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CRMO gets $1.3M grant
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Posted on Oct 07 2004
The Coastal Resources Management Office received close to $1.3 million as grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
CNMI press secretary Pete Callaghan said Gov. Juan N. Babauta accepted Wednesday the grant money amounting to $1,296,000, about two-thirds of which would support personnel expenses, while the rest would be used for operations and special projects.
Callaghan emphasized that the CRMO has been involved with numerous activities to protect and restore the CNMI’s coastal resources.
One of the agency’s undertakings with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the restoration of the Saipan Lagoon by working on the reduction of sediment runoff flowing into the waters.
“This project will identify sites for ponding basins that can trap sediment and will also provide flood control benefits for Garapan,” Callaghan said, adding that the CRMO would also hire a nonpoint program manager who would work with the Division of Environmental Quality and other agencies to reduce pollution runoff flowing into the lagoon.
He said the agency supports the beach and drainage cleanup activities of the Environmental Interagency Cleanup Operation Team, which has been working with various volunteer groups to mitigate the impact of runoff flowing into the beach waters.
The CRMO would also improve public access to Laulau and Obyan beaches, Callaghan said. The CRMO has also been working on new guidelines for protecting wetlands from the impacts of development.
“CRMO will also continue working with the public and agencies to protect and restore shoreline and marine habitat. At Wing Beach, CRMO is leading a project to improve public access while protecting turtle habitat,” the press secretary said.
The CRMO, together with various regulatory agencies, reviews and issues permits on developments that may impact on coastal resources.
