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Monument backers sport orange ahead of forum
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Posted on Oct 19 2008
Years ago, fashion magazines declared orange was “the new black,” prompting some trend-conscious shoppers for a time to sport the one color that seems to clash with everything like it was going out of style. But on the streets of Saipan recently, orange appears to making a comeback as part of a campaign by environmentalists to rally support for the White House’s bid to establish a 115,000-square mile national marine monument around the CNMI’s northern islands.
The proposed monument would encompass the islands of Maug, Asuncion, and Uracus, a region environmentalists have dubbed a “biodiversity hotspot” that is under increasing threat from human activity. Opponents of the plan, however, have long said the proposal would constitute an intrusion on the CNMI’s autonomy.
In a statement Saturday, Friends of the Monument, a group of local residents backing the proposal, urged the public to wear orange at a public forum slated for today at the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan where federal officials will take feedback on the issue from the community.
“This is the opportunity for the people of the CNMI to show their support for the monument,” Ignacio Cabrera, the group’s chairman, said of the meeting. “The Friends of the Monument are asking you to attend and to show your support. Please wear an orange T-shirt to the meeting, so that the federal officials know that we have very strong numbers.”
Supporters of the monument, he added, are encouraged to wear orange throughout the week.
Monday’s forum, hosted by the White House and federal agencies, is a key part of the government’s efforts to assess the suitability of the CNMI’s northern waters as the location of the proposed monument. Two other locales—a site in American Samoa and the Rose Atoll—are competing for the monument designation, which would bring heightened federal protections. The forum begins at 5:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, Friends of the Monument has said that on Monday, the group will unveil the number of signatures its members have collected for the petition in favor of the proposal. Opponents of the plan have previously said they are also circulating a petition against it.
