House holds off plan to’localize’ park administration

The House Natural Resources Committee has withheld action on a bill seeking local control of the American Memorial Park to give time to Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio’s plan to develop the recreational site with a proposed $2 million loan.

“We have decided to put it on hold for a while to give an opportunity for the task force created by the governor to work on their development plan and to discuss various concerns,” said committee chair Rep. Manuel A. Tenorio in an interview yesterday.

Offered by Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez, the measure will empower the governor to request the U.S. Department of the Interior to transfer administration of the federally-owned hectares of land on central Saipan to the Commonwealth.

This will effectively remove federal funding in the upkeep and maintenance of the park grounds and facilities, according to the National Park Service or NPS, which has jurisdiction on the property.

Senate Bill 11-126 or the American Memorial Park Transfer Act of 1999 was passed by the upper house last month, but has been tossed to the Natural Resources Committee for deliberation before the House of Representatives vote on the proposal.

The panel tackled the bill at length on Tuesday following submission of the comment from NPS Superintendent Karen Gustin, who has recommended that the present set-up of joint collaboration between Washington and the CNMI remain.

The present financial woes facing the Northern Marianas have convinced committee members to delay decision on the bill as local supervision would entail huge costs and responsibilities, including training of park rangers.

“Funding is our primary concern,” the NR chairman explained, noting that lack of funds could endanger the resources of the park. “We don’t want that to happen. The American Memorial Park should be protected.”

Premature move: Rep. Oscar M. Babauta, a member of the committee, echoed Tenorio’s concerns that it may be premature to take over park administration, citing difficulties by the local government to set aside enough funds for the continued operations of some vital public services.

“Can the government afford it at this time, given our economic conditions when revenues continue to decline?” he asked.

Another member, Rep. Melvin Faisao, called for cooperation between local and federal officials on the administration of the park, but believed that the CNMI should have the lone discretion on what activities could be done within its perimeter.

“It’s a noble intention that will uphold the Covenant provisions on self-government and the U.S. administration must live up to its commitment to help us financially,” he told a separate interview.

Both legislators, however, threw support behind local efforts to infuse additional funds for future improvement and development projects despite the “bigger, more complicated” issues involved such as land sovereignty and legal rights of the Commonwealth.

“The next best thing for us to do is to let the present activities go on,” Babauta said, adding the governor’s plan may yet provide better leverage for the island to press the takeover proposal in the next few years.

Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan last week disclosed plan by the Tenorio administration to undertake major facelift of the American Memorial Park which will be financed through the proceeds from the proposed $2 million bond float by the Commonwealth Development Authority and the Marianas Public Land Trust.

Anticipated to be completed before 2001, the plan covers improvement of the nature trail as well as construction of a track and field oval and a flower-bearing garden to be called the Marianas Memorial Garden within the park grounds.