Integrated Renewable Resource Management for U.S. Insular Areas

Chapter 2 Introduction CONTENTS Page Insular Relationships to the Federal Government . 39 Commonwealths. 39 Unincorporated Territories . 40 Freely Associated States . 40 The Importance of U.S.-Affiliated Islands to US. National Security . 41 Economic Development in U.S.-Affiliated Islands: The Problem . 41 Ecological Factors . 42 Geographical Factors. 43 Socioeconomic Factors . 43 Goals of Renewable Resource Management and Development . 45 Chapter 2 References . 46 Tables Table No. Page 2-1. United States-Insular Area Relationships . 39 2-2. General Characteristics of Islands . 42 Figure Figure No. Page 2-1. Comparison of Typical Population Pyramids . 44 — Chapter Introduction INSULAR RELATIONSHIPS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT The U.S.-affiliated tropical islands have a is represented by a nonvoting Resident Com- wide range of relationships to the U.S. Govern- missioner. The Resident Commissioner and ment (table 2-1), Two are commonwealths— Delegates sit in the House of Representatives, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands have a voice in legislation pertaining to their (NMI)–having local autonomy but voluntarily islands, and can vote in Committee. While the associated with the United States. The U.S. Vir- territories are eligible for many Federal pro- gin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam are grams on the same basis as a State, the islanders unincorporated territories (to which only cer- do not contribute to the national treasury tain provisions of the U.S. Constitution have through Federal income taxes, been expressly extended) under the administra- Determination of U.S. policy for the territo- tion of elected Governors. Finally, the Repub- ries is within the jurisdiction of Congress. Al- lic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Fed- though Congress has given the Secretary of the erated States of Micronesia (FSM) (which, Interior certain authorities and responsibilities together with the NMI and the Republic of toward these territorial governments (exclud- Palau form the former Trust Territory of the ing Puerto Rico), and many Federal programs Pacific Islands) have signed agreements with are available to them, the territories are not the United States to become Freely Associated 1 agencies or instrumentalities of the Executive States. Branch of the Federal Government. The peoples of Puerto Rico and the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are Commonwealths U.S. citizens, those of Palau and American Samoa are U.S. nationals. Guam, American A U.S. commonwealth is an autonomous Samoa and the USVI are represented in the U.S. government in voluntary association with the Congress by nonvoting Delegates. Puerto Rico United States. It is responsible for its own wel- fare and has full legislative authority. Puerto 1Although Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the United States, Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship in 1917 it is referred to as “Estado Libre Asociado” or free associated and Puerto Rico’s Constitution was approved state. This should not be confused with the legal relationship defined by free association with the Freely Associated States by the electorate in 1952. The Northern Mari- in the Pacific. ana Islands in effect became a commonwealth Table 2-1.—United States Insular Area Relationships Relationship to the Insular area Initiation of U.S. administration United States Puerto RICO . ... 1898 (ceded to the United States) Commonwealth U.S. Virgin Islands 1917 (purchased from Denmark) Unincorporated territory American Samoa 1900 (ceded to the United States) Unincorporated territory Guam . .. 1898 (ceded to the United States) Unincorporated territory Northern Mariana Islands 1946 (U.S. Strategic Trusteeship) Commonwealth Marshall Islands 1946 (U. S, Strategic Trusteeship) Freely Associated State Federated States of Micronesia 1946 (U.S. Strategic Trusteeship) Freely Associated State Palau 1946 (U.S. Strategic Trusteeship)) Strategic Trusteeshipa a Expected to become Freely Associated State in 1987 SOURCE Office of Technology Assessment 1987 39 40 . Integrated Renewable Resource Management for U.S. Insular Areas in 1978,2 but remained officially a part of the dissolved, the United States retains its respon- Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands until its sibility to promote the economic advancement dissolution in 1986. and self-reliance of these islands. The trusteeship was intended as a temporary Unincorporated Territories arrangement under which the United States ac- Unincorporated territories are not integral cepted the responsibility of advancing the TTPI parts of the United States and no promise of —politically, socially, economically, and edu- statehood or a status approaching statehood is cationally—toward greater self-reliance, includ- held out to them. Only certain parts of the U.S. ing undertaking obligations to: Constitution apply to unincorporated territo- . promote the economic advancement and ries. And, unlike States which write their own self-sufficiency of the inhabitants, and to this constitutions, the