Established in 1998 through Presidential Executive Order 13089, the task force leads U.S. efforts to preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems.
It includes leaders of 12 federal agencies and the governors of American Samoa, the CNMI, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the three Freely Associated States: the Marshalls, the FSM and Palau.
The task force helps build partnerships, strategies and support for on-the-ground action to conserve coral reefs.
Each jurisdiction has a point of contact and in the CNMI, that’s Castro’s role.
Working alongside the task force is the U.S. All-Island Coral Reef Committee which discusses efforts, shares ideas and networks.
Members also meet with federal agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of the Interior to address issues concerning coral reefs.
Aside from funding, these agencies also provide technical assistance to the coral reef agencies which, in the CNMI, are Coastal Resources Management, the Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Division of Environmental Quality.
NOAA’s Habitat Restoration Center is also actively helping the CNMI with watershed restoration projects specifically for Laolao Bay which is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Earlier this year, the points of contact elected Castro to be their new committee chairwoman, the third person to hold the position. The vice chaiwoman is Paige Rothenberger from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
American Samoa’s Lelei Peau chaired the committee since its creation until 2007 when Guam’s Evangeline Lujan succeeded her.
Castro in an interview on Friday said most of the coral reef projects are funded under the coral reef initiative which also supports the marine enforcement efforts of DFW, the monitoring program of CRM and various watershed projects.
