Reef Ball Foundation Photos and Project Description Database

OIA Makes Technical Assistance Grant To Help Preserve the CNMI's Coral Reefs The Office of Insular Affairs has made a technical assistance grant to the CNMI government to help preserve the islands' coral reefs. The grant agreement was signed by OIA Director Allen P. Stayman, and by Governor Pedro P. Tenorio when they were both attending a meeting in the White House Complex on February 25; the meeting dealt with the creation of a new policy coordinating mechanism to give more attention to policies relating to the U.S. islands. The technical assistance grant, for $40,000, was awarded to CNMI's Coastal Resources Management Program, and was OIA's response to a proposal submitted by Peter Barlas of that agency. The technical assistance program will have six different segments, all designed to preserve the CNMI's coral reefs, which are valuable not only for their natural beauty, but as a source of jobs and revenue from fishing and tourism, as habitat for numerous species and as protection from storms and waves. The program, according to Dr. Karen Koltes, OIA's coral reef specialist, will consist of six parts: 1. the development of culturally appropriate coral reef printed educational materials to encourage people to enjoy and respect the reefs; 2. supporting the Coastal Resources Management Program's marine monitoring team through the purchase of needed underwater equipment; 3. the development of an educational CD-Rom on the coral reef environments in the CNMI; 4. supporting travel by the CNMI Coastal Management staff to coral reef conferences; 5. supporting sustainable island tourism through the development and placement of interpretative signs at key beach areas; the signs will tell tourists what to look for, and how to protect the environment, and 6. implementation of a "reef ball" placement and monitoring project, as part of a reef augmentation program.....

CNMI to use concrete balls to expand reef. March 3, 1999