denied. He sued, won in 2007, and now has the data, but OSHA has still not released the data to the public.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [11]
Health [12]
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about OSHA Sampling Data Still Unavailable [10]
Forest Service Issues Gag Order to Employees on Talking to Reporters [13]

Monongahela National Forest's public affairs officer recently directed employees there that, if contacted by national reporters on any issue or local reporters regarding national issues, they "cannot talk to the reporter"and suggested that the instructions came from "our Washington office."
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Forests [14]
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Forest Service Issues Gag Order to Employees on Talking to Reporters [13]
Group Is Releasing Improved Conservation Lands Information [15]

The Trust for Public Land's updated online database includes mapping and a finer level of detail, such as information at the county and parcel levels, for some but not all states as yet.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [16]
Topics on the Beat:
Planning & Growth [17]
Natural Resources [18]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Group Is Releasing Improved Conservation Lands Information [15]
Detailed Organic Farm and Ranch Data Available [19]

USDA's first major national survey of U.S. organic farms includes 14,540 farms and ranches that cover 4.1 million acres in 50 states.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [16]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [20]
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Detailed Organic Farm and Ranch Data Available [19]
Study Suggests Important Tradeoffs for Algae Biofuel [21]

University of Virginia researchers find algae-based biofuel uses more energy and water and emits more greenhouse gases than other biofuel sources. However, algae has a high energy yield, and growing it wouldn't significantly affect food crops.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [16]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Study Suggests Important Tradeoffs for Algae Biofuel [21]
Catch Share: Fisheries Management Policy Controversy Heats Up [23]

NOAA's proposal to apply quotas to individual fishing operations, rather than across an entire fishery, lands support from environmental groups, draws opposition from many US fishing operations.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [16]
Topics on the Beat:
Fish & Fisheries [24]
Policy [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Catch Share: Fisheries Management Policy Controversy Heats Up [23]
Agencies Post "Openness" Pages on Web per Obama Order [26]

EPA, Interior, DOE, USDA and others now provide "clearing points" intended to engage the public in their efforts for greater public transparency, participation, and collaboration, and in development of an "Open Government Plan."
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [3]
Region:
National (U.S.) [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Agencies Post "Openness" Pages on Web per Obama Order [26]

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