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Office sought to manage parks
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Posted on Jan 21 1999
A bill pending at the House of Representatives will seek the creation of a government office to oversee public parks on the island and impose fees on the use of the sites for repair and maintenance of facilities.
The proposed office will still be part of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources which, under the existing law, is the lead agency supervising various parks in the CNMI.
The Division of Parks and Recreation will be provided authority to undertake landscaping, beautification of these parks, while assess fees to generate its own revenues, according to the measure proposed by Rep. Oscar Babauta.
In a review of the legislation by the House Natural Resources Committee, members said the DLNR currently has not enough manpower to continue performing its functions on these public parks whose number has increase since 1979.
“(T)he maintenance of those parks has become increasingly difficult without the authority to charge fees, promulgate regulations and enforcement of regulations,” the committee said in its report.
Lawmakers also maintained that an absence of a single government entity to look after these sites may result to destruction and improper use of available recreational facilities and other amenities built by the government.
The proposed division “is the most appropriate agency to charge with such powers and duties,” the report said, adding that its staff will still have to report to the DLNR secretary for proper disposition of its functions.
Among employees to be hired by the division will be park rangers who will be given police powers to enforce laws as well as rules and regulations adopted by the office, according to the measure.
The bill is expected to be deliberated by the House in its next session, although the committee is pressing for its immediate passage on first and final reading.
