Beautify CNMI has a busy month of August

Saipan Tribune, Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Over the last few weeks, Beatify CNMI members have been busy making the island a more beautiful place to visit and live.

On Aug. 13, Beautify CNMI members Marianas Resource Conservation & Development Council, MOVER, and CNMI Forestry planted 64 Daok trees along the road leading to the Grotto. When these trees are taller, they will provide a beautiful canopy for people driving, riding bikes, or running along the road.

On Saturday, Aug. 19, Beautify CNMI member MINA held their monthly beach cleanup at Wing Beach. The members, along with four new student members from Saipan Southern High School, picked up over 300 lbs of trash on the beach.

On Sunday, Aug. 20, volunteers from MOVER, Marianas RC&D, and Rep. Cinta Kaipat's Office participated in a stream cleanup in Lao Lao Bay. People are using the streams draining the Lao Lao watershed as illegal dumping sites. When it rains heavily all of that garbage is washed out onto the reef flat, where it pollutes the water and has the potential to kill wildlife.

Volunteers pulled out 1,820 lbs of trash, including three washing machines, an old sofa, and a mattress.

On Aug. 19 and 27, Beautify CNMI members Marianas RC&D, MOVER, Board of Parole, Church of Latter Day Saints, Koblerville Elementary School and Rep. Cinta Kaipat's Office cleaned up the area around the Koblerville substation. Volunteers used machetes and sickles to cut down the brush choking out the plumeria trees, then they cut the grass along the road using bush cutters. They also painted over all of the graffiti on the Koblerville Substation. The paint and paint supplies were donated by Kaipat and Marianas RC&D. The yard waste was picked up by the offices of Reps. Absalon Waki and Kaipat.

Beautify CNMI is always looking for volunteers to help with their island improvement efforts. This weekend Beautify CNMI will be working in Lao Lao Bay.

"On Saturday we are partnering with DEQ for a beach cleanup along Lao Lao Beach. Please contact DEQ at 664-8500 for details. On Sunday we are partnering with the CNMI Watershed group to plant native trees on the Lao Lao hillsides. We are meeting at the Santa Soledad Church at 8am. Contact Angelo Villagomez at Marianas RC&D at 483-1078 to volunteer," the group said in a statement.

Beautify CNMI is a coalition of various agencies, private sector, non-profit organizations, private citizens, and visitors. Its mission is to foster community pride through a comprehensive beautification campaign aimed at enhancing the beauty of the island environments and the people's quality life through public education on recycling, restoration, waste management, and enforcement of laws.

Beautify CNMI has planted 1547 trees on Saipan since June. Beautify CNMI also collected thousands of pounds of recyclable bottles and cans at the Micronesian Games, Liberation Day Festival, and Garapan Street Market (PR)