Kalabera Cave will be closed for about a year

The historic Kalabera Cave will soon be closed to the public for up to a year while consultants begin an environmental assessment of a plan to install an elevated walkway and lighting there in a bid to establish the site as a tourist attraction.

In an interview Wednesday, Ed Arriola Jr., chairman of the Marianas Visitors Authority’s Destination Enhancement Committee, said the CNMI Department of Public Works will issue a notice within the next 10 days announcing the start of the assessment as the first phase of the project. A public hearing will follow the assessment’s completion, he said.

The walls of Kalabera Cave are adorned with ancient artwork likely painted by Saipan’s indigenous Chamorro people, giving the site a special significance to local cultural groups. During the Battle of Saipan, the cave also served as a field hospital for Japanese soldiers.

Kalabera’s slippery rocks and the darkness in some of its deeper reaches have prevented many tourists from visiting it yet. Arriola said the $1.5 million plan will provide better access. Funding for the project will come through the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs, according to government documents on the plan.

Paul Magcalas, a consultant tasked with compiling the assessment, said his review of the site will require four to five months, after which construction will likely begin. The cave will remain closed and secured to prevent interference as the assessment is conducted with the aide of archaeologists and government offices, he added.

Meanwhile, Arriola said DPW officials met Wednesday with contractors to move forward on plans to construct a boardwalk on the shores of Lake Susupe for nature enthusiasts. Before the project begins, Arriola noted, planners will have to address several key issues such as ways to minimize its impact on endangered species living near the lake and the construction of compensatory wetlands.

“Both these projects have been in the works for a little over a year now, and it is great news that we’re moving forward with them,” Arriola said. “Kalabera Cave and Lake Susupe incorporate all the characteristics that contribute to our sense of place, our islands. We’re sure that the local community and our guests will enjoy these sites.”

Arriola noted the project comes after help by a host of government agencies, MVA members and committee members.