Deletion of Water Resources Division Memorandums


The following WRD Policy Memorandum No. 2000.02 is being sent
electronically without the attachment.  The attachment is quite large and
will be distributed by regular mail along with a copy of the memorandum.

In Reply Refer To:
Branch of Administrative Support
Mail Stop 403
Sunset Date: November 15, 2000

                                   December 8, 1999

WATER RESOURCES DIVISION POLICY MEMORANDUM NO.   2000.02

Subject:  Deletion of Water Resources Division Memorandums

In answer to Vice President Gore's plan to reduce regulations within the
Federal Government by at least 50 percent, the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS) appointed a regulations reduction team in 1995.  This team worked
diligently to evaluate every active Water Resources Division (WRD) policy
memorandum and recommend which memorandums should be deleted, which should
be maintained for historical purposes, and which should be reissued.

As a result of this team's efforts, attached you will find a complete list
of WRD Policy Memorandums and their status.  As indicated below, WRD easily
surpassed reducing active policy memorandums by 50 percent:

     Deleted             Historical           Current

      3,199                  154                  599

Each cost center should dispose of memorandums categorized as "delete" and
"historical."  WRD headquarters will continue to maintain "historical"
memorandums, but will also purge memorandums designated as "delete."
Memorandums designated as "current" should be kept until they are
superseded or you receive notification from the originating Branch Chief
that these memorandums are no longer valid.

In addition to your efforts in purging inactive memorandums, memorandums
classified as "current" have been distributed to the originating Branch
Chiefs for their review. The Branch Chiefs have been asked to either
reissue memorandums over 5 years old, or if the Branch Chief determines the
policy memorandum should not be reissued, send notice to delete these
memorandums.

As outlined in WRD Policy Memorandum No. 99.29, future WRD memorandums will
be issued with a "Sunset Date" which will give field offices authorization
to destroy memorandums as they expire.  To assure WRD is in full compliance
with Vice President Gore's Regulation Reduction Act by September 2000, our
goal is to have no active memorandums more than 5 years old and to assure
new memorandums are issued with Sunset Dates.

If you have questions or need further assistance, please contact Vicki Bass
(vtbass) at 703-648-5036.

                              /signed by Stephen E. Hammond, Acting/

                                   Catherine L. Hill
                                   Associate Chief Hydrologist for Program
Operations
Attachment

Distribution: AO, DC