University of Colorado Law School Colorado Law Scholarly Commons Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Books, Reports, and Studies Resources, Energy, and the Environment 2004 Private Lands Conservation in the Republic of the Marshall Islands Gregg de Bie University of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/books_reports_studies Part of the Environmental Law Commons, Environmental Policy Commons, Estates and Trusts Commons, Indian and Aboriginal Law Commons, Land Use Law Commons, Legislation Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Natural Resources Law Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons, Property Law and Real Estate Commons, Tax Law Commons, Water Law Commons, and the Water Resource Management Commons Citation Information Gregg de Bie, Private Lands Conservation in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (Natural Res. Law Ctr., Univ. of Colo. Sch. of Law 2004). GREGG DE BIE, PRIVATE LANDS CONSERVATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS (Natural Res. Law Ctr., Univ. of Colo. Sch. of Law 2004). Reproduced with permission of the Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment (formerly the Natural Resources Law Center) at the University of Colorado Law School. AVAILABLE ONLINE ====================jJ PRIVATE LANDS CONSERVATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF MARSHALL ISLANDS A Country Report by the Natural Resources Law Center, University of Colorado School of Law September 2004 Sponsored by The Nature Conservancy ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ r~ ,.. ~ Primary Author: Gregg de Bie, NRLC Research Assistant [email protected] KVS 66 .B54 2004 Private Lands Conservation in the Republic of the Marshall Islands A Report by the Natural Resources Law Center University of Colorado School of Law September 2004 Primary Author: Gregg de Bie, NRLC Research Assistant E-mail: [email protected] 0 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS BRIEF QUESTIONS .............................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 4 I. RELEVANT BACKGROUND.......................................................................................... 5 A. History of land ownership.................................................................................... 5 1. Pre-colonial history........................................................................................... 5 2. Colonial history ................................................................................................. 6 3. Post-colonial history.......................................................................................... 9 B. Overview of the land, demographics, and related issues................................. 10 1. Geography and climate................................................................................... 10 2. Population figures ........................................................................................... 11 3. Protected areas................................................................................................ 12 C. Government......................................................................................................... 13 1. Executive branch............................................................................................. 13 2. Legislative branch........................................................................................... 14 3. Judicial branch................................................................................................ 14 4. Council of Iroij ................................................................................................ 16 D. Legal framework................................................................................................. 17 1. RMI Constitution............................................................................................ 17 2. Legislation........................................................................................................ 18 3. Compact of Free Association and other treaties .......................................... 19 4. Custom ............................................................................................................. 20 5. Common law.................................................................................................... 21 II. OWNERSHIP OF PRIVATE PROPERTY................................................................... 22 A. Traditional land tenure ...................................................................................... 23 B. Restrictions and rights pertaining to private land ownership........................ 24 1. Citizenship restriction .................................................................................... 24 2. Alienation restrictions .................................................................................... 24 3. Servitudes and easements............................................................................... 25 4. Leases ............................................................................................................... 25 5. Mortgages ........................................................................................................ 26 C. Private land administration ............................................................................... 26 1. Institutional framework ................................................................................. 26 2. Land registration ............................................................................................ 28 III. CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON PRIVATE LANDS .............................................. 30 A. Introduction to conservation easements ........................................................... 30 1. Appurtenant conservation easements ........................................................... 32 2. Conservation easements in gross ................................................................... 34 3. Tax incentives for conservation easements................................................... 36 4. Uniform Conservation Easement Act ........................................................... 37 B. Conservation easements in the RMI ................................................................. 38 1. Restatement (Third) of Property................................................................... 39 IV. OTHER POTENTIAL LEGAL TOOLS...................................................................... 40 A. Leases, “Leaseback” Agreements, and Reserved Life Interests..................... 40 B. Real covenants..................................................................................................... 41 C. Equitable servitudes............................................................................................ 43 D. Purchased development rights........................................................................... 45 E. Profits à Prendre................................................................................................. 46 V. RMI LEGISLATION RELEVANT TO PRIVATE LANDS CONSERVATION ................... 47 A. National Environmental Protection Act 1984 .................................................. 47 B. Coast Conservation Act 1988............................................................................. 49 C. Land Acquisition Act 1986................................................................................. 51 VI. RECOMMENDED ACTIONS.................................................................................... 52 A. Enact conservation easement legislation........................................................... 52 B. Develop conservation easement precedent ....................................................... 53 C. Acquire a leasehold interest for the purpose of conservation......................... 54 D. Utilize the National Environmental Protection Act......................................... 55 E. Utilize the Coast Conservation Act ................................................................... 55 F. Utilize the Land Acquisition Act ....................................................................... 56 G. Establish “mo” reserves ..................................................................................... 56 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................... 57 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................. 58 TABLE OF ACRONYMS ALI: American Law Institute EEZ: Exclusive Economic Zone MIRC: Marshall Islands Revised Code NGO: non-governmental organization RMI: Republic of the Marshall Islands TTC: Trust Territory Code TTPI: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands UCEA: Uniform Conservation Easement Act 4 GLOSSARY OF TERMS Alap: the senior member of a lineage who is in immediate charge of a piece of land and the workers on the land Bwij: matrilineage members who communally hold land Dri Jerbal: a worker of a piece of land Iroij: of a royal or chiefly lineage Iroijedrik: a lesser chief who is an intermediary between the iroijlaplap and the lower classes Iroijlaplap: the paramount chief, or senior member of a royal matrilineage, who traditionally owns and controls the land Kajur: of a commoner lineage Mo: land reserved exclusively for use by the Iroijlaplap;