Title 1, Government

Department of Lands and Natural Resources: Duties. The Department of Lands and Natural Resources shall have the following powers and duties: (a) To be responsible for the protection and enhancement of the natural resources of the islands, including the marine environment; (b) To …

Department of Lands and Natural Resources: Rules and Regulations. The Department of Lands and Natural Resources may adopt rules and regulations in furtherance of its duties and responsibilities. Source: PL 1-8, tit. 1, ch. 13, § 3; amended by PL 1-23, § 4; PL 2-51, § 5, modified;…

Department of Lands and Natural Resources: Staff. The Department of Lands and Natural Resources may employ staff as required to assist it in performing its duties, subject to budgetary appropriation and the employment ceilings established pursuant to N.M.I. Const. art. X, § 7. So…

Division of Fish and Wildlife. (a) There is in the Department of Lands and Natural Resources a Division of Fish and Wildlife, headed by a director serving under the supervision and control of the secretary. (b) The Division of Fish and Wildlife is a successor to the marine resour…

Public Lands: Fundamental Policies. [Repealed and reenacted by PL 12-33, § 3.] Source: PL 10-57, § 3 (2674); new subsection (h) added and subsequent subsections relettered by PL 11-48 § 2; repealed and reenacted by PL 12-33, § 3. Commission Comment: The constitution took effect J…

Division of Land Registration. (a) There is in the Department of Lands and Natural Resources a Division of Land Registration, headed by a director (formerly the Senior Land Commissioner) serving under the supervision and control of the secretary. (b) The Division of Land Registra…

Division of Zoning. (a) [RESERVED]. (b) [RESERVED]. (c) The Zoning Board of Rota, established by Rota Local Law No. 8-2, is not affected by this section. (d) Any reference to zoning in Section 401 of Executive Order 94-3 shall be inoperative during any period of suspension of the…

Division of Parks and Recreation. There is in the Department of Lands and Natural Resources a Division of Parks and Recreation headed by a director serving under the supervision and control of the secretary. The division shall have a park ranger sections to carry out the enforcem…

Definitions. In this article: (a) “Commonwealth park” means an area set apart and designated as a Commonwealth park by the Division of Parks and Recreation including any public facilities located within the boundaries of the park, and any tourist site formerly managed and maintai…

Duties. The division shall: (a) Have the care, charge, control, and supervision of Commonwealth parks and recreational facilities. (b) Manage, maintain, landscape, and beautify Commonwealth parks, and recreational facilities. (c) Erect and maintain structures, signs, and faciliti…

Permits. (a) The division may require a person to obtain a permit for the temporary exclusive use of a Commonwealth park or recreational facility. For each permit the division shall impose: (1) A reasonable user fee to recover the cost of administering the fee system and managing…

Rule-making. The division shall adopt rules and regulations necessary for the proper administration of its duties under this article including but not limited to rules and regulations: (a) To develop a list of violations with the fines for each violation subject to the amount pro…

Interagency Notification and Coordination. (a) Any department agency, public corporation, or other instrumentality of the Commonwealth which plans to use, or conduct any activities which may adversely affect, a public park or recreational facility, shall consult with the director…

Commonwealth Parks and Recreation Fund. (a) A Commonwealth Parks and Recreation Fund shall be maintained by the Department of Finance separate and apart from other funds of the Commonwealth government and independent records and accounts shall be maintained in connection herewith…

Police Powers. (a) With the approval of the secretary, the director shall designate and provide with official identification one or more employees assigned to the division as park rangers who shall be vested with police powers to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth and to enforc…

Division of Agriculture There is in the Department of Lands and Natural Resources a Division of Agriculture headed by a Director serving under the supervision and control of the secretary. Source: PL 13-28, § 1; amended by PL 21-43 § 3 (Feb. 5, 2021). Commission Comment: PL 13-28…

Establishment of an Agriculture Equipment Service Revolving Fund Program. There is hereby established an Agriculture Equipment Service Revolving Fund Program to be administered by the Division of Agriculture, Department of Lands and Natural Resources, in each senatorial district …

Establishment of Special Agriculture Equipment Service Revolving Fund Account. The Secretary of Finance shall establish or cause to establish a Special Agriculture Equipment Service Revolving Fund Account for each Senatorial District to be called as follows: (a) Rota Special Agri…

Disbursement of Special Agriculture Equipment Service Revolving Account. Any and all revenues collected from this Act shall be disbursed for the upkeep and operation of the agriculture service equipment which shall include and not be limited to the following: (a) For procurement …

Establishment of Fee Schedules. The Director of the Division of Agriculture in Saipan, subject to the approval by the Secretary of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, shall establish or cause to establish reasonable fee schedules for any and all agriculture equipment s…

Funds Status Report. The Secretary of Finance shall make or cause to make a true and accurate funds status report on a quarterly basis to the Director of Agriculture through the Secretary of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, and the Resident Director in Rota and Tini…

Management of the Kagman Commercial Farm Plot Program. The Director of the Division of Agriculture shall manage the Kagman Commercial Farm Plot program consistent with the Grants of Public Domain Lands entered into between the Marianas Public Land Corporation and the Department o…

