GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios wants to know why there is still no management plan and functioning advisory council for the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, which was established 15 years ago.
In a letter Thursday to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Palacios inquired about the status of the department’s plans for “one unique national treasure found in our waters: the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument.”
Palacios said he was pleased to see the recent hirings of new Park Superintendent Dr. Sean MacDuff and Park Ranger Jihan Younis who, he added, are both dedicated resource managers.
However, the governor said it’s been close to 15 years since the marine monument was created, but “there is still no management plan, no functioning monument advisory council, and there’s only minimal progress in the development of conservation programs and a contact center for public outreach and engagement.”
In 2008, as then-House speaker, Palacios was involved in the discussions to establish the marine monument. Later, he served as a member of the monument advisory council in his capacity as secretary of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources.
“Now as governor, I continue to have a keen interest in ensuring that the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument fulfills its promise and potential to deliver conservation outcomes for the people I represent. It should be a model for meaningful co-management and collaborative research, and the focal point for conservation programs that engage and educate our community and visitors about the natural wonders of the Mariana Trench, and our deep cultural connections to the sea. It should be a jewel in the Pacific,” the governor said.
He requested Haaland for a briefing on the following marine monument matters:
1) Status of his nominations to the monument advisory council.
2) Timeline for releasing the monument management plan.
3) Progress of planned renovations for the contact station on Saipan.
4) The resources that will be directed to that project.
5) A process to begin discussions.
Palacios said such discussions will develop a co-management and co-stewardship agreement among federal agencies, CNMI agencies and the appropriate representatives of the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands.
The governor would also like to discuss with Interior how the CNMI government can work better with its federal partners to improve communications between agencies and ultimately improve the stewardship of the monument’s natural and cultural resources.
Arnold I. Palacios