THE U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has extended the public comment period on the request for information and indications of interest for a potential minerals lease sale offshore the CNMI.
BOEM stated on its website that the comment period is now extended until 11:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 12, 2026, in response to a request from the governors of the CNMI and Guam.
Last month, Gov. David M. Apatang stressed the importance of public participation in the process, noting that community engagement will ensure the voices and interests of the people of the CNMI are heard and considered in any future federal actions regarding seabed mineral exploration or development.
Also last month, Delegates Kimberlyn King-Hinds of the CNMI and James C. Moylan of Guam strongly urged BOEM to give the Marianas people an additional 120 days to comment on plans for deep-sea mining in U.S. waters.
The delegates told BOEM Acting Director Matthew Giacona that the decision to limit the comment and indications-of-interest period to 30 days “risks undermining our island communities’ ability to provide accurate and comprehensive feedback.” Without an extension, they said, BOEM “seriously risks making a decision without a true understanding of the impact.”
BOEM announced key developments in its offshore critical minerals planning on Nov. 10, 2025, including the completion of Area Identification offshore American Samoa and the release of a request for information for the CNMI. The federal agency described these as significant progress in efforts to responsibly evaluate leasing opportunities for critical minerals on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf, supporting U.S. manufacturing, national security, and economic resilience.