SCORP site assessments to begin Aug. 1

The Office of Grants Management and State Clearinghouse under the CNMI Office of the Governor is right now developing the CNMI’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan for 2019 – 2024.

The 2019 SCORP will outline the existing status, current needs, and future vision for outdoor recreation and open space protection. The plan will include public input from the CNMI’s growing and changing population and will set concrete goals and strategies for improvements and additions to infrastructure, programming, and resources.

The plan will be led by the Horsley Witten Group, Inc. Project Team as part of the advisory committee.

The advisory committee will conduct site assessments of existing outdoor recreation resources as part of the inventory database development on Saipan, Tinian and Rota beginning Aug. 1, 2019.  The committee will also conduct stakeholder meetings and interviews and a series of public workshops where agency/government stakeholders and the general public are encouraged to attend and provide their input into the process. 

Since the award and official announcement of the SCORP early this year, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres reiterated the importance of safeguarding the CNMI’s natural resources and creating a plan to guide outdoor recreation and economic activities.

“I encourage our community to provide their input on our most precious resources. This will strengthen our plans to better conserve, develop and improve accessibility. Overall, the creation of this plan will strengthen our efforts for community-based activities and tourism. I am very pleased to see this moving forward as this grant program is fully funded, and all technical assistance will go toward improving public lands and recreation for years to come,” Torres said.

The SCORP will meet the National Park Service’s planning eligibility requirements for the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund program. This program is a valuable source of support for protecting resources and providing facilities for public recreational use. The SCORP will also include a wetlands priority plan required under the Federal Emergency Wetlands Conservation Act.

Upcoming public workshops include the following:

Saipan/Northern Islands
Monday, Aug. 5, Saipan Community Services Building – Multi-Purpose Center
9am – 11am: Agency/government stakeholders
5pm – 7pm: general public  

Rota
Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019
Sinapalo Youth Center
3pm – 6pm: Agency/government stakeholders and the general public

Tinian
Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019
Tinian Public Library
3pm – 5:30pm: Agency/government stakeholders and the general public

For more information about the development of CNMI’s SCORP or how to get involved and contribute, and to take the online survey, visit the project website at www.cnmi-scorp.com. (PR)