Definition of an E-Mail Record

E-mail messages are records when:

They are made or received by APHIS under Federal law or in connection with the transaction of public business; and

They are preserved or are appropriate for preservation as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the Government or because of the informational value of data in them.

Examples as applied to e-mail you send:

• It is a substantive message
• It has to do with the work of your office
• The content will be needed in future years in order for you to do your job
• It supports decisions that were made in your program area
• It will be needed by others for operational, fiscal, or legal purposes