FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 20, 2025
Hagåtña, Guam – On November 12, 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), a component of the U.S. Department of the Interior, issued a request for information soliciting interest for Commercial Leasing of the Outer Continental Shelf Minerals Offshore of the CNMI. This move is the first step in a process that could lead to a lease for the collection of minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore the CNMI. The target area is located east of the Marianas Trench National Marine Monument and extends to the waters between Rota and Guam. Together, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and CNMI Governor David Apatang are seeking more clarity and greater community engagement with the federal government on this issue moving forward.
“Little scientific research has been conducted on the ocean’s depths, including the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. There must be more scientific research to understand the true impacts of this form of mineral extraction,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. “We must come together and make our voices heard to ensure any decisions regarding the future of the waters of Guam and the CNMI are made with our best interests in mind.”
The Governments of Guam and the CNMI highly encourage the public, community leaders, community groups, environmental organizations, and anyone else interested in protecting our islands and the surrounding oceans to submit comments to BOEM expressing their concerns about the potential environmental, ecological, and economic impacts this initiative may have on our oceans and islands.
The current comment deadline is set for December 12, 2025, a 30-day comment window from the release of the RFI. The public can read the BOEM’s request for information on the Federal Register.
Although the Governments of Guam and the CNMI are working together to request an extension to this limited comment window, interested parties are encouraged to submit their comments before the current deadline in case the extension is denied. The public will be notified if an extension is granted. Members of the public may submit their comments through the following methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: Visit regulations.gov. In the search box at the top of the webpage, enter BOEM-2025-0351, then click “Search.” Follow the online instructions to submit public comments and view supporting and related materials.
2. By Mail: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Pacific Region, Office of Strategic Resources 760 Paseo Camarillo (CM 102) Camarillo, California 93010
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