House holds off voting on Sea Touch-DLNR lease deal

The House of Representatives held off voting on a proposed submerged lands lease between the Department of Lands and Natural Resources and Sea Touch Saipan LLC for a $1.125-million shark and stingray marine park project over what Natural Resources Committee chair Anthony Benavente (Ind-Saipan) said were remaining concerns, including the criteria for site election.

Benavente, during Thursday’s session, told his colleagues that the Natural Resources Committee wants further “clarification.” The bill was referred back to committee.

“No. 1, what’s the criteria for site selection? No. 2, are there available alternative locations? Because of this, we feel that this bill needs to go back to committee for further review,” Benavente said.

Rep. Ray Tebuteb (Ind-Saipan) echoed Benavente’s position, adding that there are “quite a few pertinent information” that need to be “scrutinized.”

Rep. Teresita Santos (R-Rota), however, pointed out that most committee members already signed off or approved the committee report recommending passage of the bill approving the proposed DLNR-Sea Touch lease agreement.

While that is true, Benavente said there were other concerns raised after the report was prepared including the site selection criteria and alterative sites.

The committee recommended passage of Speaker Joseph Deleon Guerrero’s (Ind-Saipan) House Bill 18-198, in the form of House Draft 1.

The proposed substitute bill ensures that the accurate square meters of the premises to be leased are reflected in the bill. The substitute bill, made in collaboration with DLNR, corrects the discrepancies pertaining to the combined leased area and to include the CNMI local grid coordinate system.

The accurate total square meters of the property being leased is some 1,481 square meters, from 4,575 square meters, located by the Fiesta Resort & Spa beach side in Garapan. The proposed lease is for $12,000 a year.

The committee version of the bill also changes the coordinates from four geocoordinates to eight CNMI local grid coordinates.

“Neither the change to the square meters nor the coordinates added or subtracted from the actual land that the parties negotiated and agreed to lease,” the committee version of the bill states.

A public hearing on the bill conducted by the Natural Resources Committee drew support from those who testified in person and in writing.

The proposed submerged lands project area covers some 4,575 square meters by the Fiesta Resort & Spa beach in Garapan.

Saipan Sea Touch plans to build temporary holding pens for the sharks and stingrays, and a floating walkway on the shallow waters fronting the hotel.

If approved by the Legislature, the lease would be for five years. The lease may be renewed for up to an additional 20 years, with each renewal term of up to five years.

The House Natural Resources Committee, in its report, said granting of the submerged land lease will enhance tourism by providing a new tourist attraction and will also create new jobs and business opportunities.