EXCLUDING SAIPAN Senate mulls new shooting resort bill

Another legislative measure which aims to allow the establishment of shooting resorts on Rota and Tinian are currently being reviewed by the Senate.

Sen. Edward Maratita on Friday introduced the proposed measure to accommodate the construction of multi-million shooting resorts on Rota and Tinian to boost the islands’ tourism industry and to generate enough government revenues.

Under the new bill, Universal Recreational Shooters will equally divide the $25 million-worth of investment between Rota and Tinian where the proposed shooting resorts will be constructed.

But Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes disclosed the proposal is currently being evaluated at the committee level to thresh out problems on earlier legislative measure which requires the shooting resorts to be established within the Free Trade Zone.

The original measure incorporated a provision requiring URS to build these resorts within the FTZ property which Sen. Reyes explained won’t be operable in the next few years.

The developers has to wait until the economic zones are built since the FTZ’ regulations and policies are not in place yet, Mr. Reyes pointed out.

But the senator insisted that he will support the provision granting that establishments of shooting resorts will be allowed on private lands to give residents the chance to earn from their idle properties, and that it will not pose a danger to the community.

Meanwhile, another government official also disclosed that Rota has been actively endorsing the construction of the shooting resort on the island in hopes to generate employment for its local residents and to attract a huge number of travelers.

The official said Saipan will lose millions of investment and other form of revenue-generating activities, while Rota and Tinian will reap the benefits should Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio approve the proposal.

The URS project proposal lined up major benefits anticipated to come before the host-island, including the number of residents that will be employed. This is not to mention the expected increase in the number of visitors who will attend shooting competitions.

The earlier proposal was vetoed by Mr. Tenorio after barrage of safety concerns were raised not only by the local residents but by several travel agents.

But in a last ditch effort, Rota residents headed by Mayor Benjamin T. Manglona submitted its signed petition to the governor in hopes to allow the construction of shooting ranges claimed to be as an economic stimulation that Rota desperately need at this time.