Dear All, Today NOAA announced a new initiative to potentially mitigate harm from U.S. Navy mid-frequency sonar, and from other sources of ocean noise as well. The announcement, which comes in a letter from Dr. Lubchenco (NOAA Administrator) to Nancy Sutley (Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality), is available at www.nrdc.org/media/docs/100119.pdf. The letter specifies that NOAA will conduct a series of workshops (1) to learn more about marine mammal "hotspots," particularly through available predictive habitat models; (2) to develop a plan for assessing the cumulative environmental impacts of sonar, oil exploration, and other sources of intense ocean noise; and (3) to improve marine mammal monitoring on the Navy's ranges. Based on the results of these workshops, the agency will consider additional measures to reduce harm from sonar, in future rulemakings and authorizations under the MMPA. In addition, the agency expresses an interest in conducting comprehensive, multipurpose surveys for marine mammals and sea turtles; and it notes its participation in ongoing negotiations over sonar mitigation between the Navy and NRDC. NOAA puts a good deal of emphasis in the letter on habitat identification and avoidance, stating that "Protecting important marine mammal habitat is generally recognized to be the most effective mitigation measure currently available." It's worth noting, of course, that today's announcement is only a plan and not a prescription, and much will depend on what happens over the next year. Cheers, Michael Michael Jasny Senior Policy Analyst Natural Resources Defense Council 4479 W. 5th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6R1S4 tel. 604-736-9386 mob. 310-560-5536 fax. 310-434-2399 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 communication. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify us at the above telephone number.