Public input is now being sought as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service advances a sweeping proposal to designate critical habitat for 22 native plants and animals across Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The agency has opened a public comment period through June 22, 2026, as it moves toward finalizing the rule by March 24, 2027.
The proposal identifies approximately 60,000 acres of forest, savanna, coastal, and wetland habitat across the archipelago as essential for the conservation of species found nowhere else in the world. The list includes endangered orchids, cycads, tree snails, butterflies, damselflies, Slevin’s skink, and the Pacific sheath‑tailed bat. All 22 species were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 2015.
According to Fish and Wildlife, the primary threats to listed species in the Mariana Islands include invasive species and habitat loss. Additional pressures stem from urban development, drought, wildfires, and natural events such as typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis—factors that continue to degrade or fragment the remaining native habitat.
Federal officials emphasized that a critical habitat designation does not change land ownership, grant public access, or automatically restrict private activities. Instead, it requires federal agencies to ensure that any action they fund, authorize, or carry out does not destroy or adversely modify habitat considered vital to species recovery.
Fish and Wildlife is also evaluating whether to exclude certain areas already managed under conservation agreements, including lands protected through watershed plans, species‑specific conservation areas, and the Joint Region Marianas Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan. Exclusions may be considered if the benefits of removing an area outweigh the benefits of including it, provided doing so would not risk extinction.
“We look forward to further engaging with the public during the open comment period from now until June 22, 2026,” the agency said.
Comments may be submitted at regulations.gov under docket FWS‑R1‑ES‑2024‑0194.
