3700.1—General.
These regulations are issued pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552 ), and in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Agriculture regulations in part 1, subpart A of this title. The availability of records of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the procedures by which the public may obtain such information, shall be governed by the Department regulations as implemented by the regulations in this part. It is the policy of APHIS to be an open agency and to promptly make available for public inspection any records or information which are required to be released under the Act. Material which is exempt from disclosure will also be promptly made available when the Agency in its discretion determines that release of such material is in the public interest.
The Economic Research Service (ERS), originally established in 1961 under the authority of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621-162 7), was reestablished as an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture of September 30, 1981 ( 46 FR 47747 ), in response to Secretary's Memorandum 1000-1 of June 17, 1981, entitled “Reorganization of Department.” The mission of ERS is to provide economic and other social science information and analysis for pubic and private decisions on agriculture, food, natural resources, and rural America. Its primary customers are USDA policy officials and program administrators, the Office of the While House, Congress, and environmental, consumer, and rural public interest groups, including farm groups and industry.