MITT talks wrap up; as much as 100 soldiers may train

The U.S. Navy’s proposed “Mariana Islands Training and Testing” appears to be consistent with local coastal laws, but matters of protocol and the impact of foot soldier training in Marpi are still being clarified.

The Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality and the U.S military recently sent several letters back and forth on the military plan’s consistency with local coastal laws.

“One issue that we highlighted in our comments back had to do with the increased number of soldiers training in Marpi,” BECQ administrator Frank Rabauliman said in an interview yesterday.

He said the military initially came in saying training would involve “a handful” or a squad of soldiers. But that number has jumped to as many as 100 foot soldiers recently.

“We requested for more information,” Rabauliman said. “The challenge that we have is really we don’t have data. We are just relying on their data as to what the full impact is going to be with the 100-plus foot soldiers.”

He explained that federal consistency would mean that there would be seemingly no impact on enforceable coastal management policies. But “it’s not an authorization for access” to the training ground, he added.

“We are simply saying your proposed activity will not have an adverse effect on the enforceable policies of the state. But again… it’s not an authorization for you to go in there and do whatever proposed activity you want. That is a different process.”

“We wanted to make that very clear,” he added.

BECQ federal consistency specialist Megan Jungwiwattanaporn confirmed the 100 foot solider number yesterday.

“They say the number of soldiers could go up to a hundred but it will really depend on whatever training schedule they are working,” she said. “And that would be contingent on them consulting with other agencies before planning the training.”

She disclosed the training proposed is near Cowtown.

“We’re waiting for more information from them. We’re interested in hearing more about procedural things. How do they plan to communicate with the CNMI government on planning these trainings? …We are saying that they are not violating coastal management rules, but in order for them to train in Marpi they’d have to talk to other agencies like [Department of] Public Lands or the Governor’s Office,” she said.

DCRM has issued a “conditional concurrence” to the military, essentially saying that the military is good to go with the MITT “so long as everything they told us in their previous documents is true,” she said.

She said the military is wrapping up discussions on endangered species with the federal government, and they are good to go with the MITT as long as they treat corals and wildlife as well as they said they would.