Rasa, CNMI Descent for Self-Government and Indigenous Rights spokesman and adviser, said he hopes Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s appointees will always uphold the rights of the commonwealth.
“I hope their appointment will provide equilibrium on the panel,” Rasa said, adding he admired the qualifications of former Rep. Benigno M. Sablan, a member of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council; Joaquin P. Villagomez, a former member of Wespac’s advisory panel; and Sylvan O. Igisomar, the director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife.
But Rasa expressed some reservations regarding the monument declaration, saying the economic factor for the establishment of the monument remains “highly speculative” and the issue about preservation and conservation “is moot.”
Rasa said the tourism industry of the CNMI will not get a boost as claimed by the Pew Group because the national monument areas are too remote for tourists to visit.
“Tourists come here for only seven days at the most,” he said. “They won’t spend three days going up to that remote place.”
Regarding the preservation and conservation of the area, he said, this was already embodied in the CNMI Constitution.
He noted that the local people’s concern regarding traditional fishing was addressed by the monument declaration, but added that “bottom-line” for the federal government is national defense.
The military is going to take over the place, Rasa said. “I think it was the military that made the Pew move.”
He said Pew can still pursue its original monument proposal by lobbying the U.S. Congress to amend the declaration.
“They could do that because they are very powerful,” he said, referring to the Pew Group.
He is also hoping that President Barack Obama will get the opportunity to review the declaration signed by his predecessor.
According to Rasa, the declaration was pushed through in order to give then-President Bush an “environmental legacy.”
“Anyway it’s all done now so lets look at the future — basically this is an issue where we don’t have any power other than to attempt to influence the feds,” he said.
