FY 2000 Fourth Quarter Foreign Travel

                           RESPONSE REQUESTED NO LATER THAN March 1, 2000
                                     
                                                                Memorandum

To:           All WRD Employees

From:      Anna M. Lenox, Deputy Chief
                International Water Resources Branch

Subject:  FY 2000 Fourth Quarter Foreign Travel

If you are planning foreign travel to participate in a scientific meeting, 
conference, symposia, workshop, or training activity during the fourth 
quarter (July 1 - September 30, 2000), please complete the attached form 
and forward, through supervisory channels via email, to
“GS-W Foreign Travel” no later than March 1.  After approval by Division 
management, your request will be consolidated into a Bureau listing of 
proposed foreign travel for the third quarter and forwarded to the 
Associate Director for Operations for review.  The information that you 
have
provided will be used to initiate your Foreign Travel Certification (Form 
DI-1175).

NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS FOR FOREIGN TRAVEL REQUESTS
To accommodate our migration to Lotus Notes, your foreign travel mailbox 
address has been changed.  Please address future requests for approval of 
foreign travel to: GS-W Foreign Travel.  The old for_trav mailbox will 
continue to operate for a limited time; however, we encourage all WRD 
employees to address their foreign travel communications  to the new mail 
box at GS-W Foreign Travel. 

FUTURE MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES:
The Bureau continues to compile a list of meetings/conferences that will 
be convened in foreign venues and in which we could reasonably expect 
participation by a number of USGS scientists.  Please help us with this 
compilation by providing, via email, the name, location, sponsor, and
date (if known) of any international meeting that meets this criteria.  

TRAVEL TO CANADA:       
Please refer to Water Resources Division Memorandum No. 99.11 for WRD 
policy on travel to Canada.  Also note that Canadian Customs officials 
require specific forms of identification (a U.S. drivers license is not an 
accepted form of identification).  Recommended identification includes:  
(1) passport, (2) original voter's registration card, or (3) original or 
certified (with notary stamp) Birth Certificate.  

HEALTH INSURANCE and ADVISORIES:
We recommend that you contact your insurance provider before you leave the 
United States to verify that, in the event of illness or injury overseas, 
costs for medical care will be reimbursed under your specific plan.  If 
adequate coverage is not included, you may choose to purchase traveler's 
insurance for the duration of your travel.  You may wish to visit the CDC 
Home Travel Information website for complete information on immunizations 
and health advisories.   
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/travel2.htm 

PASSPORT:
Do you have a current Personal or Official passport?  In some countries, 
it makes a very real difference in securing a visa.  We recommend that any 
employee who travels abroad in an official capacity utilize an Official 
Passport.  If you need to acquire an Official Passport, please contact 
Lory Severin for instructions.  Lory can be contacted by phone at 
703-648-6686, telefax at 703-648-6687, or by email at GS-W Foreign 
Travel.   Passport information also is available on-line at: 
http://travel.state.gov/passport_easy.html  

DI-2000 FORM (Ethics):
Employee acceptance of payment, from a non-Federal source, for travel 
expenses incurred to attend a meeting, seminar, workshop, or similar 
function requires the receiving employee to prepare, sign, and mail to 
this office a DI-2000 Form.  The Forms DI-2000 and DI-1175 are forwarded 
to appropriate approving authorities.  After approval, the DI-2000 is 
retained in the bureau ethics files and the DI-1175 forwarded to the 
traveler.  

FIELDWORK:
Travel to accomplish field work or collaborative research is not included 
in the quarterly meetings list; however, approval for this type of travel 
MUST be requested 60 days prior to departure. To facilitate the approval 
process, please forward, via email to GS-W Foreign Travel, your request 
for approval of foreign travel to accomplish field work or collaborative 
research just as soon as that information becomes available.
 
DEADLINE:
A final reminder--requests to attend a meeting outside the United States, 
during the fourth quarter, must reach this office by March 1.

Attachment


FOREIGN TRAVEL REQUEST

1. Name of traveler.

2. Telephone number. (both HOME and office)

3. Fax number.

4. Passport:      Personal                  Official

5. Position title and grade. _________________________
   Also check preference: Dr.___ Mr.___ Ms.___ Mrs.___

6. Duty station.

7. a. LOCATION(s) of proposed travel - including city and country,
    b. DATES of travel including date of departure and date of return, 
        and
    c. DATES of meeting, conference, symposia, workshop, or training
       activity. 

8. Is ANNUAL LEAVE requested?  If so, provide specific DATES of approved
    annual leave.

9. NAME(s) of in-country CONTACT and address (including agency name),
     telephone/fax number, and email address for EACH LOCATION. 

10. Total costs during travel period (this includes what USGS and others
       pay.)

       Salary:  $
       Per Diem:  $
       Transportation:  $
       Other costs:  $

       Total:  $


11. Will another donor pay/share the costs?      YES_____ NO______

       If YES, provide the following information.

a. Name and type of donor.
    Examples:
      Self --
      Tax Exempt Organization --
      Foreign Government --
      Federal Agency --
      International Organization --
      Other (identify/explain) --

Donor contribution:

b. Funding:

    Salary:  $
    Per Diem:  $
    Transportation:  $
    Other costs:  $

    Total: $

c. How will funding be provided:  In-Kind services or Reimbursement to
    USGS?

Examples:
In-Kind services:  foreign host provides airline ticket to USGS employee; 
host pays for hotel and meals; or host provides in-country transportation.

Reimbursement to USGS:  foreign host issues check payable to USGS when 
employee
presents receipts for travel expenses.

12.  List names of other USGS employees who may be attending the event.

13.  Justification for travel. Please provide concise information in one  
paragraph that describes:

       a. The specific mission to be accomplished during travel, and
       b. The role of traveler.

14.  Do you have a security clearance?  

Approved by:  Give name and date of approval at each supervisory level and 
forward, via Email, to next level.  The request must be forwarded to this 
office by the appropriate SES supervisor.

Anna Lenox
International Water Resources Branch
420 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
Phone:  703-648-5053
Fax:  703-648-6687
Email:  alenox@usgs.gov