By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Variety

THE Marianas Resource Conservation and Development Council’s Angelo Villagomez is the new and first executive director of the Marianas Islands Nature Alliance.
Villagomez, one of the leaders of the Beautify CNMI! coalition, is the first employee of MINA, a non-profit, community-based environmental group.
He will work closely with MINA’s chairman, former Lt. Gov. Jesus C. Borja.
His contract is for a year, but Villagomez said he would like to work for MINA for at least three years.
He said among this first goals is to help prepare a new grant proposal that MINA will submit to the Administration for Native Americans, a federal agency serving federally recognized tribes and native populations throughout the Pacific.
Villagomez said MINA submitted a similar grant application last year but it was not accepted.
They are now re-writing the application and it swill be submitted to ANA this year, he added.
The grant will create jobs and improve fishing in the CNMI, Villagomez said.
Villagomez said MINA will be “very busy” this year and will be involved in coral reef protection and solid waste management activities.
He said they intend to help decrease illegal harvesting of near-shore marine resources by 20 percent in three years, eliminate major illegal dumpsites on Saipan, and reduce litter at three popular beach sites by 50 percent in three years.