FEE WAIVERS
We may grant you a fee waiver when disclosure is in the public interest because it is likely
to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the
government, and it is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester. Following the Interior Department's rules and the guidance provided by the Department of Justice, all fee waiver requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis under the applicable criteria for fee waivers. Under those criteria, non-profit or not-for-profit status does not entitle a requester to a fee waiver.
There is no "blanket fee waiver." Receiving a fee waiver does not entitle you to a fee
waiver on future requests. Fee waiver requests must include a justification addressing the
following:
SUBJECT OF THE REQUEST. Explain how the requested information concerns the
operations or activities of the government; specifically, will it significantly contribute to the
public's understanding of OSM's operations or activities.
CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING. Explain how disclosure will inform
the public, rather than the requester or a small segment of interested persons.
Demonstrate the ability and intent to distribute information in a manner informative to the
general public. Describe your qualifications, the nature of the research, the purpose of the
requested information, and the intended means of dissemination.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING. Explain
how disclosure will contribute previously unknown facts, or new, meaningful information
about OSM's operations and activities, thereby enhancing public knowledge, and how the
information is not already available to the general public.
COMMERCIAL INTEREST. Explain why disclosure of the information is not primarily in
your commercial interest.
EXAMPLES OF INSUPPORTABLE FEE WAIVER REQUESTS.
