Local reactions mixed on monument’s designation

The designation of a marine monument in the CNMI drew mixed reactions from several government officials as well as from conservation groups and a member of the U.S. Congress.

Guam Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo said she was disappointed by the process that President George W. Bush and his administration used under the Antiquities Act to reach the decision.

Ike Cabrera, Agnes McPhetres, Andrew Salas and the Friends of the Monument issued a statement praising Bush for the proclamation.

The new monument encompasses about 195,000 square miles of oceans surrounding the islands of Uracas, Maug and Asuncion, 21 hydrothermal volcanic vents, and the entire stretch of the Marianas Trench.

Deputy Secretary of Labor Cinta Kaipat called the proclamation “a great day for us all and for the world,” saying she is very proud of the team and everyone who worked hard to make it happen.

The group claims that Gov. Benigno Fitial, House Speaker Arnold Palacios and Senate President Pete P. Reyes have dropped their fierce opposition to the proposal and have joined the 6,000 petition signers, 206 businesses, and nearly 600 letter writers who had asked Bush to designate the area as a new monument. Fitial later released a statement supporting the designation.

Rep. Bordallo said she recognizes the President’s intent to protect the natural resources and ocean ecosystem while also attempting to address the concerns of the fishermen on Guam but she does not believe that this process was as inclusive and consultative as she would have preferred.

She said the Mariana Trench is an extraordinarily geologically rich resource and a special area of the ocean for undersea life that can best be protected with increased consultation and cooperation between federal and local authorities.

She said she wants more consultation under the new leadership of Barack Obama with the governments of Guam and the CNMI as the management plan for this new monument is developed.

“I understand that the monument is modified to address concerns that I and other leaders raised about regulation of fishing in the waters off of Guam. While the portion of the new monument in the waters near Guam is confined to submerged features and is less restrictive than originally proposed, I remain concerned about the effect of this monument designation on local sovereignty,” she said.

Bordallo vowed to continue to work through her Committee on Natural Resources to ensure that all stakeholders have a voice in the development of the management plan.

In applauding the decision, the Western and Pacific Network based in Honolulu, Hawaii, said local organizations had important role in protecting three Pacific ecosystems.

The network said organizations and individuals in Hawaii took part in the October, 2008 meeting in Honolulu with representatives of James Connaughton, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and are very supportive of it.

American Memorial Park superintendent Sarah Creachbaum said it is her understanding that the new monument will be managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Management of the new monument is going to be a very challenging task. In order for it to be successful the managing agency will have to work very closely with the community on Saipan,” she said.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife in the CNMI has yet to respond to queries about its future role, especially in the enforcement aspects.

The Division of Environment Quality preferred to direct such concerns to the Office of the Governor, when asked for reactions.

Department of Public Lands Secretary John Del Rosario, who initially opposed the proposal, said the marine monument had been scaled down substantially below the original Pew proposal. He said there are trade-offs on what the local government agreed to, including the likely approval of a nine-mile territorial waters and the return of CNMI submerged land.

“I understand that the resources in the area designated for the monument remains in the hands of the people of these islands. It’s a good decision, signifying that Washington has begun listening to the sentiments of the silent majority here,” DelRosario said.

Deputy Secretary Melvin O. Faisao said he appreciates the governors’ effort to participate in the process of defending and representing on behalf of the interests of the CNMI government and the people.

He said indigenous fishing rights and access will not be unduly compromised.