Dear All: Last Thursday, a federal court in California issued an order, to the U.S. Navy, requiring additional mitigation for mid-frequency sonar exercises off southern California. This ruling comes in response to a charge from the Court of Appeals last November, to prescribe mitigation that safeguards the environment while allowing the Navy to train. Among other things, the Navy is required to exclude sonar use from certain high-density marine mammal habitat; expand its shut-down zone; power down during surface ducting conditions; and employ additional monitoring measures. It is expected that the Navy will appeal. Please let me know if you'd like a copy of the decision. Cheers, Michael Michael Jasny Senior Policy Analyst Natural Resources Defense Council 4479 W. 5th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6R1S4 tel. 604-736-9386 fax 310-434-2399 mjasny@nrdc.org PRIVILEGE AND CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law as attorney-client and work-product confidential or otherwise confidential communications. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication or other use of a transmission received in error is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, immediately notify me at the above telephone number.