Beautify CNMI along with the Friends of the Monument as well as 44 other coral reef conservations organizations and 117 scientists have sent a letter to President Obama and the U.S. Congress.
“There are a lot of coral reef issues not only here in the CNMI but around the world and President Obama must take it seriously,” Villagomez said.
The organizations, in their letter, asked for the following:
• Reauthorize the U.S. Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, including authorizing international coral reef conservation activities;
• Enact meaningful reductions in carbon dioxide emissions that target CO2 concentrations to stabilize at levels climate scientists determine are necessary to preserve coral reef ecosystems;
• Fund and lead domestic and international coral reef conservation efforts through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of State;
• Support NOAA’s priorities in reducing impacts on coral reefs from fishing and land-based sources of pollution; and,
• Effectively conserve at least 30 percent of coral reef and reef-associated coastal resources in U.S. states and territories using marine managed areas over the next eight years.
Although the NOAA provided the CNMI $2.9 million, the fund is not enough to cover the costs of maintaining the commonwealth’s coral reef.
The grant will only finance the expenses for Laolao Bay, Villagomez said.
“$2.5 million of the fund was used to cover the Laolao Bay land road construction and the other half was used for educational purposes and other programs,” he added.
The CNMI, he noted, is a part of the Micronesia Challenge, a regional inter-governmental initiative in the Western Pacific region that aims to facilitate the effective conservation of marine and forest resources in Micronesia.
