;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Geography 494 parks. The findings of my research include a limitation on the build up and continuation Land Tenure and its of subsidence agriculture in the national parks located on customary land, and a more Effect on the National aggressive management and recreational utilization on privatized land. Park system: A Cross Background section Comparative Study of Geographical history of Sämoa and American American Sämoa and Sämoa The Sämoan Archipelago is comprised Sämoa of 13 volcanic islands, 9 of which are Genell Howell inhabited, and 2 atolls located 14 degrees south of the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The archipelago is oldest to the northwest at the island of Savaii and decreases in age to the southeast at the island of Ta‘ü (Craig, 2009). These islands are basaltic in nature and contain an intricate network of coral reef systems throughout their near shores. The natural vegetation on these islands consists mostly of lowland and montane rainforests with smaller patches of habitat that are categorized as cloud, riverine, swamp, mangrove and beach forests. According to Schuster, the primary conservation areas Map 1. from national park of American Sämoa. are montane rainforests as they are rich in (October 1997) General Management Plan (pg 3) endemic flora and fauna and have high rates of biodiversity. Introduction Political History of Sämoa and AS Land tenure greatly affects natural Uanasa Va‘a, a professor at the Sämoan resource management within the national University, describes Sämoa as, “One nation parks of the Sämoan archipelago. This paper’s with two separate flags.” Though the islands primary objective is to cross analyze and are politically separated they are similar in compare theses differences in both American traditions, practices and share both a common Sämoa and Sämoa. Although the Sämoan language and culture which varies in degrees archipelago is geographically and culturally and intensity. The islands of Sämoa have similar, it remains politically separated historically had division and turmoil which with two land tenure systems operating in sometimes resulted in island-to-island warfare; the region; the first is a traditional practice this was compounded by the Treaty of Berlin of communal land and the second, more in 1889 and the inception of colonialism (via recent method of privatized land that began the Tripartite Convention) in 1899. This accord with colonialism. Included in this paper separated the island chain with the islands is the impact of the land tenure system of Savai‘i and ‘Upolu under the colonial rule on management plans within the national of Germany and later New Zealand, while 43 the island of Tutuila and the Manu‘a islands different types of land that could potentially came under the colonial power of the U.S. add to the restrictions of the management This division afforded Sämoa a land area plans in the park. In Sämoa the parks are that is fifteen times larger totaling 1,099 located on government owned lands, whereas sq miles, as opposed to its counterpart of in American Sämoa the parks are located on American Sämoa which totals 77.1 sq miles customary lands. Stipulations of the customary (Craig, 2009). Sämoa received its status as an lands in American Sämoa are based on a independent nation in 1962, while American 50 year lease that was signed in September Sämoa is still subject to the colonial rule of of 1993 between the governor of American the United States as an unincorporated part Sämoa, who was acting on behalf of the of the U.S. (Schuster). A strong variance that village landowners, and the NPS (NPAS, occurs between the Sämoas is found in their 1997). economic infusions; while American Sämoa is underneath the wing of the US government Management differences between the and receives a variety of grants and stimulus National Parks packages, Sämoa, due to their independent status, must self govern and write a variety of Sämoa proposals and grants in order to supplement As reported by the Conservation the revenue generated from tourism. International there are a total of five national parks in Sämoa; two are on the island of Land Appropriation ‘Upolu, totaling in 11,613 acres, and three In the Sämoa islands land tenure is are located on the island of Savai‘i which considered an integral portion of the social accounts for a total of 28,640 acres. The organization tied to a kinship system and first National Park, O Le Pupu Pu‘e, was village network (Stover, 1999). Communal established in 1978 and is located on the tenure refers to the rights of the environmental Southern portion of ‘Upolu (Division of resources, while the lands and waters are held Environment and Conservation, 1998). As in common. These land rights belong to an stated in the National Parks and Reserves ‘aiga, or extended family, and are overseen by Act of 1974, the purpose of a national the appointed matai, or chief, within that ‘aiga park is to ensure the preservation and “the (NPS and ASG, 1987). According to an article