Director’s Authority. The Director is authorized to establish a program of licensing or permitting the use of the Kagman Commercial Farm Plots to residents of the Commonwealth for a period of at least five years. The permits or licenses shall be restricted to agricultural purpose…

Other Duties and Responsibilities. The Director shall perform such other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the Secretary. Source: PL 21-43 § 4 (Feb. 5, 2021), modified. Commission Comment: The Commission titled this section pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(g). 81

Promulgation of Rules and Regulations. The Director of the Division of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources shall promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the intent and purpose of this Article. Source: PL 13-28, § …

Definitions. (a) Hemp. “Hemp” means the plant of the genus cannabis and any part of the plant, whether growing or not, with a delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentration that does not exceed three tenths percent (0.3%) on a dry weight basis for any part of the plant cannabis, or pe…

Hemp Industry. (a) Notwithstanding any Commonwealth Law to the contrary the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Division of Agriculture shall have the primary regulatory authority over the production of hemp in the Commonwealth. (b) The Secretary of the Department of Lands…

Violations. (a) In general - A violation of the regulations promulgated under this Sub-article shall be subject to enforcement solely in accordance with this section. (b) Negligent violations: (1) In general - A hemp producer shall be subject to subparagraph (2) of this paragraph…

Department of Public Lands. The Department of Public Lands is hereby established within the Executive Branch to manage and ad minister the Co mmonwealth’s public lands under the provisions of Article XI o f the Constitution. Except as provided in this act, al l powers and duties …

The Secretary. The Department shall be headed by a Secretary to be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Secretary shall be a person of Northern Marianas descent as defined by Article XII of the Constitution. The Secretary shall have experience …

Powers and Duties of Department of Public Lands. (a) The Depart ment shall be responsibl e for the administration, use, leasing, development, and disposition of all those lands defined as public lands by N.M.I. Const. art. XI, § 1 or any other provision of law, subject to the pro…

Advisory Board to the Secretary. (a) There shall be established a Public Lands Advisory Board comprised of five members appointed as follows: (1) One resident of the First Senatorial District appointed by the Mayor of Rota with the advice and consent of the Rota Municipal Council…

Consultation with Mayor. Prior to the execution of a proposed, final action by the department, other than action requiring or subject to legislative approval, with respect to the lease, homestead, transfer of an interest or other disposition of public lands, the secretary of the …

Public Lands: Fundamental Policies. (a) The Department shall follow the fundamental policies set forth in this section in the performance of its responsibilities. (b) The Department shall make available some portion of the public lands for a homestead program. A person is not eli…

Public Lands: Additional Policies and Procedures. (a) The Department may not amend or otherwise make any substantive changes in the terms and conditions of a lease subject to legislative approval of the amendment or change in the same manner as required for the original approval.…

Public Lands: Lease Enforcement and Other Requirements. (a) The Department shall strictly enforce all terms of every lease and all requirements imposed as a condition of legislative approval of a lease or lease extension under 1 CMC § 2806. (b) The Department shall promptly incor…

Homesteads. The Department shall assess the demand for homesteads and develop a program for meeting that need, to the extent practicable, within the available land base. Before adopting any such homestead program the Secretary shall consult with the Advisory Board. (a) The Depart…

Audit. The Public Auditor shall audit the operations, books, and records of the Department at least annually and in accordance with 1 CMC § 7710(a) and 1 CMC § 2301 et seq. The report of the audit shall be transmitted to the Secretary, the Advisory Board, the Governor, the Speake…

Department Established. There is hereby established a Department of Labor which shall have at its head a Secretary of Labor. Source: Executive Order 94-3, § 301(a); amended by Executive Order 0301, § 101. Commission Comment: Executive Order 94-3, the “Second Reorganization Plan o…

Department of Corrections. There is established a Department of Corrections within the Executive Branch of the Commonwealth Government to be headed by the Commissioner of Corrections. As used in this Chapter, the term “department” shall mean the “Department of Corrections” unless…

Department of Corrections: Commissioner; Appointment. The Department of Corrections shall be administered by a Commissioner of Corrections who shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Commissioner is the admi…

Department of Corrections: Duties; Divisions. The Department of Corrections shall be responsible for all adult correctional services, civil detention, and adult offender detention throughout the Commonwealth. The Department of Corrections shall consist of three divisions: the Div…

Rule-making Authority. The Commissioner shall prescribe reasonably necessary rules and regulations to implement and enforce the provisions of this chapter for the entire department including its divisions. Source: PL 14-25, § 4 (2804); amended by PL 15-51, § 2.

Staff. As set forth herein and subject to budgetary appropriation, the Commissioner of Corrections may employ staff as required to assist in performing the department’s duties and responsibilities. Except as provided herein, all such staff shall be civil service employees. Source…

Director; Appointment. The Division of Pre-trial Detention shall be headed by the Director of the Division of Pre-trial Detention who shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the Commissioner. Source: PL 14-25, § 4 (2821); amended by PL 15-51, § 2.

Duties. The Division shall be responsible for the care, custody and discipline of persons arrested for and charged with offenses against the Commonwealth. That responsibility shall be exercised in coordination with the Division of Adult Corrections within the Department of Correc…