BOEM Advances Mariana Trench Offshore Mineral Leasing Process

Today the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) ignored the voices of 60,000 public comments and announced the availability of the Proposed Leasing Notice (PLN) for seabed surrounding the Mariana Trench, marking a key step in selling off 69 million acres of the American seafloor to the mining industry (an area about the size of Nevada).

In response, Angelo Villagomez, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, issued the following comments:

“Trump’s attempt to mine the seabed of the Mariana Trench will only benefit far off corporate interests, while the people who call these islands home will be left with all the costs and none of the benefits. Any damage that happens from mining in this area presents permanent and irreversible risks to fragile ecosystems. The administration is again ignoring the overwhelming concerns voiced by the people and local governments.”

The proposed lease sale would allow mineral resource development in federal waters offshore the Mariana Islands, next to the Mariana Trench marine national monument. The Trump administration will only allow comments from one person, Governor David Apatang of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), who only has 60 days to review and comment on the proposed leasing notice before BOEM issues a Final Leasing Notice.

CNMI Governor Apatang told the AFP this month, “There have been no consultations with the people of the Northern Mariana Islands.”

A new video from the Center from American Progress criticized the leasing process as “resource colonialism.” The video includes interviews with Dr. Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka of Finafinau in American Samoa, and Dr. Steven Mana’oakamai Johnson of Cornell University and Angelo Villagomez, who are both from the Northern Mariana Islands.

BOEM currently proposes to hold the Pacific Mineral Lease Sale 2 (PACM-2) lease sale on December 16, 2026.