benefit and enjoyment of the people of by Stover, there are two concepts that support Sämoa” (2008). This Act also asserts that the the matai in their decision making process benefits of the park range from inspiration, over the land usage. The first is the pule, aesthetic appreciation, enjoyment and otherwise known as authority, as the matai recreation. Within the park, management has exclusive power to make administrative has elected the right to alter roads and decisions over the family lands. The second tracks, set aside camping and picnic areas, is the tautua, otherwise known as service, vehicle lots, authorize the construction of which refers to the obligations of the matai permanent buildings and structures, perform to their ‘aiga (1999). Uanasa Va‘a stated maintenance, provide a place for scientific that ninety percent of the land in American and archeological research and lastly to Sämoa is considered communal under the implement the incorporation of interpretive matai system, while a total of eighty percent signs, which educate, instruct or guide of land in Sämoa is customary (Division of visitors (MNRE, 2008). In recent years there Environment and Conservation, 1998). This has been a push from the Ministry of Natural separation of land tenure is substantially Resources and Environment (MNRE) towards important when comparing the national parks the preservation and conservation of the in the Sämoas as they are contained on two biodiversity within the natural areas, and 44 as a result new rules and regulations have from around the world(1998). accompanied the way that the parks are managed. For instance, huge efforts are being While there has been some build up in made in order to ensure the conservation the parks in the form of trails and signage of watersheds, reforestation of the national there remain very strict regulations set by park, and the eradication of harmful invasive the management plan that prohibits the species that may degrade and threaten the construction of new structures and roads in rehabilitation of conservation areas (MNRE, the park. Furthermore, based on the lease 2010). stipulations, subsistent agriculture that had occurred in areas that now fall under park American Sämoa jurisdiction can continue, however not According to American Sämoa’s expand (NPS and ASG, 1988). Natural History Guide, the national parks in American Sämoa total 10,520 acres on the Methodology islands of ‘Ofu, Ta‘ü and Tutuila (Craig, 2009). The methodology used and This amounts to a total of three national parks implemented within this research project with one park on each of the aforementioned consisted of participant observation in the islands. The park on the island of Tutuila National Parks headquarters and the National consists of 2,500 acres and is located on Parks of both American Sämoa and Sämoa. the north central part of the island. The The participant observation was performed in boundaries comprise all land that is 200 ft order to ground truth already preconceived and up in elevation following the Mt. Alava/ notions regarding research questions. The Maugaloa Ridgeline. On the island of Ta‘ü consultation of a variety of scholarly journals the park encompasses a total of 5,400 acres and government-assessed proposals regarding and includes the southeastern portion of the the management and implementations of island. Finally, the park on ‘Ofu makes up a programs within the Park systems was carried total of 70 acres of both sandy beach on the out. I also conducted informal interviews/ southern shore, a transit corridor, and the consultations with a total of 6 individuals southern slopes of the Sunu‘itao Peak (NPAS, within the National Park systems. This informal 1997). The management objectives of the interviewing allowed me to gain knowledge national park are to preserve and perpetuate and insight regarding the implementation the cultural integrity and natural resources of a variety of management policies by the within the tropical rainforests including the administrators and workers in the National plants, animals, waters, soils, topographic Parks. features, geologic features, air quality and scenic vistas. As stated in the General Discussion Management Plan issued by the NPAS the In the following section I will discuss purpose of a national park is to: my overall findings and conclusions based on all of the information gleaned through my Preserve and protect the tropical forest research. This section has been broken down and archeological and cultural resources into a total of three sections; the first focuses of American Sämoa…to maintain the on the findings in Sämoa National Park and is habitat of flying foxes, preserve the further broken down into subsections for each ecological balance of the Sämoan island visited. The second section consists tropical forest, and, consistent with the of findings pertaining to American Sämoa preservation of these resources to provide National Park and is further broken down into for the enjoyment of the unique resources 3 subsections for each island visited.