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DLNR preps for 5-year audit on wildlife, sports fish program
The Department of Land and Natural Resources is preparing for their five-year audit for the Wildlife and Sports Fish Restoration program due in April, according to acting secretary Richard Seman.
In an interview, Seman said he met with the federal officials on this upcoming audit and the annual review of the program.
The CNMI has had the program since 1983, he said. The audit is for every five years.
“The five years are coming up this April. So they are getting their inventory and records updated. So when the audit begins, it’s all there,” he told Saipan Tribune.
He pointed to some issues from the previous audit in 2010—for issues in 2008 and 2009—that also have to be taken cared of. His department is working on a corrective action plan for these issues, he said.
The corrective actions would deal with indirect costs for administrative activities. He said for every grant they receive they get indirect costs that can be charged for administrative uses like for financial statements, for example.
“[The program] was probably charging more than what the agreement allows so the CNMI government has to reimburse that back.”
“Everything put together for the two years is $65,000,” he said.
But he clarified that the money that went back to repayment “actually just goes back again to our program.”
“We pay in but they give it back to us on our program,” he said.
Seman indicated they are set on working on the CAP, expressing confidence in getting it done. “We have to,” he said. This is what allows them to continue to receive federal funds, he said.
“Most of the staff have been around for the previous two audits so they are more knowledgeable now on what is necessary and what they need to put together,” he said.
