“[Guam] Gov. Felix Camacho offered lands I offered islands,” Fitial said.
Fitial and Penn’s talks are part of the discussions regarding the military buildup in the Marianas where certain islands in the CNMI may be used for drills and exercises of the American troops, particularly the more than 8,000 Marines from Okinawa, Japan, scheduled to be relocated to Guam starting 2012.
Penn was named the acting secretary of the U.S. Navy since March or two months after U.S. President Obama was sworn in.
Penn is responsible for formulating policies, plans, and procedures for the effective management of Navy and Marine Corps real property, housing, and other facilities totaling 72,500 buildings and 4,484,000 acres with a plant replacement value of over $215 billion.
According to the U.S. Navy Web site, Penn is also responsible for the timely completion of closures and realignments of installations under base closure laws, including the U.S.-Japan realignment of forces that involves the relocation of 8,000 Marines and their families from Okinawa to Guam.
The U.S. military already expressed its interest to lease Pagan and other islands of the CNMI.
Currently, it has leasehold interest on about two-thirds of public lands on Tinian including the uninhabited island of Farallon de Mendinilla where live-fire drill exercises are held regularly.
Fitial said his goal is to get the best economic benefit for the commonwealth.
He said there will be discussions about taxes and lease payments.
The Environmental Impact Study for the spillover of the buildup in the CNMI is scheduled to be done in 2010.
The U.S. and Japan agreed to spend up to $15 billion to realign their forces.
“The Environmental Impact Study [for the CNMI] is estimated to be completed by the end of 2010. Now, the construction, which was supposed to start right away, has been moved back two years. The Marines are in-charge of what are going to be constructed. The final decision still rests with the Pacific Command,” said the governor.
