DEAR Department of Public Lands Secretary Teresita A. Santos:
Hafa Adai and Happy Women’s Day!
I write to formally request the resumption of the Office of the Mayor of Saipan’s ability to avail itself of quarry materials from quarry businesses operating on public lands. As, I am sure you agree with me, this resource is owned by the people of our Commonwealth and making them available greatly benefits the public at large. I am sure you share the sentiment that if anyone should benefit most from this natural resource extracted from our public lands, it should be the public first over those of commercial interest.
While access to and the public’s rights to these resources were once disputed, that is no longer that case as both were validated and recognized in the CMS case (Civil Action No. 23-0917). In that case, the Court affirmed that the “public benefit provision” in the Temporary Occupancy Agreement or TOA explicitly states that Commonwealth government agencies “are exempt from any charges for quarry materials extracted on a site operated by Permittee.” Moreover, the Court’s decision further confirmed that the Mayor’s Office of Saipan is included among those agencies or entities considered part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands government and, therefore, falls within the scope of this provision.
In light of this ruling, I respectfully request that the Department of Public Lands take immediate steps to ensure that the Mayor’s Office of Saipan is able to get these much-needed quarry materials at no cost for projects that serve the public interest. This access is critical in supporting various infrastructure, maintenance, and community improvement initiatives that directly benefit he residents of Saipan.
I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to your cooperation in implementing the provisions of the TOA as affirmed by the Court. Please let me know if any further steps or documentation are required to facilitate this process.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your prompt response and to working together to ensure the safety and well-being of our community.
RAMON “RB” CAMACHO
Mayor of Saipan
