JOINT STATUS REPORT AND ORDER

JAMES L. ROBART, District Judge.

Plaintiff SEA SHEPHERD LEGAL ("SSL") filed the above-captioned lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") against Defendant U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ("DOI"), seeking disclosure of certain documents. On August 6, 2019, the Court, at the parties' request, ordered the parties to (1) continue to work toward resolution of this matter without further judicial intervention and (2) submit a joint status report ("JSR") within the next 60 days. Dkt. No. 27.

Accordingly, the parties submit this JSR to notify the Court of their progress towards resolving this matter. The parties worked together to identify a subset of relatively recent records that may be responsive to SSL's FOIA request. DOI conducted a search and provided SSL with an index of approximately 1,600 documents, which constituted the universe of potentially responsive records yet to be produced. DOI then identified on the index which documents were non-responsive or were likely duplicative of records already produced. With this information, SSL identified which records it would like DOI to release in a prioritized production.

DOI's FOIA office intends to produce this narrowed set of documents on or before November 15, 2019, with the possible exception of a small number of documents that may have to be sent to another agency for consultation. At this time, the parties anticipate that, apart from attorneys' fees and costs, this production (including any disputes over associated withholdings or redactions) is the last substantive issue to be addressed regarding Plaintiff's FOIA claims.

For good cause, the parties respectfully request that they be allowed to submit a joint status report within the next 60 days. If at any time in the next 60 days it becomes apparent that resolution between the parties is not feasible, the parties will submit a joint briefing schedule to the Court,

SO STIPULATED.

SO STIPULATED.

ORDER

IT IS SO ORDERED.