SAIPAN — Organizers of the Marianas Maritime Heritage Mapping Project say key parts of the effort will move forward despite the recent cancellation of federal grant funding from the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
The project team, which held community workshops in Saipan, Tinian, and Rota in July 2025, received notice last month that BOEM had terminated the study because it no longer aligned with the agency’s program goals or priorities, according to project leader Dr. Jennifer McKinnon, a maritime archaeology professor at East Carolina University.
McKinnon said the team was already halfway through the study at the time of the termination, and several major activities remain on track for completion next year, including maps of Marianas maritime sites, practices, and heritage.
“We have received notice that BOEM has cancelled our study as it no long aligns with their program goals or agency priorities. We were saddened by this, as we all, including the people of The Marianas, have put a lot of effort into the program,” McKinnon said. “However, we’re pleased to let the community know that we were already halfway through the study program when it was terminated, so several of the activities, including the creation of maritime heritage maps, are still on track for completion by next year.”
The team plans to return to the Marianas in March 2026 so community members can review and verify the compiled maps before they are finalized. McKinnon said the goal is to produce “a resource for the people, by the people.” With the BOEM grant cancelled, she added, the maps will remain in the Marianas and no longer need to be submitted to the agency.
The project is partnering with the Northern Marianas Humanities Council to make the maps accessible through online StoryMaps, an interactive mapping platform. The partnership with Chamolinian Cultural Village Inc. (CCVI) will also continue, including support for cultural activities related to maritime heritage such as dance and other practices.
“We are grateful for the commitment of Jen, (maritime archeologist) Maddie Roth, and the team for continuing to bring these maps and related activities to completion, despite the grant cancellation,” said CCVI chairman Gordon Marciano. “We look forward to giving feedback on the maps next March and will be inviting the community to again come out at that time to help document and strengthen this important part of our history, culture, and daily lifestyle…our ocean knowledge.”
The Marianas Maritime Heritage Mapping Project is part of the broader “Maritime Heritage of the U.S. Pacific Islands” study. The maps will form a community-controlled database intended to inform local communities and the federal government about heritage sites that could be affected by federal actions. Activities that will not be completed because of the termination include “Best Practices” workshops and a document that would have outlined community recommendations for how federal agencies should engage with the islands when planning projects. Required grant reports on the mapping program, maps, and database will also no longer be submitted to BOEM. McKinnon said the team may revisit those components if alternative funding becomes available.
McKinnon has led other research projects in the Marianas, including the WWII Underwater Maritime Heritage Trail: Battle of Saipan, which is available as an online StoryMap.
