Evaluation Criteria
- Links must be consistent with sound public policy and support the mission
of DOI and/or the bureaus and their programs.
- If DOI and/or the bureaus have a formal relationship with organizations
or businesses, the DOI or bureau Web sites may link to their sites. All
participating partners in a business venture with and/or the bureaus must
be treated equally.
- Links to commercial sites must avoid even the perception of favoritism
or bias relative to other similar commercial sites. If other sites
exist which offer similar products, information, or services there must
be a link to all sites or none.
- DOI and the bureaus must regularly review the quality and usefulness
of the sites to which they link. However, DOI and/or the bureaus
cannot be responsible for the content or privacy policies of those sites,
as noted in the Disclaimer of Endorsement below.
- Web sites that are separate from DOI and/or the bureaus, but which are
funded or supported in whole or in part by DOI and/or the bureaus, are
considered part of DOI and/or the bureaus’ overall web presence. Therefore
direct links from DOI and/or the bureaus' Web sites to these sites can
be provided without notification or disclaimer.
Links to Non-Federal Web sites
- All links and pointers to sites that are not part of the U.S. Federal
Government are considered "non-Federal links". DOI and
bureau Web sites will attempt to disclaim these “non-Federal” Web
sites to the citizen.
- In rare instances, DOI and bureau Web sites may link to Web sites that
are not government-owned or government-sponsored if these Web sites provide
government information and/or services in a way that is not available on
an official government Web site. DOI and the bureaus provide
these non-government websites as a public service only. The U.S.
Government, including the Department of the Interior, neither endorses
nor guarantees in any way the external organizations, services, advice,
or products included in these Web site links. Furthermore, the U.S. Government
neither controls nor guarantees the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or
completeness of the information contained in non-government Web site links.
Disclaimer of Endorsement
- The inclusion of links and pointers to Web sites is not intended to assign
importance to those sites or to the information contained on those sites.
It is also not intended to endorse or recommend any views expressed or
products or services offered on these sites.
- DOI and the bureaus do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance,
timeliness or completeness of information contained on a linked Web site.
- DOI and the bureaus do not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked
Web sites, nor the views they express or the products/services they offer.
- DOI and the bureaus cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials
contained in linked Web sites. Visitors must request such authorization
from the sponsor of the linked Web site.
- DOI and the bureaus are not responsible for any communications visitors
receive from linked Web sites.
- DOI and the bureaus do not guarantee that outside Web sites comply with
Section 508 (Accessibility Requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act.
Prohibitions
- DOI and the bureaus will not link to any Web site that exhibits hate,
bias, or discrimination.
- DOI and the bureaus reserve the right to deny or remove any link that
contains misleading information or unsubstantiated claims, or is determined
to conflict with DOI and/or the bureaus' mission or policies.
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