CPA renews plea for land transfer

Commonwealth Ports Authority Executive Director Carlos H. Salas has expressed hope that the Board of Public Lands would decide favorably on the agency’s request to transfer to CPA some 39 acres of land at Tanapag Harbor for the expansion of its seaport property.

The additional land area will be used to accommodate larger volume of cargo and materials as well as support future growth activities in the port.

Salas said the transfer would allow the ports authority maintain a cohesive and orderly plan for its future expansion.

Three years ago, the United States released to the CNMI government the leasehold interest in 39 acres of the 44-acre Covenant leaseback land at Tanapag Harbor.

Five acres were retained for the U.S. Army Reserve Center. Under the Covenant’s Technical Agreement Regarding Use of Land to be leased by the United States, the 44-acre leaseback area was intended to be used for “harbor-related” purposes.

With the completion of the $42 million Saipan Harbor Improvement Project, the CNMI is now equipped to market the Port of Saipan as a cargo transshipment port in the region.

As a result of the seaport expansion project, the Commonwealth now has 2,600 linear feet of berthing space capable of accommodating three to four large cargo or cruise vessels at the same time.

The new port is also equipped to handle large-scale stevedoring and terminal facility operation. It has a large container yard area for the storage of containerized cargoes, vehicles, and other commodities shipped into the Commonwealth, and is also equipped with dockside lighting for night-time terminal operations.