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House wants ban on interisland land swap back
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Posted on May 31 2008
The House of Representatives has passed legislation that would reinstate the ban on interisland land exchanges in the Commonwealth.
The Lower House voted unanimously to approve House Bill 16-14, which eliminates the sunset clause in an old law restricting the public land exchange program within the respective islands.
That law expired on June 1, 1997.
According to the lawmakers, it is necessary to re-enact this restriction because of “the unique characteristic of real property and the substantial number of private land taking yet to be compensated either through land exchange or monetary compensation.”
Hundreds of landowners are waiting for compensation from the government.
In 2003, the CNMI government floated a $40-million bond to settle private land acquisitions. Only $28 million of this amount was actually used for land compensation payments, with some claimants receiving millions of dollars apiece.
Land compensation cases involve private properties acquired for public purposes, such as road construction, utility easements, wetlands, and other public infrastructure.
