DCRM to vie for coral health grant funds

The Division of Coastal Resource Management is eyeing grant funds under the Coral Reef Initiative program recently announced by the Office of Insular Affairs for the year 2015, said DCRM director Fran Castro yesterday.

She told Saipan Tribune that DCRM plans to submit a proposal for the program, which has an available $1 million for 2015.

Laolao Bay watershed restoration was an example of a CNMI coral reef project recently funded by OIA.

Government entities, educational institutions, or non-profit organizations whose proposals “directly benefit coral reef habitats” are considered for the 2015 funds, according to OIA.

Coral reefs have been described as a cornerstone for island communities, as they protect islands from coastal erosion as well as storm and wave damage. Coral reefs in the CNMI, like in other island areas, have been threatened by runoff pollution and the developing threat of climate change in recent years.