U.S. Department of the Interior OfficeofInsularAffairs AReportonthe StateoftheIslands 1999 Front cover photo compliments of Marshall Islands Visitors Authority Benjamin Graham General Manager State Of The Islands TableOfContents A Report on the State of the Islands ............................................................................. 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1. The Department of the Interior’s Role in the Insular Areas 1.1 The Department’s Evolving Role in Insular Affairs. ................................................................................. 2 1.2 Fiscal Years 1998 and 1999 ................................................................................................................ 2 Office of Insular Affairs .......................................................................................................................... 3 General Technical Assistance ................................................................................................................... 3 Operations and Maintenance Improvement Program ...................................................................................... 3 Insular Management Control Initiative ....................................................................................................... 3 Brown Tree Snake Control ....................................................................................................................... 4 CNMI Labor, Immigration and Law Enforcement Initiative ............................................................................ 4 American Samoa Government Operations Subsidies ..................................................................................... 4 Capital Improvement Grants ..................................................................................................................... 4 Compacts of Free Association ................................................................................................................... 5 Fiscal Assistance to U.S. Territories ........................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Major Issues and Initiatives ................................................................................................................ 5 Federal-CNMI Initiative on Labor, Immigration and Law Enforcement ............................................................. 5 American Samoa Government Financial Management System and Recovery Plan ............................................... 6 Freely Associated State Economic Restructuring .......................................................................................... 7 Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the North American Numbering Plan ....................................................... 7 Rongelap Resettlement ........................................................................................................................... 8 Statistics Improvement Initiative ............................................................................................................... 8 Coral Reef Initiative ............................................................................................................................... 8 Palau Road Projects ................................................................................................................................9 Compact Impact .................................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2. American Samoa .................................................................................... 10 2.1 Background .................................................................................................................................. 10 2.2 Political Status Developments and Federal Relations ............................................................................. 10 2.3 The Economy ................................................................................................................................11 2.4 Government .................................................................................................................................. 13 2.5 Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................13 Electric Division .................................................................................................................................. 14 Water Division .................................................................................................................................... 14 Waste Water Division ............................................................................................................................ 15 Solid Waste Division ............................................................................................................................ 15 Roads ................................................................................................................................................ 15 Village Rural Road Development Program ................................................................................................ 15 Road Drainage Improvement Program ...................................................................................................... 15 Sea Walls, Revetments and Shore Protection .............................................................................................. 15 Road Maintenance Fund ........................................................................................................................ 16 Seaports ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Airport .............................................................................................................................................. 16 Schools .............................................................................................................................................. 17 Hospitals ............................................................................................................................................ 17 Charts ................................................................................................................................................ 19 I State Of The Islands Chapter 3. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands .................................................. 24 3.1 Background .................................................................................................................................. 24 3.2 Political Status Developments and Federal Relations ............................................................................. 24 3.3 The Economy ................................................................................................................................26 3.4 Government Administration ............................................................................................................. 27 3.5 Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................27 Water System ...................................................................................................................................... 28 Waste Water System ............................................................................................................................. 28 Power Generation and Distribution .......................................................................................................... 28 Solid Waste Disposal ............................................................................................................................ 29 Roads ................................................................................................................................................ 29 Airports ............................................................................................................................................. 30 Ports ................................................................................................................................................. 30 Public Buildings .................................................................................................................................. 30 Health Facilities ................................................................................................................................... 30 Charts ................................................................................................................................................ 32 Chapter 4. Guam ................................................................................................ 36 4.1 Background .................................................................................................................................. 36 4.2 Political Status Developments and Federal Relations ............................................................................. 36 Guam Commonwealth .........................................................................................................................