From: tturrini@akutuq.igc.apc.org (Tony Turrini)
 Subject: National Wildlife Federation Urges Clinton By E-mail
 Reply-To: tturrini@cdp.igc.org
 Organization: National Wildlife Federation
 Date: Fri, 21 Jan 1994 20:23:55 GMT
 
 The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has asked President Clinton to
 issue an Executive Order directing all agencies of the federal government
 to establish processes for accepting on-line comments to public notices.
 A copy of NWF's request follows.  Please express support by sending your
 comments to president@whitehouse.gov -- Bill Clinton's e-mail address.
 You can obtain further information about NWF's Request for Action
 regarding the Administration's "Alaska Wetlands Initiative" by sending
 e-mail to: alaska-wetlands-info@igc.apc.org
 
 
 OPEN LETTER
 
 The Honorable Bill Clinton
 The White House
 
 Re:         White House Policy Formulation on Electronic Mail
                Communications
 
 Dear President Clinton:
 
 Vice President Gore's vision of the future is upon us.  The "information
 highway" has reached the White House doorstep and now demands your
 leadership and attention in developing new, robust, and "user-friendly"
 federal policy on electronic mail communications.  I urge you to get
 ahead of the information curve and to formulate guidance --perhaps
 through Executive Order-- directing all federal agencies to develop
 processes for accepting on-line comments to public notices.
 
 The debate on how the federal government treats electronic mail
 communications from the public is no longer academic.  At this moment,
 the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
 are unresolved on how to handle public comments being received from
 around the country on the Administration's "Alaska Wetlands Initiative."
 The decision on whether or not the agencies accept these comments has
 --as you can imagine-- ramifications reaching far beyond this narrow
 issue and promises to touch all levels of government.
 
 Mr. President, you are standing on the threshold of one of the most
 exciting periods in our Nation's history.  By embracing policies that
 promote and encourage electronic communication, you will demonstrate
 unequivocally your commitment to "reinventing government," you will take
 a meaningful and significant stride forward in fostering development of
 a national electronic infrastructure, you will reduce enormously our
 insatiable paper consumption and thereby promote an environmentally-
 sound and sustainable agenda, and you will articulate a position that
 will resonate positively with Americans across the country who --as you
 know-- strongly desire to provide a greater voice in shaping the future
 of our country.
 
 Sincerely yours,
 
 Jay D. Hair
 National Wildlife Federation