Bordallo To White House: No To Marine Sanctuary Plan

GUAM - Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo has sent a letter to the White House opposing the current plan to declare a marine sanctuary around the three northern-most islands of the CNMI.

In her letter Bordallo objects to the lack of detail in the proposal and lack of input from the local community. She argues that "retention of local flexibility" to manage marine resources is an important sovereignty issue. And she expresses her opposition to using the "antiquities act" to get the proposal approved. Instead she writes that the national marine sanctuaries act, which involves formal public consultation, is a "far better" way to assess the merits of a marine sanctuary. In addition, Bordallo expressed extreme concern that the proposal is being considered now, in the last weeks of the Bush Administration, without adequate public input or congressional oversight.

Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo has sent a letter to the White House opposing the current plan to declare a marine sanctuary around the three northern-most islands of the CNMI. In her letter Bordallo objects to the lack of detail in the proposal and lack of input from the local community. She argues that "retention of local flexibility" to manage marine resources is an important sovereignty issue. And she expresses her opposition to using the "antiquities act" to get the proposal approved. Instead she writes that the national marine sanctuaries act, which involves formal public consultation, is a "far better" way to assess the merits of a marine sanctuary. In addition, Bordallo expressed extreme concern that the proposal is being considered now, in the last weeks of the Bush Administration, without adequate public input or congressional oversight.

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