In the news

Marianas Variety, Monday, July 17, 2006

375 trees planted at Laulau
By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

MEMBERS of Beautify CNMI and 57 volunteers from various agencies and community groups planted 375 trees at the Laulau revegetation site yesterday morning.

The group met at the Sta. Soledad Church in Kagman and proceeded to the revegetation site.

The group planted six different species of saplings, 25 of which were donated by the Fiesta Resort and 100 by the Division of Forestry.

Angelo Villagomez, coral reef public involvement coordinator of the Marianas Resource Conservation and Development Council, said they aim to turn the wastershed area into a forest.

Villagomez said he and other members of Beautify CNMI such as Rep. Cinta M. Kaipat, Covenant-Saipan, and Tina Sablan of the Division of Environmental Quality were joined by volunteers from MOVER, Coastal Resources Management, the Division of Forestry and other community groups such as Stream Team.

The group started planting at 8 a.m. and finished by noon.

Villagomez said Kaipat provided water for the volunteers while Sablan and MOVER provided food.

The group will be planting coconut trees on Sunday along Beach Road and again in Laulau on following Sunday.

The tree planting project is spearheaded by Beautify CNMI’s restoration sub-committee chaired by Ken Kramer of the Marianas Resource Conservation and Development Council.

Since June 19, the group has already planted a total of 647 trees.

Beautify CNMI is a coalition of various government agencies, private and non-profit organizations as well as private citizens and visitors working together to foster community pride through a comprehensive beautification campaign aimed at enhancing the beauty of the island.