Public comment sought on Marianas Trench Monument’s draft plan

NOAA Fisheries and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with the CNMI Department of Land and Natural Resources, have prepared a draft management plan and environmental assessment for the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument. The draft plan and EA is available for public comment from Feb. 24 to May 25, 2021.  

“We are pleased to share the draft management plan with the community to receive their input and help to refine the proposed management activities,” said Marianas Trench Marine National Monument USFWS superintendent Tammy Summers. “The resources and wildlife protected by the Monument are incredible and this management plan will help protect them for future generations.” 

The plan defines agency management roles and responsibilities and lays out the goals, objectives, and proposed management activities for the Monument for the next 15 years. The environmental assessment evaluates the potential impacts of implementing the proposed management actions. 

The draft management plan was prepared with input from the Marianas Trench Advisory Council and public comments received during the public scoping meetings held in the CNMI and Guam in 2012.  During the public comment period, the agencies are planning virtual public meetings for Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and Guam. 

“We are pleased to share the draft management plan for public review and look forward to receiving input from the CNMI and Guam communities and the public at large,” said Dr. Malia Chow, branch chief, Marine National Monuments Program, NOAA Fisheries. “This is a tremendous opportunity to provide input on the management, research, and education and outreach activities for this special Marine National Monument.” 

The Monument protects about 95,126 square miles of submerged lands, waters, and islands in the Mariana Archipelago. It includes three units: The Islands Unit, which contains the submerged lands and waters extending 50 nautical miles from the shorelines of the three northernmost Mariana Islands of Farallon de Pajaros, Maug, and Asuncion; the Volcanic Unit/Arc of Fire Refuge with 21 submerged volcanoes; and the Trench Unit/Refuge, which includes the submerged lands within the Mariana Trench.  

Mariana Trench is the deepest place on Earth, deeper than Mount Everest is tall and five times longer than the Grand Canyon. The trench includes some 50,532,102 acres that are virtually unknown to humans. This vast and unique area is part of the Ring of Fire that encircles most of the Pacific Ocean. The Volcanic Unit/Arc of Fire Refuge—an arc of undersea mud volcanoes and thermal vents—supports unusual life forms in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. In the Islands Unit, unique reef habitats support marine biological communities dependent on basalt rock foundations, unlike those throughout the remainder of the Pacific. These reefs and waters are among the most biologically diverse in the Western Pacific and include the greatest diversity of seamount and hydrothermal vent life yet discovered. The CNMI maintains all authority for managing the three islands within the Islands Unit (Farallon de Pajaros, Maug, and Asuncion) above the mean low water line. 

An electronic copy of the draft management plan and EA are available by visiting the Federal Register, NOAA Fisheries website, or USFWS Marianas Trench Marine National Monument website.

To submit written comments, use one of the following methods:           

• Go to regulations.gov and select NOAA-NMFS-2021-0003. Click Comment Now!, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. 

To request additional information, use one of the following methods: 

• Visit the Notice of Availability. 

• Review the NOAA Fisheries and FWS Marianas Trench Marine National Monument websites: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/notice-availability-marianas-trench-marine-national-monument-draft-management-plan-and and https://www.fws.gov/refuge/mariana_trench_marine_national_monument/. 

For additional information about the Monument, contact Summers by email at tammy_summers@fws.gov (Include “draft MMP/EA” in the subject line) or by U.S. Mail: Superintendent, Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, P.O. Box 8134 MOU-3, Dededo, GU 96912.

After March 1, contact Summers at (671) 355-5096, ext. 104. 

In order to be considered, comments on the draft management plan must be received on or before May 25, 2021. All comments and materials received become part of the public record associated with this action.  (PR)