“I would like to thank the governor, state legislature for generously setting aside public land for conservation purposes,” Remengesau told reporters.
The president said that the area of Ngerkemesang is one of the biggest terrestrial reserve in Palau and said that the move of the state government Palau has gone over its terrestrial target of over 20 percent under the Micronesian Challenge.The Micronesia Challenge is a regional inter-governmental initiative in the western Pacific region that would facilitate more effective conservation of marine and forest resources in Micronesia.The initiative will conserve 30 percent of near shore coastal waters and 20 percent of forest land by 2020. Joining the initiative were Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and Marshall Islands, and the U.S. territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands. These nations and territories represent nearly 5 percent of the marine area of the Pacific Ocean and seven percent of its coastlines.The president said the Ngaremlengui State leadership should be emulated by other states for the initiative.Members of the Ngaremlengui State Legislature, Olbiil Ra Ngaremlengui, introduced and passed the Ngermeskang Nature Reserve Act of 2008.The act seeks to establish the area of Ngermeskang that borders the states of Ngardmau, Ngiwal, and Melekeok as a nature reserve.The purpose of the reserve is to protect the Ngermeskang watershed ridge to ensure that the water sources within and around it are not disturbed. The protection of the watershed ridge also ensures that the people of Ngaremlengui and neighboring states would be able to tap into quality water from undisturbed natural sources.Members of the Olbiil ra Ngaremlengui passed the act and forwarded it to Governor Wilson Ongos for review and approval.Governor Ongos signed the act into law last Wednesday, October 8.The Ngermeskang Nature Reserve Act of 2008 establishes approximately 4,046,860 square meters of forested area of Ngermeskang – roughly at the central part of Babeldaob – for forest conservation, wildlife sanctuary, and watershed protection. Remengesau said that Melekeok, Ngardmau, Ngchesar, Ngatpang and Aimeliik are also setting aside terrestrial reserve.
