Arial0000,0000,FFFF Dear all, As many of you know, the U.S. Navy is planning to conduct a major exercise called RIMPAC ("Rim of the Pacific") around the main Hawaiian Islands next month, from around July 1 through July 28. The exercise would involve a variety of activities with potential impacts on marine mammals, including gunnery and missile exercises, and as many as 532 hours of training with mid-frequency sonar and other active acoustics. NMFS has proposed giving the Navy an authorization for RIMPAC -- which would represent the first time "takes" from mid-frequency sonar are allowed under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act. The authorization would cover only significant behavioral effects and non-lethal injury, but (controversially) not strandings or mortalities. The deadline for public comments closed last week. I'd like to let everyone know that NRDC's comments are available at docs.nrdc.org/water/wat_06052401A.pdf. Arial0000,0000,FFFF Best, Michael Michael Jasny Natural Resources Defense Council 4479 W. 5th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6R1S4 604-736-9386 mjasny@telus.net Times New Roman1616,0909,2121PRIVILEGE 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 us at the above telephone number.