Dear Mr. Secretary:

At the beginning of this Administration, President Obama placed significant emphasis on the importance of scientific integrity in his Administration's policies and practices. In the President's March 9, 2009 Memorandum tor the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, he stated that "[t]he public must be able to trust the science and scientific process infonning public policy decisions." Additionally, on December 27,2010, Director John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, issued a memorandum on scientific integrity consistent with the President's memorandum. Director Holdren's memo specifically instructs agencies to develop a policy that will ensure a "culture of scientific integrity."

In January 2011, you issued a new policy to "ensure and maintain the integrity and scholarly activities used in Departmental decision making." As you are aware, the new policy intended to "ensure that the selection and retention of employees in scientific and scholarly positions ... are based on the candidate's integrity, knowledge, credentials, and experience relevant to the responsibility of the position." A Department of the Interior presentation on the new policy states that the principles of the Department's new policy include encouraging scientists to communicate openly, and reinforce principles of whistle blower protection. '

Read the entire letter HERE.