By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
U.S. Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary Angel Demapan said federal agencies are actively reviewing the Commonwealth’s requests under the ongoing Section 902 consultations, with periodic updates expected in the coming weeks and a goal of completing the process sometime this summer.
Demapan emphasized that only the designated U.S. and CNMI representatives for the 902 consultations can speak to the progress of the talks, but he confirmed that federal agencies are now working through the CNMI government’s formal requests.
“So the 902 teams are currently working on addressing the CNMI’s requests, and that involves participation from various federal agencies,” Demapan said. “It’s a work in progress. There are going to be periodic reports over the next couple of weeks, and we’re hoping we can be close to wrapping up the consultations sometime this summer. But all of that really depends on the results that come back from the agencies directly involved with the specific requests from the CNMI.”
Asked whether the CNMI could expect responses by the end of the year, Demapan said the U.S. special representatives are aiming for earlier completion.
“Right now, the U.S. special representatives would like to see 902 completed earlier than the end of the year,” he said. “So we’re tracking the work of all the working groups, the various federal agencies, and the CNMI participants to determine the best timeline and how soon we can conclude much of the information-gathering stemming from the CNMI’s requests.”
The current U.S. special representative for the 902 consultations is Scott Cameron, a senior DOI official who previously served as acting assistant secretary for insular and international affairs. Although now assigned to a different bureau within the department, Cameron continues to serve in the 902 role.
This round of Section 902 consultations focuses on four primary areas: budgetary support, tourism and transportation, access to labor, and activities by the Department of War in the Commonwealth. According to the CNMI administration, these issues are central to stabilizing the Commonwealth’s economy and supporting long-term recovery.
Gov. David M. Apatang and members of the CNMI government panel resumed consultations with their U.S. counterparts via videoconference Wednesday morning. The administration is expected to raise concerns about rising utility costs linked to conflict in the Middle East.
The current round of 902 talks began in February.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
