The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Island’s (CNMI) Division of Coastal Resources Management (DCRM) was established on February 11, 1983 by Public Law 3-47 within the Office of the Governor, and reorganized under the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality (BECQ) under the Governor’s Executive Order 2013-24. The DCRM program was established in order to promote conservation and wise development around our coastal resources and to maintain each resident’s constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. There are six sections that help support DCRM’s mission to promote wise resource use and conservation in theCNMI. These sections are Permitting, Enforcement, Education & Outreach, Planning, Geographic Information Systems and Marine Monitoring. Each section plays a unique, but equally important, role in achieving DCRM’s vision of a clean and healthful environment enjoyed by the community.
IYOR Activities Plan
Governor Ralph D.L.G. Torres signed a proclamation on 28th March declaring 2018 as the International Year of the Reef in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The CNMI Coral Reef Initiative and the Division of Coastal Resources Management with the support of nongovernmental and academic partner organizations like the Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance have teamed up to promote the economic, ecological and cultural importance of coral reefs by hosting a number of activities throughout the year.
Beyond information dissemination, we have displayed IYOR exhibits at many community events like the World Oceans Day March, Environmental Expo, Flame Tree Arts Festival, Taste of the Marianas, International Coastal Clean Up and other events. To expand outreach programs, the CNMI Coral Reef Initiative hosted Ridge to Reef Summer Eco Camps on the islands of Tinian and Rota. Eco camp participants explore their watershed from ridge to reef through learning about agricultural best practices, hiking and exploring in a limestone forest, conducting coastal cleanups and learning about the detrimental impacts of marine debris, and also learn about the importance of CNMI’s coral reef ecosystems.
On September 14, 2018, The Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance (MINA) hosted a Green Gala, their biggest annual fundraiser, themed International Year of the Reef to support ongoing conservation projects and promote the IYOR in the CNMI. We have also created IYOR art contests in which schools and individuals can take part in such as the IYOR Rain Barrel Contest and the 2019 CNMI Coral Reef Tide Chart Calendar Art Challenge.
