Printed copies of Rota Special Resource Study now available

The National Park Service is pleased to announce that printed copies of the Rota Special Resource Study are now available at key locations in the CNMI. Limited copies are available at the Rota Mayor’s Office and the Public Library on Rota, as well as at the American Memorial Park Visitor Center on Saipan.

A digital version of the study can be accessed and downloaded via the project website at: parkplanning.nps.gov/rotastudy. The website additionally includes a Chamorro language version of the study’s executive summary.

The study process was completed, and the report transmitted to Congress on Oct. 5, 2023. The study finds that the prehistoric, historic, and limestone forest resources of Rota are nationally significant and that areas of the island are suitable for inclusion in the national park system. It additionally finds that limestone forest and Chamorro archeological sites within the study area are conditionally feasible for inclusion in the national park system, dependent on support from the CNMI government and the development of a management agreement, support from Rota and CNMI residents, and sufficient funding for park operations.

Analysis of existing management and several additional management frameworks does not demonstrate a clear need for direct NPS management at this time. The people of Rota have protected their resources for generations through cultural practices, local laws, federal financial assistance, and the dedicated efforts of CNMI agencies. The exceptional integrity of Rota’s cultural and natural resources is evidence of the community’s impressive and centuries-long tradition of stewardship. The CNMI government is continuing this tradition of resource stewardship while also providing visitor access and information about Rota’s significant sites. Because the area does not demonstrate a need for NPS management, the special resource study concludes that Rota does not meet all criteria necessary to be considered eligible for designation as a new unit of the national park system.

Answers to frequently asked questions have been posted on the project website at: ParkPlanning-Answers to Frequently Asked Questions: October 2023 (nps.gov). (PR)