Signatures gathered for Kagman park

Kagman Youth Association leaders gathered almost 300 signatures from the village’s youngsters to lobby for the signing into law of House Bill 12-25 which will create a dream park from a 27-hectare public land in Kagman.

The youth leaders are circulating petitions in an effort to persuade Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio to sign into law HLB 12-25 rather than giving the land away to few farmers for 10-15 farm plots as is currently planned by the Secretary of the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Representative Tom Pangelinan lauded the efforts of Kagman youths and rebutted the assertion by the DLNR Secretary Joaquin Tenorio that the Kagman Arboretum and Park will only benefit few people and that it will be disastrous.

Mr. Pangelinan stated that this assertion by the DLNR secretary is a classic example of the fallacy of the false premise. “How can the creation of a public park requested by the 4,192 residents of Kagman only benefit a few people and be a disaster?”

The truth, the he argued, is just exactly the opposite as it is subdividing this 27-hectare of public land into 10-12 farm plots that will be a disaster and will, by definition, only benefit a very select few people.

The disaster, according to Mr. Pangelinan, is what Senator Ramon S. Guerrero has pinpointed to be possible contamination of the village’s underground water with poisons and chemicals used by the farmers to control weeds, pests and rats.

The 27-hectare site is directly adjacent to three CUC water wells that pump water to Capitol Hill and San Vicente. Water pumped directly from Kagman underground aquifer is potable and does not require any treatment according to Mr. Guerrero.

Mr. Pangelinan added that he has still not given up hope that Governor Tenorio will respect the wishes of the people of the village for the creation of a Kagman Arboretum and Community Park on the 27-hectare land in the area.

He explained that the entire Saipan Legislative Delegation unanimously approved House Local Bill 12-25 last month. This legislation, the congressman stated, reserves the parcel of public land in the area for the Kagman Arboretum and Community Park, and is awaiting action by the governor.

Mr. Pangelinan added that the Saipan Legislative Delegation recognized that there are competing uses for this parcel of public land. He stated that the Saipan Legislative Delegation felt that the best use would be to provide for a public park for the rapidly growing homestead community in Kagman that is projected to have a residential population of over 20,000 persons by the end of this decade.

He said the community park concept was developed in response to the request made by the youth of Kagman for the development of recreational facilities in the community and to better target public land use to provide the maximum benefit for the residents of Kagman rather than a few individuals.