CNMI Comprehensive Public Land Use Plan Update for Rota, Tinian, Saipan, and the Northern Islands Department of Public Lands Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands March 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ IV II. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ V III. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 7 1. ENABLING LEGISLATION ....................................................................................................... 7 2. 1989 PUBLIC LAND USE PLAN ............................................................................................... 7 3. DOCUMENT SUMMARY AND ORGANIZATION ......................................................................... 8 4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ........................................................................................................ 8 IV. EXISTING CONDITIONS .............................................................................................. 9 1. CNMI HISTORICAL/GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ............................................................ 9 2. Population ................................................................................................................................. 12 3. Location and Density of Land Uses for CNMI .......................................................................... 13 4. Categories of Public Land Uses ................................................................................................ 13 5. Public Land Inventory ............................................................................................................... 14 V. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE CNMI PUBLIC LAND USE PLAN ............ 16 1. GOALS .............................................................................................................................. 16 2. OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................................... 16 VI. SOCIO-ECONOMIC FORECAST ............................................................................... 19 1. POPULATION TRENDS/PROJECTIONS .................................................................................. 19 VII. PUBLIC LAND USE PLAN FOR SAIPAN ................................................................. 23 1. OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................... 23 2. POPULATION TRENDS/PROJECTIONS .................................................................................. 23 3. ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS .................................................................... 23 4. PUBLIC LAND USE REQUIREMENTS.................................................................................... 24 5. NATURAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................................ 24 6. CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL PRESERVATION ...................................................................... 25 7. NUISANCE ACTIVITIES/HAZARDS ...................................................................................... 25 8. PUBLIC FACILITIES ............................................................................................................. 26 9. COMMERCIAL USES ............................................................................................................ 27 10. LOCATION AND AMOUNT OF PUBLIC DEVELOPABLE LAND ON SAIPAN ........................... 28 11. HOMESTEADS ................................................................................................................. 28 12. FUTURE LAND USES....................................................................................................... 29 VIII. PUBLIC LAND USE PLAN FOR TINIAN.............................................................. 31 1. OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................... 31 2. POPULATION TRENDS/PROJECTIONS .................................................................................. 31 3. ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS .................................................................... 31 4. PUBLIC LAND USE REQUIREMENTS.................................................................................... 32 5. NATURAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................................ 32 6. CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL PRESERVATION ...................................................................... 33 CNMI Land Use Plan Update 2019 1 7. NUISANCE ACTIVITIES/HAZARDS ...................................................................................... 33 8. AGRICULTURE .................................................................................................................... 34 9. PUBLIC FACILITIES ............................................................................................................. 34 10. HOMESTEADS ................................................................................................................. 34 11. COMMERCIAL USES ........................................................................................................ 35 12. LOCATION AND AMOUNT OF PUBLIC DEVELOPABLE LAND ON TINIAN ........................... 35 13. FUTURE LAND USES....................................................................................................... 36 IX. PUBLIC LAND USE PLAN FOR ROTA .................................................................... 37 1. OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................... 37 2. POPULATION TRENDS/PROJECTIONS .................................................................................. 37 3. ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS .................................................................... 37 4. PUBLIC LAND USE REQUIREMENTS.................................................................................... 37 5. NATURAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................................ 38 6. CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL PRESERVATION ...................................................................... 38 7. NUISANCE ACTIVITIES/HAZARDS ...................................................................................... 38 8. AGRICULTURE .................................................................................................................... 39 9. PUBLIC FACILITIES ............................................................................................................. 39 10. HOMESTEADS ................................................................................................................. 39 11. COMMERCIAL USES ........................................................................................................ 40 12. LOCATION AND AMOUNT OF PUBLIC DEVELOPABLE LAND ON ROTA .............................. 40 13. FUTURE LAND USES....................................................................................................... 40 X. PUBLIC LAND USE PLAN FOR NORTHERN ISLANDS .......................................... 42 1. MASTER PLAN FOCUS ......................................................................................................... 42 2. OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................... 42 3. POPULATION TRENDS/PROJECTIONS .................................................................................. 43 4. ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS .................................................................... 43 5. PUBLIC LAND USE REQUIREMENTS.................................................................................... 43 6. NUISANCE ACTIVITIES/HAZARDS ...................................................................................... 44 7. PUBLIC FACILITIES ............................................................................................................. 45 8. HOMESTEADS ..................................................................................................................... 46 9. NATURAL RESOURCES ....................................................................................................... 47 10. COMMERCIAL USES ........................................................................................................ 47 11. FUTURE LAND USES....................................................................................................... 48 XI. PLAN MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................ 50 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 50 2. ADMINSTRATION OF THE PUBLIC LAND USE PLAN .............................................................. 50 3. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN ......................................................................................... 50 4. MONITORING AND UPDATING THE CNMI PUBLIC LANDS GIS ................................................ 52 REFERENCES ...........................................................................................................................