Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Appeals

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides you the right to file an administrative appeal if you are not satisfied with the Forest Service response. You will be advised of your right to file an administrative appeal if the Forest Service response contains an adverse determination. All appeals must be made in writing, within 90 calendar days after the date of the response letter.

Address the appeal to the “Chief, USDA, Forest Service.” The term “FOIA APPEAL” should be placed in capital letters on the subject line of the email or on the front of the envelope.

You can send your appeal as follows:

To facilitate the processing of your appeal, please include copies of any response letters and/or the FOIA case number assigned to your request.

According to Title 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Subtitle A, 1.14, all final appeal responses require review by the Department of Agriculture Office of the General Counsel (OGC) for legal sufficiency.