A group of students have started a petition asking the local and the federal government to look into the potential benefits of the proposed "National Park of the Sea." They went on KSPN 2 the other day to announce they they were going to start collecting signatures.The petition reads:
WE, the undersigned, would like the CNMI Government and the Federal Government to continue studying the possible benefits of a Mariana Trench Marine National Monument in the waters encompassing a portion of the Mariana Trench and the uninhabited islands of Asuncion, Maug, and Uracas. Such a Monument could bring positive international media attention to our shores, create local jobs, lead to the construction of a world class visitors center, lead to increase in research and education, and most importantly, protect our islands for our people now and for generations to come.