THE newly organized Public Land Advisory Board is ready to work with Department of Public Lands Secretary Teresita Santos to ensure proper management of public lands.
The board members are Kodep Ogumoro-Uludong (Northern Islands), chair; Priscilla Iakopo (Saipan), vice chair; Melanie Cruz (Tinian), secretary; James Manglona Sr. (Rota), member; and Henry Hofschneider, executive member.
Ogumoro-Uludong said, “As PLAB chair, my goal is to ensure that, together with my fellow PLAB members, the mandates of Public Law 15-2 are adhered to and upheld. Also, as an appointee of Mayor Valentin Taisacan, I will see that the priorities of the Northern Islands Mayor’s Office and the interests of the residents are communicated to DPL.”
Enacted in February 2006, P.L. 15-2 created DPL within the executive branch.
Ogumoro-Uludong said he looks forward “to working with DPL Secretary Teresita Santos and her team to ensure proper management of the public lands collectively owned by persons of Northern Marianas descent.”
Iakopo, for her part, said: “I am deeply honored to serve as a member of the Public Land Advisory Board, and I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Mayor RB Camacho and the Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council for entrusting me with this responsibility.”
Iakopo said she will “work closely with my fellow PLAB members, the Secretary and staff of the Department of Public Lands to ensure that public lands are utilized in a way that directly benefits our people, the rightful landowners. By promoting a careful balance between development and preservation, we can safeguard the integrity of our land while fostering the growth and well-being of our community for generations to come.”
Cruz said she is “deeply honored to be reappointed by Mayor Edwin Aldan with the full support of the Tinian Leadership to serve a second term on the Public Lands Advisory Board. I look forward to working alongside my fellow board members, Secretary Santos, and the dedicated DPL team to achieve the best outcomes for our people. The role of DPL is vital to the economic prosperity of the CNMI, and I am committed to contributing to our shared goals.”
The advisory board will meet on Oct. 29 at 9 a.m., Variety learned.
Among the board’s responsibilities is to review policies and make recommendations to ensure that public lands are used effectively and in a manner that benefits the community.
On Sept. 24, 2024, DPL Secretary Santos informed Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang that “the PLAB has been successfully organized and is now ready to advise and collaborate with DPL on matters concerning comprehensive land use plans, homesteads, audits, and major land issue and decisions.”