laws and principles that pre- end shall regulate the use of natural resources; scribe the nature, functions, and limits of a ter- encourage the development of fisheries, agri- ritorial government are determined by Con- culture and industries; [and] protect the inhabi- gress (13). tants against the loss of their lands and resources (Trusteeship Agreement for the United Guam was annexed from Spain at the close States Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Ar- of the Spanish-American War. Although rela- ticle 6(2)). tions between the Government of Guam and The United States also was charged with pre- the U.S. Government also are conducted under paring the Micronesians for a political status the jurisdiction of the Department of the In- of their own choosing. terior, residents of Guam elect their own officials. Most aspects of the U.S. Constitution ap- Civilian administration of the TTPI was the ply to Guam. Similar to Guam, the American responsibility of the Department of the Interior, Samoa Government is semiautonomous and but each administrative district was given the operates under a constitution adopted in 1960. opportunity to determine its own form of gov- American Samoa has been administered by the ernment and degree of independence from the United States since 1900. The U.S. Virgin Is- United States. By January 1981, each emerg- lands were sold by the Danish Government to ing entity had installed a constitutional govern- the United States in 1917. U.S. citizenship was ment with democratically elected officials. granted to Virgin Islanders in 1927, The Commonwealth of the Northern Mari- ana Islands was established and separated from Freely Associated States the other existing TTPI entities in 1978, al- The Freely Associated States, along with the though some relations between the Northern Northern Mariana Islands, comprise the Trust Marianas and the U.S. Government continued Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI), the last under the jurisdiction of the Department of the of 11 trusteeships established under United Na- Interior. Two of the remaining political enti- tions’ sanction after World War II. Despite pre- ties—the FSM (Yap, Truk, Pohnpei, and Kos- liminary agreements, the Compact of Free rae), and the RMI—have signed Compacts of Association with the Republic of Palau has not Free Association with the United States; the yet received 75 percent Palauan approval in a FSM and RMI compacts were approved by the United States in early 1986 and put into effect plebiscite vote and, therefore, has not been ap- 3 proved by the United States or the United Na- at the end of the year. tions. Until the Compact with Palau is approved Free association allows the polities full con- by the United Nations and the trusteeship is trol of internal and external affairs while de- — ‘The Northern Mariana Covenant (Public Law 94-241) was 3Because approval of a Compact of Free Association with the passed by Congress in 1976, but the major part of the Covenant Republic of Palau is expected shortly, Palau shall be referred did not become effective until 1978 when the Commonwealth to as a Freely Associated State in the remainder of this assess- government was installed. ment unless otherwise indicated. Ch. 2—Introduction . 41 fense and security responsibilities are delegated ing from the United States (15 years for the RMI to the United States. They become eligible for and FSM and 50 years for Palau) part of which foreign aid from international organizations, must be directed to planning long-term eco- such as the Asian Development Bank. Finally, nomic development. they are guaranteed a specified level of fund- THE IMPORTANCE OF U.S.-AFFILIATED ISLANDS TO U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY The U.S.-affiliated islands are of considerable Although the U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands importance to national security, and the United do not play an important role in current or pro- States is committed to their defense and to jected Department of Defense programs, they maintaining lines of communication to and might likewise be viewed as the United States’ through them. The islands vary in strategic im- fourth border. According to the Annual Report portance, but all represent the U.S. presence of the Secretary of Defense to Congress for fis- in spheres of strategic interest. cal year 1986, at least 30 percent of U.S. trade is conducted with the nations of East Asia, and The U.S.-affiliated Caribbean islands are of five of our mutual security treaties link us with special security significance to the United States, East Asian countries (9). Only a few islands (e.g., primarily because of their close proximity to Guam, Kwajelein) have major U.S. bases; the Caribbean and Central American countries. U.S. Navy, however, has a keen interest in cer- Puerto Rico is of particular significance due tain contingency base rights in the Northern to the presence of major naval installations Mariana Islands and Palau. (See app. B for a there and its location astride major routes of brief discussion of military installations and communication.

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