THE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is inviting the public to participate in the review process for the Mariana Trench National Marine Sanctuary nomination.
A public meeting will be held virtually this Thursday, March 31, 2022 to gather information that will facilitate the NOAA-ONMS’ review at the five-year interval since the nomination was originally added to the inventory on March 13, 2017.
The sanctuary nomination was made by U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan and Gov. Ralph DLG Torres in 2016.
The official nominating documents were written and submitted by the Friends of the Mariana Trench, an organization based on Saipan.
NOAA said it is not proposing to designate the Mariana Trench National Marine Sanctuary with this action.
Instead, NOAA is simply seeking public comment on the five-year review of the nomination for the proposed sanctuary.
The five-year review allows stakeholders to provide public comments and voice any changes to be made to the proposal.
NOAA will not respond to questions or comments during the public meeting.
Public comments should address the continued relevance of the nomination toward the 11 criteria for the sanctuary nomination process, and any new information that NOAA should consider about the nomination or the resources proposed for protection.
Following the public comment period, NOAA will review all written and oral comments received and conduct an analysis of the information to determine if the Mariana Trench continues to meet the 11 criteria for the sanctuary nomination process.
NOAA will then make a final determination on whether or not the Mariana Trench National Marine Sanctuary nomination will remain in the inventory.
The public virtual meeting hosted by the NOAA-ONMS will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Chamorro Standard Time on Thursday, March 31, 2022.
To register to attend this public virtual meeting, visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1179203552492044303
To send questions, comments, and feedback to NOAA-ONMS, contact Leila Hōkū Kaʻaekuahiwi Pousima at Leila.Kaaekuahiwi.Pousima@noaa.gov
The CNMI community has until April 25, 2022 to provide public comment on the five-year review of whether or not the local waters continue to meet the criteria for the National Marine Sanctuary designation.
