Privacy Act System Usda-aphis-9 Narrative Statement

PRIVACY ACT SYSTEM USDA-APHIS-9

System name: Wildlife Services Management Information System

NARRATIVE STATEMENT

The purpose of this new system of records, titled Wildlife Services Management Information System (MIS), is to support activities and maintain records conducted by the agency pursuant to its mission and responsibilities authorized by the Act of March 2, 1931, as amended (7 U.S.C. 426 and 426(b)), and the Act of December 22, 1987 (7 U.S.C. 426(c)).

Within this area of responsibility, Wildlife Services (WS) provides service to Federal, State, and local governments, private sector entities within the United States, and foreign partners and cooperators regarding wildlife damage management. Individuals and cooperators may include farmers, ranchers, livestock dealers (including agents and brokers), airport employees, condominium associations, homeowners associations, golf course owners, pest control operators, contract personnel engaged in program activities, private homeowners, and other individuals.

The MIS may contain personally identifiable information about persons who acquire wildlife damage management services from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The information collected by APHIS is necessary for identifying cooperators for the purpose of communicating with them and tracking activities performed by WS employees as part of a program being conducted in collaboration with them. Such information includes a name, telephone number, mailing address, physical location address, and when necessary, GPS coordinates. For cooperators for whom WS provides services on specific wildlife damage projects, an identifying number may be issued which may be a Federal tax identification number, an employer identification number, or, for individual citizens who are the primary contact in a funded cooperative agreement relationship, a social security number. In these instances, WS collects social security numbers or other identifying numbers, such as tax identification numbers or employer identification numbers, in compliance with the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-134). The MIS may also include information relating to adverse human or animal incidents, indemnity, agreements, or insurance claims.

The files for the MIS are maintained in the offices of Wildlife Services, Riverdale, MD; Wildlife Services Information Technology Support Center, Fort Collins, CO; Federal and State area offices; and Federal regional offices. The electronic component of the system is housed at the USDA’s National Information Technology Center in Kansas City, MO.

In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b) of the Privacy Act, records maintained in the MIS may be disclosed outside USDA for seven routine uses. These routine uses may be described as functional and housekeeping uses.

The housekeeping routine uses include release of information to the Department of Justice for the purpose of defending the United States in litigation; for use in a judicial or administrative proceeding; to appropriate entities or parties where there is a suspected or confirmed breach of security and the release is reasonably necessary to protect program interests or the interests of members of the public to prevent identity theft and fraud; to contractors or partner agencies for the purpose of seeking out fraud, waste, or abuse; and to the National Archives and Records Administration or to the General Services Administration.

The functional routine uses include release of information to law enforcement agencies, where warranted; and to cooperative Federal, State, and local government officials, employees, or contractors, and other parties engaged to assist in administering the program, who will be bound by the nondisclosure provisions of the Privacy Act.

Use of this system, as established, should not result in undue infringement on any individual’s right to privacy. The information in this system will be used by WS personnel to identify and communicate with persons who acquire wildlife damage management services from APHIS and to track wildlife damage management activities WS performs in collaboration with them. All individuals about whom information in this system is maintained will voluntarily submit the information for the express purpose of participating in the program and will receive benefits equal to or greater than any potential impact on their privacy.

Control measures designed to prevent misuse of accessible data include unique user identification, a password protection protocol, and limitation of user roles through compartmentalization of allowed access. Agency implemented cybersecurity measures and firewalls are built into the application user interface, and monitoring of use of the MIS for profiles of misuse is possible. The hard copy components of the system, and computer files, tapes, and disks are kept in a safeguarded environment with access only by authorized personnel.

To address privacy issues and ensure protection of information provided by employees and customers, WS has completed a privacy impact assessment (PIA). It has been posted on the USDA Privacy Policy website. The PIA provides detailed information about steps taken by the agency to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to the system.

The information collection requests associated with this system have been approved by Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The collection is named “Cooperative Wildlife Damage Management Programs” and the OMB Control Number is 0579-0335.

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