Federal Daily - March 20, 2008
Group Says FWS Giving Its Scientists Mixed Messages
The Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) has issued its scientists “contradictory and confusing
directives”—putting them in an ethical bind, according to Public Employees for Environmental
Responsibility (PEER). The group said that while FWS scientists are encouraged to be open, they also
are under orders not to share any of the agency’s scientific “documents, assessments and
drafts” with outsiders. PEER says that a “Scientific Code of Professional Responsibility” the
service adopted on Jan. 28—which encourages FWS scientists to place scientific results ahead
of allegiances, make sure that their positions are rooted in science rather than “organizational
values,” and share information with other scientists and the public—stands in contrast
to guidance issued two years earlier by FWS Director Dale Hall. In that guidance, Hall said it is “imperative
that all documents, assessments and drafts remain inside the service, except for discussions as appropriate
with recognized federal and state peers.” PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch said FWS “has
cloaked its ethics guidelines in mixed messages and contradictory side orders. According to Ruch, a
PEER survey of FWS scientists shows widespread confusion as to what they may say or write. To see more,
go to: http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1010.
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CBP Will Head to Washington in Search of Border Patrol Recruits
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) this weekend will expand its Border Patrol hiring efforts from
traditional recruiting grounds in border states, and head to Washington, D.C., as it seeks to fill
more of the 6,000 additional Border Patrol agent slots it hopes to add this year. A recruiting team
from CBP, the largest uniformed law enforcement agency in the country, will be in the capital on March
22 to answer questions and help candidates through the application process. Border Patrol recruits
earn between $36,000 and $46,000 in their first year, and can earn up to $70,000 within three years
of service. Successful candidates complete a screening process that includes a written examination
and interview, demonstration of language aptitude or Spanish proficiency, a physical fitness test and
a medical examination, followed by 16-and-a-half weeks at a basic training academy in Artesia, N.M.
For more information, go to: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/careers/customs_careers/border_careers/.
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GSA Launches Spanish-Language Tutorials on GobiernoUSA.gov
The federal government’s GobiernoUSA.gov Spanish-language Web portal has launched eight online
tutorials to teach Spanish-speakers how to find and use government information, the General Services
Administration (GSA) said March 18. The tutorials for the site’s most popular features are similar
to the English-language ones already available on USA.gov, GSA said, with directions and screenshots
of GobiernoUSA.gov and other government Web sites accompanied by voice narration. The tutorials show
how to complete government tasks online; receive e-mail updates and RSS feeds on government services
and information; communicate with government agencies; search for government information—especially
information of interest to new immigrants; and find government loans and tools for small business owners.
GobiernoUSA.gov, which aims to help reach the estimated 44 million Hispanics in the United States,
is managed by GSA’s Office of Citizen Services and Communications. For more information, go to: http://www.usa.gov/gobiernousa/ayuda/toursvirtuales/index.shtml.
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