Environmental enhancement plan junked

Governor Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday criticized the Legislature for its failure to specify a location and a workable mechanism for the proposed environmental enhancement archetype for Saipan.

The absence of this important elements forced Mr. Tenorio to toss back House Bill 12-30 to the Legislature without his approval.

The proposed measure seeks to appropriate $68,999 from the poker licensing machine fees to the environmental enhancement project.

Mr. Tenorio said regardless of the bill’s commendable intention, it fails to address certain questions and concerns that must be addressed before the proposal can be signed into law.

The governor also noted that the proposed measure gives the Department of Public Works the expenditure authority for the implementation of the plan without any concrete and specific guidelines.

“It is unclear whether an approved plan is in place, and whether the appropriate agencies were involved, or whether this is appropriation for purchase of landscaping materials and needed workforce as well as for a final environmental enhancement plan,” said the chief executive.

The bill also allows the use of funding without fiscal year limitation when locally-generated funds are subject to the provisions of the Planning and Budgeting Act which is a Commonwealth-wide law.

The governor also questioned the Legislature as to why it failed to get the inputs of Department of Lands and Natural Resources, the Department of Public Safety, and the Marianas Visitors Authority during the drafting of the bill.

He said proper landscaping will enhance the beauty of the island but must be done with public safety in mind, and by using available materials, equipment, and manpower resources.