Shared governance and public land management

“Shared Governance” is a concept developed in the late 1980s in California community colleges that ensured decision making responsibility is shared among those affected by those decisions, i.e., students, staff, management, administrators and boards. AB 1725 was subsequently approved and signed into law in 1988. It is an integral part of the Education Code for all educational systems in California, e.g., K-12 and higher education, and respected by institutions involving education, business, and government.

Subsequent to the passage of AB 1725, organizations in the private and public sectors in California began to incorporate the philosophy of AB 1725 into how they conducted their business. It has been nearly 20 years since the passage of AB 1725 and “shared governance” is still a strong and thriving concept that transcends the educational, private, and public sectors.

In the CNMI, legislation was approved and officially enacted into law to establish the Marinas Public Lands Authority. The MPLA, an autonomous agency and under the executive arm of the CNMI government structure, was charged with managing public lands in the CNMI.

For a long time, the MPLA had an established policy of the exclusion of the indigenous people and all of the residents who comprise the island community from any real participation in decision-making regarding the management of public lands. This restrictive policy, coupled with the fact that the appointments of the board members were made by the CNMI governor, made some people in the island community wonder if “politics” would deter MPLA from making prudent, reasonable, and objective decisions, for land management in the best interests of the indigenous people; and not the governor and his political cronies throughout all the islands waiting in the wings to benefit financially from any decision made.

Up until recently, the MPLA policy was in direct conflict with the concept of “shared governance.” The recent announcement to form a “task force” that included PaganWatch, local regulatory agencies, and stakeholders, is a strong sign that the barrier to shared governance is now being taken down. Now, progress regarding proper land management can be assured.

The inclusion of PaganWatch, local regulatory agencies, as well as other stakeholders, will ensure that future decisions will not be unduly influenced by elected officials and/or others who might have their own agenda. It will go far to protect the people from appointees who are merely self-serving opportunists who could not care less about whether the indigenous people and island community residents benefit one iota from any decisions.

The inclusion of PaganWatch and others invited to be participants of the task force is a necessary “check and balance” regarding the management of public land in the CNMI, especially in Pagan, that will keep decisions “above board” and not unduly influenced by those politicians who enjoy closed door sessions to have discussions while drinking scotch and scheming about how a select few will benefit monetarily. In other words, true “shared governance”.

To ensure that the autonomy of the MPLA is protected from political influence from an appointed member that is a proponent more for the governor than for the members of the island community who are rightful owners of the land, the MPLA should be removed from under the umbrella of the governor’s office.

Dr. Jesus D. Camacho
Delano, California