Hofschneider: DPL has a lot of issues to resolve
Henry Hofschneider, the newly confirmed board member of the Department of Public Lands, said the agency faces a lot of issues that need to be resolved before they could focus their attention on other matters.
The impending expiration of Kan Pacific’s lease, the Kan Pacific and Best Sunshine International Ltd. negotiation, and the military buildup on Tinian and their plan to use Pagan for live training are among the topics that they need to address.
“There are a lot of issues concerning DPL right now. There’s the Kan Pacific lease, their negotiations with Best Sunshine, and the military coming in,” said Hofschneider in an interview by Saipan Tribune. “But we must also manage an overall plan for the homestead program for Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.”
Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang swore in Hofschneider as one of the five members of the DPL advisory board yesterday at the Saipan Mayor’s Office in Chalan Laulau. He will join William Torres (Northern Islands), David Evangelista (Tinian), Antonio Quitugua (Rota), and one appointed by the governor who has yet to be named on the DPL board.
The board, Hofschneider said, acts as the conscience of the DPL secretary but can only make recommendations. “The decision still lies with the secretary but one person could not deal with everything on his own.”
Former Washington representative Pete A. Tenorio is the DPL secretary but he is currently on leave. Patricia Rasa is acting DPL secretary.
Hofschneider said the board would also make an inventory of available public lands, especially since there are a lot of projects in the pipeline and new investors coming in.
“We could not lease public lands to just anybody without going through the entire process. The advisory board will be working closely with the DPL secretary regarding this,” Hofschneider said.
“There are a lot of opportunities knocking on our door everyday, which is good for the CNMI,” he said, “but we must screen everything and come up with ideas before the secretary makes the final decision. That’s why the advisory board and the secretary must work closely together.”
Apatang appointed Hofschneider, who is also the special assistant to the Saipan mayor, to the board, citing his vast knowledge in dealing with public lands.
Kudos Henry! But you left out Four very important issues: (1) The LEASE of the Ancient Chamorro Ancestors Burial Site, Anaguan; (2) the 49,999 square meters Leases; (3) outstanding Lease payments due on all public land leases; and (4) Public Lands Leases without a development according to LEASE Proposals, which means that public lands should not be on lease WITHOUT development within the approved timeframe Stipulated in the lease agreement, for example, the Marpi Lands, Obyan LANDS, etc. This is outright Exploitation of our scares natural resources – LAND!
We will be holding all of you accountable to ensure that the 3,000 pending Homestead applicants are immediately addressed.
And please no more Land Lease until all Lands have been inventoried; ALL LANDS – leased and vacant.
And please no more Land Lease until all the 3,000 pending Homestead applicants have been given a chance to live on their Ancestors’ Lands at OBYAN, MAKPI, AS MATUIS, DANDAN, GARAPAN (upper and lower), PUNTAN MUCHUT (upper or Navy Hill), AGINGAN (or Koblerville); KAGMAN including any vacant homestead lots.
And no more Land Lease until the “Land Use Plan” address future Homestead projects. And DPL lifts up the Homestead program moratorium because they have stopped accepting new applicantion.
Please do not be JUST a DPL rubber stamp.
Fanohgi Tautau Tanu!
Peace!