The National Security Agency has 46 million pages of historically valuable classified records more than 25 years old that are subject to automatic declassification by the end of December 2006, according to a new NSA declassification plan.

Another 4.5 million pages of 25 year old records have been categorically exempted from automatic declassification because they “contain information relating to our core capabilities and vulnerabilities.”

The millions of pages that are subject to “automatic declassification” this year “will require close and careful review,” the NSA said.

But NSA “is committed to declassifying national security information as instructed in Executive Order 12958, as amended. The Agency will use all available resources to successfully accomplish the provisions of the E.O. within the required time.”

A copy of the new NSA declassification plan was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by researcher Mike Ravnitzky.

See “NSA/CSS Declassification Plan for Executive Order 12958,” Memorandum for Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Counterintelligence & Security), January 5, 2006.