Jul 17, 2026
On July 17th, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) disregarded 70,000 public comments and announced the Proposed Leasing Notice (PLN) for the American Samoa Outer Continental Shelf Pacific Mineral Lease Sale 1 (PACM-1).
The proposed lease sale would allow mineral resource extraction in federal waters offshore American Samoa. In an absurd sham of a public participation process, the Trump administration will only allow “public comment” from one person, the Governor of American Samoa, who only has 60 days to review and comment on the proposed leasing notice before BOEM issues a Final Leasing Notice
BOEM currently proposes to hold the PACM-1 lease sale on November 19, 2026.
The Proposed Leasing Notice and supporting information are available on BOEM's website for public review.
Link to pre-announcement:
Link to Environmental Assessment: Commercial Leasing for Minerals Offshore American Samoa Environmental Assessment
Island leaders in the America the Beautiful for All Coalition voiced opposition to this sell-out of the American seabed to industry:
“They can schedule a lease sale. They cannot lease our identity. The moana has never been just a place on a map or minerals beneath the sea floor. The moana is our first teacher, our source of life, and our greatest inheritance. We don't measure its worth by the minerals beneath it. We measure it by the families it feeds, the cultures it sustains, and the children it will one day nourish. It is where our stories begin, where our ancestors found their way, and where our children deserve to inherit abundance, not regret. Our home is not for sale.”
— Dr. Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka, Finafinau, American Samoa
“When decisions about our communities’ sacred waters and ecosystems are made in Washington without equal representation, it exposes the undemocratic system imposed across the U.S. territories. Our voices deserve to be heard. We refuse to be treated as a box to check instead of partners in decisions that affect our livelihoods and the future of our children. The people of the Marianas stand with American Samoa. Hands off our sacred seabed. Prutehi i Mattingan.”
— Maria Hernandez, Micronesia Climate Change Alliance, Guam.
“The proposed offshore mineral lease sale in American Samoa is a disappointing step in the wrong direction. For the people of the U.S. territories, the ocean is more than a resource to be extracted. It is a sacred ocean space that connects us to our culture, identity, and future. We stand with the communities of American Samoa who are calling for stewardship and self-determination, and we reject unilateral federal actions that threaten the health of our ocean and the rights of the people who depend on it.”
— Adi Martinez Roman, Right to Democracy, Puerto Rico
“Communities across the Pacific have made their voices clear: our ocean is not for sale. Yet instead of listening, BOEM is advancing a proposal that puts the interests of an extractive industry ahead of the people who depend on the ocean for our culture, livelihoods, and way of life. We are calling on people around the country to speak out against this proposed lease sale and join Pacific Islanders in demanding a different vision for our future, one rooted in stewardship, community leadership, and respect for the places that sustain us.”
— Sheila Babauta, Chair, Friends of the Mariana Trench
“This proposal is out of step with what communities actually want. Opposition to offshore mineral extraction is not limited to American Samoa or the Mariana Islands. Across the United States, people understand that our ocean is too important to gamble with for an industry that carries significant environmental risks and offers few clear public benefits. The waters around American Samoa support unique ecosystems, cultural traditions, and livelihoods that cannot be replaced once they are damaged. BOEM should be listening to the Pacific communities that have consistently spoken out against extractive activities in our ocean, rather than advancing a lease sale that lacks broad public support. Protecting the ocean is not a territorial issue. It's an American issue, and people across the country are standing with Pacific Islanders in calling for stewardship, not extraction.”
— Angelo Villagomez, Center for American Progress, Washington, DC
