“As a result of the Record of Decision, the military buildup on Tinian is now an assured thing. That makes it imperative for Tinian to properly plan for its future. Therefore, I am calling together a variety of people from the Tinian community, from both the public and private sectors, to begin the drafting process,” he said.
The Record of Decision, signed this Sept. 20, mandates that the Navy build four rifle ranges on Tinian for the 8,000 Marines who will be stationed on Guam, as well as other federal agencies that might want to use the ranges once they are built.
Navy and Marine Corps planners have also made it clear that they have larger plans for Tinian.
“With this in mind,” said Dela Cruz, “Tinian must either plan for its own future, or allow the Navy to do it for us. I believe in being proactive.”
He acknowledged that this will be only a draft plan. “After we have listened to the desires of the people of Tinian about how they want their island to development, then we will begin to bring in the experts who will help refine the plan. I believe there are federal funding sources that will help us do this.”
