(2013-0915-F) Todd Stern's Correspondence 1999-2001

24 folders, 138 pages

This collection consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence from the White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) system for files received and sent by Todd Stern, a close advisor to President Clinton, in the final years of Clinton’s presidency. The records include the Climate Change Weekly Reports written by Stern for the period January-May 1999. A wealth of information about the emerging and topic of climate change can be gleaned from the papers—press coverage, diplomatic situation, congressional action, and scientific evidence vis-à-vis the subject at hand. The collection includes extensive handwritten comments by President Clinton. The material located here includes reports, memoranda, correspondence, notes, newspaper articles, and drafts.

The materials in FOIA 2013-0915-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. FOIA 2013-0915-F contains records primarily focusing on the issue of climate change during the Clinton administration. Todd Stern served as Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary in the White House for the period 1993-1998. In that capacity he also acted as senior negotiator at the Kyoto Protocol and Buenos Aires talks, both of which dealt with climate change. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appointed him United States Special Envoy for Climate Change in 2009. White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) Subject Files contain the only records responsive to this particular FOIA request. The majority of the records are Climate Change Weekly Reports authored by Todd Stern. They cover the period January 16-May 29, 1999 and take the form of 2-3 page summaries with, in most cases, extensive comments by President Clinton. Topics highlighted here include editorials in the press about climate change, the diplomatic situation concerning international emissions and the urgency showed by specific countries in meeting viable safeguards, congressional action aimed at working around the Kyoto Protocol, and scientific evidence of the harmful effects of global warming such as certain species of animals becoming nearly extinct. In addition to the weekly reports, correspondence, memoranda, and newspaper articles are also responsive. Included in these records are congratulatory messages from the Clintons, and memos to Chief of Staff John Podesta detailing the proposed race book.

Textual

Records that were responsive to this request were found in these collection areas—Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM-Subject File-General. The White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) contain a variety of series created to organize and track documents and correspondence. The WHORM Subject File was compiled by the White House Office of Records Management and is a series of categories designated by a letter/number combination. WHORM Files are processed at the document level.

Collection is open to all researchers. Access to Clinton Presidential Records is governed by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. Chapter 22, as amended) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended) and therefore records may be restricted in whole or in part in accordance with legal exemptions.

Official records of William Jefferson Clinton’s presidency are housed at the Clinton Presidential Library and administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act (PRA).

Staff Archivist, 2013. Previously restricted materials are added as they are released.

The following is a list of documents processed in response to 2013-0915-F:
Box 1
Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM: Subject File
Category Case Number
FG006-01 310821
HU010 317249SS
ME001 407146
ME001-02 303318
418721
ME001-04 293105
PP 423319
PR010 417594
SC 289514SS
289751
290494SS
293364SS
294615SS
295525SS
296136SS
297623SS
298479SS
299537SS
301558SS
303079SS
303874SS
304758SS
305564SS
306232SS