Marianas Trench Marine Sanctuary status in the spotlight

House Natural Resources chair Rep. Sheila Therese Babauta (D-Saipan) leads the Environmental Sustainability and Stewardship Stakeholders meeting on whether the nomination of Mariana Trench should remain on the inventory of sites for potential national marine sanctuary designation. (Contributed Photo)

The CNMI House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee met with over 50 local and federal stakeholders last Tuesday, Feb. 1, to review the nomination for the Mariana Trench National Marine Sanctuary.

Led by Rep. Sheila Therese Babauta (D-Saipan), who chairs the committee, the Environmental Sustainability and Stewardship Stakeholders meeting featured presentations from Northern Marianas College, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Center for American Progress.

“NOAA is seeking public input…whether the nomination of Mariana Trench should remain on the inventory of sites for potential national marine sanctuary designation,” said Babauta. “This meeting was an opportunity for everyone to gather information about the nomination process ahead of the deadline for public comments on Feb. 22.”

The Friends of the Marianas Trench Marine Monument nominated the Marianas Trench Marine Sanctuary in 2016 with support from Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) and Gov. Ralph DLG Torres. The five-year nomination was accepted by President Donald Trump in 2017 and is up for review in March 2022.

“While the protection of natural resources is a shared priority of both sanctuaries and monuments, there are differences between the two designations. Sanctuaries are created under different federal laws, are managed differently and often take longer to creates than marine national monuments,” said Babauta.

She thanked all of the participants and encourages the community to register online (https://nominate.noaa.gov/5-year-review.html) for the virtual NOAA public meeting at 10am on Feb. 12, 2022.

“This is the continuation of a lengthy process that requires a partnership with all of our stakeholders to renew our nomination status and work toward a sanctuary that reflects the best interests of our community,” she said.

The House Committee on Natural Resources holds quarterly stakeholder meetings to create a space for natural resources management professionals to address issues that impact all of their respective missions for environmental sustainability and stewardship.

The committee considers and report on all bills, resolutions and other matters referred to it by the House pertaining to the state of the natural resources of the Commonwealth, including long range planning and policies; fisheries and ocean resources; public lands and land taking; housing; building and zoning codes; land management; parks and recreation; water and soil conservation; energy and related matters.

The committee consists of Babauta, vice chair Rep. Denita Yangetmai (D-Saipan), and Reps. Angel Demapan (R-Saipan), Richard Lizama (D-Saipan) and Patrick San Nicolas (R-Tinian). (PR)