How do I submit a public comment on Commercial Leasing for Outer Continental Shelf Minerals Offshore?

The public comment window for this decision closed on January 12, 2026. The record of what was at stake stays on this page.

When is the public comment deadline for Commercial Leasing for Outer Continental Shelf Minerals Offshore?

The comment window closed on January 12, 2026.

Do public comments actually change federal decisions?

Yes, when they are substantive. Agencies are legally required to read and respond to substantive comments before finalizing a rule, and specific personal comments about real places and real uses carry far more weight than identical form letters. Courts have overturned rules when agencies ignored substantive comments.

Affects public lands

Stop Commercial Leasing for Outer Continental Shelf Minerals Offshore

Commercial Leasing for Outer Continental Shelf Minerals Offshore the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands-Request for Information and Interest; Extension of Comment Period and Technical Correction

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management· Outer Continental Shelf offshore Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana IslandsFederal Register 2025-22833 ↗

Mining Offshore Ocean

Open water on the Outer Continental Shelf off Virginia (BOEM photo) · public land, held in trust for you

BOEM's extending the public comment period by 30 days for a request for information and interest (RFI) about potential mineral leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf near the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The agency's also correcting a technical error in how the lease area was described. This affects federal offshore waters near CNMI and could involve future seabed mineral extraction activity in that region.

In the agency’s own words

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces a 30- day extension of the comment period for the request for information and interest (RFI) for leasing of the Outer Continental Shelf minerals in and around an area offshore the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), referred to as the RFI Area. BOEM also provides a technical correction in the description of the RFI Area.

Federal Register 2025-22833 ↗

The reporting behind this

From More Than Just Parks

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We’re Headed to the TongassAug 22, 2026

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