Mariana Trench National Wildlife Refuge

June 21, 2023 

Contact: Ivan Vicente, 808-343-4064, or ivan_vicente@fws.gov 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service seeks public comment on  environmental assessment for cable Right-of-Way permits through Mariana Trench National Wildlife Refuge  

HONOLULU, Hawaii – RTI Solutions, Inc. has requested a Right-of-Way permit from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) to lay a telecommunications cable through the Mariana Trench National Wildlife Refuge. The cable, proposed to be laid directly on the seabed through the Refuge, would provide improved telecommunications interconnectivity between the western Pacific region and the continental U.S.  

The Service is seeking public review and comment on the draft environmental assessment (EA) that evaluates the effects of the Service issuing Right-of-Way permits for proposed submarine fiber optic telecommunications cables through the Refuge. The EA will be available for public comment from June 21 – July 21, 2023 (30 days). 

The Mariana Trench National Wildlife Refuge stretches approximately 940 nautical miles long and 38 NM wide along the Mariana Trench seafloor. The Service is evaluating the proposed telecommunications cable through the Refuge in consultation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Defense to ensure resource protection obligations are met. International treaties regulate submarine telecommunications cables and each new cable installation project requires its own comprehensive Environmental Assessment and engineering analysis specific to the proposed project. Programmatic EA’s are used when the actions under a specific program are routine actions done repeatedly and therefore are likely to have similar impacts that can be evaluated at a broad scale. This EA will address future BIFROST and SEA-US Cable Systems installations through the Refuge. 

All comments and information received by July 21, 2023 will be considered. The draft EA is available for review here: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/mariana-trench: Public comments on the draft EA can be submitted: 

● Via email: jihan_younis@fws.gov; or 

● Via mail to: Attn: Jihan Younis, Mariana Trench National Wildlife Refuge, 924 Micro Beach Road, Garapan, Saipan MP 96950 

All comments and materials we receive become part of the public record associated with this action. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information in your comments, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personally identifiable information—may be made publicly available at any time. 

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/pacific, or connect with us through any of these social media channels at www.facebook.com/PacificIslandsFWS, www.flickr.com/photos/usfwspacific/,  www.tumblr.com/blog/usfwspacific or www.twitter.com/USFWSPacific.