Farm plots for Saipan’s green thumbs

In an effort to increase food sustainability on Saipan, DPL will make available over 200 farm plots, consisting of 1,000 square meters, to private individuals for “subsistence farming.”

This is a new program under DPL in an effort to help reduce the CNMI’s reliance on imported food as well as allow local residents to maximize public lands. These subsistence farm plots are temporary and renewable every year.

The DPL team saw the community’s response as a result of the global pandemic when backyard gardening became a popular pastime. This will allow DPL to collect a minimal fee for smaller plots of land, while encouraging individuals to grow their own food. These subsistence farm plots are intended for cultivation of food crops.

“DPL wants to encourage cultivation of local, sustainable food sources. With the heavy dependence of imported food sources in the community, especially during a time of a global COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to emphasize the benefits of subsistence farming,” said a DPL statement from the Office of the Governor.

Subsistence farm plot permits are also on an annual basis. Applications are open to all eligible CNMI citizens.

The Application for Temporary Use of Public Land form for both agricultural grazing permits and subsistence farm plot permits can be found on our DPL website.

“Our goal is to maximize the use of public lands to benefit the community and it is also important during this time to increase food sustainability here on the island and reduce reliance on imported food,” said DPL Secretary Marianne Concepcion-Teregeyo. “I’m thankful that with the hard work of the DPL Planning Division director Pat Rasa and surveyor III Jack Diaz and huge support of the administration, that we are able to do both.”

The lots for subsistence farming were identified through DPL’s Directive 7 initiative, which Concepcion-Teregeyo instituted on May 15, 2020. That directive requires the DPL divisions—Compliance, Planning, Homestead, Land Claims, and Real Estate—to review their land inventory listings and ensure that public lands that have not already been issued through a grant of public domain, grant of designation/assignment, homestead, lease, etc., are all accounted for. These properties remain on the land inventory for those of Northern Marianas descent and Directive 7 ensures that encroachers are charged a fee and are eventually evicted if they refuse to pay for the public land use.

Directive 7 is a diligent effort to achieve accountability for all public lands, the DPL statement said.

Homestead lots

Through Directive 7, DPL has identified 10 additional Saipan village homestead lots within existing subdivisions. The Planning Division was tasked with maximizing existing subdivisions such as Kagman areas, since water and power are already in place. The additional lots identified are corner lots that remain undesignated, for example, the corner curve along Kagman III.

Only people of Northern Marianas descent are eligible for Village homesteads; however a moratorium in accepting new applications has been in effect since 2006.

During the start of this administration in 2016, DPL had a total of 3,182 village homestead applicants for Saipan. Today there are currently 2,148 pending applicants. The decrease is attributed to the efforts of the Homestead Division in issuing out revoked idle homestead lots, as well as determining ineligible homestead applicants that have land registered under their name. Another Saipan homestead lottery is scheduled to be held this November.

For more information, visit the DPL website at www.dpl.gov.mp or like DPL on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DPLCNMI. DPL can also be reached at (670) 234-3751, via email at dpl@dpl.gov.mp, and is located on the second floor of the Joeten Dandan Commercial Building. (PR)