Now Public Law 17-12, Senate Bill 17-22 introduced by Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian, seeks to designate at least 50 percent of available public land on Tinian for homestead lots.
Noting the lease of about two-thirds of Tinian’s public lands to the U.S. military, the bill stated that the island’s limited land resources “severely hindered” its homestead program.
CNMI public lands belong collectively to the people of the commonwealth who are of Northern Marianas descent, the bill stated.
It added that the Department of Public Lands oversees these lands in the best interest of our people.
DPL, the bill stated, is mandated to make available a portion of public lands for the homestead program.
According to the new law, allocating a portion of public lands on Tinian for current and future homestead development is in the best interest of Tinian’s NMDs.
Sometime in the future, the law added, there will be no lands available for allocation to the people of Tinian.
The measure stated that DPL “shall impose a moratorium on homestead applications” when there are no more public lands available.
