 Operation Northern Edge is an extremely important exercise that gives us guerrillas squatters an opportunity to train the joint battle space in one of the largest range complexes in the world. So we have a lot of ranges all across the country but nowhere like Alaska can we train in size and scale in large force exercises like we can in exercises like Northern Edge. The Gulf of Alaska's beautiful environment supports many important natural and cultural resources. This vast ecologically diverse area is home to many important bird, fish and marine mammal species. Alaskans depend on this unique region for commerce subsistence and recreational activities. It is also an important training area for the U.S. military. The Navy has safely trained here for more than 30 years alongside our partner military services. Every other year the Navy typically participates in the joint exercise known as Northern Edge. U.S. Pacific Air Forces hosts the exercise on the behalf of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. It takes place for about two to three weeks in the spring, summer or fall timeframe. The Navy's temporary training area during exercises is located beyond U.S. territorial waters or 12 nautical miles from shore to help reduce the potential to affect marine species and to minimize impacts to Alaska Native, commercial and recreational fishing. The Gulf of Alaska is an ideal training area for a number of reasons. It's close to existing Air Force and Army training areas. It has unique oceanographic conditions including a cold water training environment and it has a large space available to support complex realistic training scenarios. Northern Edge exercises are designed to replicate challenging real-world scenarios and prepare military personnel to respond to them. This includes providing humanitarian assistance, responding to global conflicts, defending against threats to homeland security and protecting freedom of the seas to ensure our country's economic prosperity. The skills needed to successfully respond to these scenarios are challenging to master and require a constant practice. Maritime training activities may include aircraft, ship and submarine operations, weapons training and qualifications, aerial surveillance training, submarine detection and location, and vessel searches and interdiction training. In some instances, training activities can include the use of sonar to locate objects underwater. Those frequency ranges are typically beyond the hearing threshold for most species of fish in this area. Training activities may also include the use of weapon systems and the use of explosives although they are typically not used in the underwater environment. Diverse and realistic training exercises in the real-world environment can better prepare sailors for what they will experience in combat or during emergency situations. It can ensure their success and survival. Being a good steward of the environment is an important part of the Navy's mission including when training in the Gulf of Alaska. Every few years the Navy re-analyses the potential environmental effects associated with continued activities in the Gulf of Alaska in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. This analysis supports authorizations required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. Our previous analyses determined these training activities would not have significant effect on the environment. Of note, the majority of potential effects to marine mammals would be temporary behavioral responses without injury or long-term impact. Typical examples include changes in vocalizations or changes in swim speed or direction. The Navy is committed to protecting the Gulf of Alaska's marine and coastal resources. Since 2009 the Navy has funded approximately six million dollars for marine species monitoring in the offshore waters of this area. This scientific research has helped the Navy develop a variety of mitigations to protect the marine environment during training activities. These mitigations were developed in consultation with regulatory agencies and with feedback received from the public, tribes and other key stakeholders. Protective measures include observing the area for marine mammal species prior to activities, hosting qualified lookouts on vessels and aircraft during an exercise, and limiting activities in geographic and seasonal mitigation areas. More information about the Navy's analysis of potential impacts during training activities can be found on our GOA EIS project website. To learn more about Navy-funded research in the marine environment, please visit the Navy's marine species monitoring site listed here.