Leave all conservation measures to the people of the CNMI

I have been reading and hearing lately a lot about the proposed National Monument from supporters and non-supporters, indigenous and non-indigenous, males and females. I must say that the comments and statements being brought about have been both interesting and surprising, and at times somewhat bizarre.

I had worked for the Department of Lands and Natural Resources for over 18 years and had to the opportunity to serve as Director at the Division of Fish and Wildlife and as Department Secretary. With my tenure at the department and having grown up on Saipan all my life, I have the great privilege of interacting with our community, especially our marine resources stake-holders, in dealing with management and conservation measures. The one thing that really stands out for me in this regard is the idea of getting our people (stake-holders) involve from the very beginning, not later when everything had already been put together and for them to simply accept and support.

For 30 years since we have become a U.S. Commonwealth, the CNMI have been able to enact constitutional mandates, legislate laws and promulgate rules and regulations in the name of conservation without the aid and delegation of outsiders. Our people have led in the region in enacting conservation measures for the protection and sustainability of our natural resources. Our Commonwealth has more designated Marine Sanctuary, Wildlife Conservation Islands and more prohibited fishing gear than any other government in our region. Simply said, we are proactive when it comes to the protection of our natural resources. We can honestly say that we do what we need to do to ensure that our resources are used sustainably for the sake of our future generations.

However, the movement for the declaration of a National Monument in the northern islands led by the Pew Charitable Trust Fund is troubling and something to be concerned with. I have no problem with conservation and the need to set aside in perpetuity an area for the sake of conservation. I have been involved in a number of similar measures and I totally understand the importance and need of having it. However, one must be cautious in going about with it and that primary stake-holders are not left in the dark at the very beginning. What Pew is doing is contrary to this. By the way, who from the CNMI asked them to come up with their proposal? At any rate, the troubling activities Pew has arrogantly carried out are:

– Developed and drafted a proposed National Monument for the CNMI without any collaboration with anyone;

– Decided what is best (level of conservation, size of the monument, activity restrictions, traditional practices, economic prosperity, etc.) for the CNMI without consulting anyone;

– Delivered their proposal to the people of the CNMI for their acceptance and support, not opposition;

– Ignored the position of the government to which the people of the CNMI have elected to represent them;

– Brought people in to the CNMI who are members of a coalition funded by Pew to deliver the positive messages of their proposal.

What do you expect from a person like that? I do not support the Pew proposal and I hope our people understand where I’m coming from. I can’t force any of you not to support it but I hope each and everyone can ask yourself the following questions before making that decision.

1. Are you willing to give up forever one-third of the entire CNMI waters no matter what economic opportunities may arrive in the future?

2. Should we allow outsiders to decide how our natural resources be managed?

3. Are we intelligent enough to know what is best for our people and that we are more than capable of managing our own resources?

4. Do we govern ourselves or do we let a Presidential signature 10,000 miles away dictate our future of the northern islands?

Taotao Marianas, this is not a simple matter to be taken lightly. We have a situation here where we basically had no say in the proposal’s mission and objectives. I do not appreciate the fact that I am given something without my input and direct participation to accept and support that will take away something from me forever. The route and manner the Pew Charitable Trust Fund is going about with its proposal is a direct insult of our people and ignorance of our battered but still-alive self-governance. Thank you very much yan si yuus maase para todus taoatao Marianas!