Office of Presidential Libraries; Proposed Disposal of Clinton Administration Electronic Backup Tapes, 22926 [05-8765]

Agencies

• National Archives and Records Administration

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 22926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-8765]


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NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION


Office of Presidential Libraries; Proposed Disposal of Clinton 
Administration Electronic Backup Tapes

AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

ACTION: Presidential Records Act notice of proposed disposal of Clinton 
Administration backup tapes containing redundant information; request 
for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has 
identified Clinton backup tapes, housed at the National Archives at 
College Park, Maryland, as appropriate for disposal under the 
provisions of 44 U.S.C. 2203(f)(3). This notice describes the 
Presidential record information on these backup tapes and our reasons 
for determining that these backup tapes have insufficient 
administrative, historical, informational, or evidentiary value to 
warrant their continued preservation. NARA is maintaining the 
Presidential record information on these backup tapes on a different 
set of electronic media. NARA will review timely public comments 
received on this notice before making a final determination on the 
disposal of the records.

DATES: Comments are due by June 17, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments regarding the proposed disposal of these 
Presidential records must be sent in writing to Sharon K. Fawcett, 
National Archives and Records Administration, Suite 2200, 8601 Adelphi 
Road, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001; or by fax to 301-837-3199; or 
by e-mail to sharon.fawcett@nara.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharon K. Fawcett at 301-837-3250.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NARA proposes the disposition of 9,193 
backup tapes created during the Clinton Administration by White House 
Communications Agency (WHCA) staff because NARA has determined that 
they lack continuing administrative, historical, informational or 
evidentiary value. The tapes contain duplicate versions of classified 
electronic records for a small number of staff members in the Clinton 
Administration National Security Council, consisting primarily of 
electronic calendar data. NARA will continue to retain on other 
electronic media a full set of copies of the Presidential records on 
the backup tapes proposed for disposal.
    During the Clinton Administration, a very small number of NSC staff 
(and their secretaries) continued to use older software known as PROFS, 
primarily to maintain electronic calendars and call logs, including for 
the scheduling of daily activities and appointments. PROFS 
(Professional/Office Vision software) was an IBM proprietary office 
management tool available to NSC staff and supported by WHCA. NSC staff 
maintaining PROFS calendars and call logs included the Assistants to 
the President for National Security, their Deputies, members of the NSC 
Office of the Executive Secretary, and certain additional NSC staff. 
All NSC staff separately used the NSC Classified E-mail System known as 
``A-1'' or ``All-in-One,'' later migrated to Microsoft Mail and 
Microsoft Schedule, as their primary e-mail system. NARA has copies of 
all NSC Classified E-mail and Calendars maintained on this latter NSC 
e-mail system in a separate series of Clinton Presidential records that 
are being retained permanently.
    Throughout the eight years of the Clinton Administration, WHCA 
prepared periodic backup tapes of the PROFS system. The periodic 
backups captured data from the entire system, i.e., each new backup 
copied new data plus cumulative data already captured on prior backups 
(including data in closed accounts representing former staff in 
previous Administrations). The backups also contain nonrecord software 
and systems information captured by NSC and WHCA's disaster recovery 
operation at the time of tape creation.
    For backup tapes created during the time period between January 20, 
1993 and March 28, 1994, all PROFS notes, documents, calendars and call 
log information on the tapes were made subject to a tape restoration 
project (TRP) conducted in response to stipulations and orders entered 
in the case of Armstrong v. Executive Office of the President, Civ. No. 
89-0142 (D.D.C.), and NARA will continue to retain these records. (The 
PROFS notes and documents function was only in use through June 30, 
1993, and all such e-mails have been restored.) Similarly, all legacy 
data (notes, documents, calendars, and call logs) from previous 
Administrations also were restored pursuant to the Armstrong TRP. Both 
the restored Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush PROFS records and the 
separately preserved Reagan and Bush era backup tapes are maintained by 
NARA as separate collections and are not the subject of this proposed 
disposal.
    In addition, NARA will permanently retain multiple preservation 
copies of the January 19, 2001, backup tape created by WHCA containing 
cumulative data from the entire eight year span of the Clinton 
Administration on this system. NARA also is retaining a comprehensive 
``snapshot'' in electronic form of all calendar data and call logs 
contained on the January 19, 2001, backup tape of the records of five 
high-level NSC officials (Anthony Lake, Samuel Berger, Nancy Soderberg, 
Donald Kerrick, and James Steinberg) during the entirety of their 
service in the Clinton Administration.
    Although the materials are currently classified and are otherwise 
subject to access restrictions imposed by the Presidential Records Act 
(44 U.S.C. 2204(a)), NARA will be able to respond to future access 
requests for the electronic calendars, call logs, and e-mail of high-
level NSC officials, both as restored in response to litigation and as 
contained on the snapshot being retained from the last day of the 
Clinton Administration. Because NARA already retains all of the records 
of archival value, these 9,193 backup tapes do not warrant permanent 
retention and are disposable.
    This notice does not constitute a final agency action as described 
in 44 U.S.C. 2203(f)(3) and no Presidential records will be disposed of 
following this notice. NARA will publish a second notice in the Federal 
Register only after it has considered any comments received during this 
45-day comment period. The second, 60-day notice will constitute a 
final agency action in the event NARA proceeds with disposal.

    Dated: April 27, 2005.
Sharon K. Fawcett,
Acting Assistant Archivist for Presidential Libraries.
[FR Doc. 05-8765 Filed 5-2-05; 8:45 am]
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