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Planning gets underway for national marine monument
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Posted on Mar 11 2009
A management plan for the Marianas Trench National Marine monument should be completed within the next two years, officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service told members of the Legislature yesterday.
Officials from Fish and Wildlife have been on island this week to meet with Gov. Benigno Fitial, as well as other officials within the administration and the Legislature, as the plan for the monument moves forward.
“We envision a very public process, so we will provide information along the way,” said Don Palawski, Refuge Manager with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Official scoping meetings should occur in May, he said.
The National Marine Fisheries Service will play a key role in the management plan, he added. The plan will provide for public education programs, traditional access by indigenous persons, scientific exploration and research, consideration for recreational fishing if it will not detract from the monument, and programs for monitoring and enforcement.
The Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior will share responsibilities for managing the national monument.
During the meeting with the lawmakers, Palawski emphasized that the CNMI’s input will be very important when determining the level of fishing rights in the areas surrounding the monument, which encompasses the three northernmost Mariana Islands.
As Senate President Pete Reyes said yesterday, opposition to the monument was the first time the governor and the Legislature agreed on something.
But with the final product differing from the initial plans, local officials are satisfied with the outcome, he added.
