GOP bets, members plant trees at veterans cemetery

Candidates and members of the CNMI Republican Party joined community members and supporters at the Saipan Veterans Memorial Park on Tuesday, April 22, for an afternoon of tree planting. (Contributed Photo)

Candidates and members of the CNMI Republican Party joined community members and supporters at the Saipan Veterans Memorial Park on Tuesday, April 22, for an afternoon of tree planting and conservation conversations in celebration of Environmental Awareness Month and Earth Day. It was a busy day for green thumbs.
“Trees are a lasting legacy that we can give to future generations. The beauty of our islands is our treasure and our responsibility,” said Gov. Eloy S. Inos. “Senate President Ralph Torres, the GOP candidates, and I are grateful for this chance to join with the community to do our part in creating a more beautiful island.”

On March 31, Inos signed the official proclamation declaring April 2014 as Environmental Awareness Month in the CNMI. April 22 marks the 44th anniversary of Earth Day, which was first celebrated in 1970 as a way to encourage young people to think about their responsibility to the environment. Since then the celebration has grown worldwide and is now internationally recognized as a significant influence on major ecological and environmental issues.

Among the incumbent GOP candidates at the ceremony was Rep. Felicidad Ogumoro, who stated that environmental awareness is “a responsibility for each and every one of us. Planting trees is one way to keep our islands beautiful, prevent soil erosion, and create more shade.”

Department of Lands and Natural Resources Secretary Arnold I. Palacios, a GOP Senate candidate, noted that “our trees are an important part to both the sustainability of our ecosystem and of the natural beauty that benefits tourists and residents alike.”

Also at the planting were GOP Precinct 1 candidates Joseph “Lee Pan” Deleon Guerrero and Richard Seman as well as GOP Precinct 3 candidate Vicente Camacho who lent a hand in landscaping the popular recreational park. Deleon Guerrero observed that, “Politics aside, the environment and our attention to our precious natural resources is something that everyone can get behind. This is our community and Congressman Seman, Mr. Camacho and I are happy to join in and make a lasting contribution to our environment.”

These community leaders and citizens alike all agreed in their common hope that each tree and bush they planted this day will take root, and in the words of GOP Precinct 3 candidate Maryann “Meng” Borja-Arriola, “contribute positively to the lasting beautification of our islands.”

For more information about the CNMI Republican Party, the Republican candidates for this 2014 election season and for future events, visit www.cnmigop.org or visit the GOP Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gopcnmi. (GOP)