Marianas and Territorial Leaders Urge Governor Apatang to Oppose Deep Seabed Mining Lease Sale; Launch Letter Campaign
Environmental and community leaders from the Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have sent a letter to Governor David M. Apatang urging him to formally oppose the federal government’s proposed deepseabed mining lease sale near the Northern Mariana Islands.
The coalition is asking Governor Apatang to use the authority provided under 30 C.F.R. § 581.16 before the October 19, 2026 deadline to recommend that the U.S. Secretary of the Interior:
Suspend or terminate the current leasing process for the Northern Mariana Islands Outer Continental Shelf Pacific Mineral Lease Sale, PACM-2;
Decline to issue the Final Leasing Notice; and
Cancel the proposed December 16, 2026 lease sale.
The letter also urges the Apatang administration to meet with coalition members, conduct public education and outreach across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, solicit community input, include technical comments from relevant CNMI agencies in its formal submission, and request additional time for meaningful public participation.
Moreover, the coalition in the letter referenced the governor’s previously stated commitments to precautionary scientific rigor, mandatory fishery protections, equitable economic and infrastructure terms, and active territorial co-management. The letter also confronts the harms of the federal government’s record of unilateral action on the environment in the territories.
More than 65,000 comments opposing the federal proposal were submitted during an earlier stage of the process. Separately, a community petition opposing the imposition of deep seabed mining near the Mariana Trench has now gathered more than 6,000 signatures.
The letter also marks the launch of a broader public advocacy campaign on ActionNetwork.org to mobilize opposition to deep-seabed mining in the Marianas. Through the campaign, community members and allies can add their names, share information with their networks, and call on Governor Apatang to formally recommend an immediate halt to PACM-2 before the October 19 deadline.
Community members can access the campaign and send letters at the following link: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-deep-sea-mining-in-the-marianas?source=direct_link&
“Consultation and engagement do not equal consent or approval,” the coalition wrote. “We deserve to exercise our human right to free, prior, and informed consent, and a meaningful seat at the table must include the ability to say no.”
The letter highlights the importance of the Marianas’ seamounts, hydrothermal vents, and abyssal plains to deep sea ecosystems and biodiversity. These ancient, interconnected habitats cycle nutrients, support marine food webs, and provide food security for the region. They help regulate the climate and sustain the peoples of our archipelago. Mining them could cause the extinction of vulnerable species, contamination from heavy metals and radioactive materials, damage to fisheries, and induce irreparable harm to fragile biodiversity.
Imposing deep seabed mining without the consent of the CNMI government and its people would undermine the principle of mutual consent embodied in the CNMI Covenant and raise fundamental questions about the Commonwealth’s ability to shape decisions affecting its waters and people.
The letter was signed by representatives of Micronesia Climate Change Alliance; Right to Democracy; From Luta, For Luta.
The coalition has offered to support the Apatang administration in opposing deep seabed mining in the Marianas and is requesting a meeting to discuss its concerns.
Share this article:
