Title 2, Natural Resources

Coordination with Other Agencies; Issuance of Permit. Public lands shall not be disposed of or used for activities that in the opinion of the Historic Preservation Office and the review board, after consultation with Department of Public Lands, might damage cultural and historic …

Costs of Damage. Except in cases where undue hardship would result, it shall be the responsibility of the party whose actions damage the subject cultural or historic property to bear the costs of avoiding, mitigating or satisfactorily reducing the level of damage. Source: PL 3-39…

Prohibited Acts. It is unlawful for any person, partnership, business, corporation or other entity to willfully remove or take any artifact that is of historic or cultural significance to the people of the Commonwealth, or knowingly destroy, remove, disturb, displace, or disfigur…

Penalties. Any person who, individually or acting for any business, corporation or other entity, knowingly and willfully violates any provision of this chapter or any valid rule or regulation promulgated under this chapter shall be fined not more than $10,000 per day or imprisone…

House of Taga Park; Designation as Commonwealth Historic Site. The Secretary of the Department of Public Lands shall designate the House of Taga Park on the island of Tinian as a Commonwealth Historical Site under the administration of the Historic Preservation Office. The park s…

Short Title. This article shall be cited as the Commonwealth Museum Act of 1996. Source: PL 10-5, § 1. Commission Comment: PL 10-5 took effect March 13, 1996. According to PL 10-5, § 2: Section 2. Findings and Purpose. The Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature finds that: (a…

Commonwealth Museum: Established. There is hereby created the Commonwealth Museum of History and Culture, a public corporation, to be headed by an executive director, under the direction of a policy-making Museum Board of Governors. The museum is established to carry out the broa…

Commonwealth Museum: Duties. The museum shall have the following duties: (a) To provide a facility where valuable collections of archaeological, historical, cultural artifacts and related documentation of the people of the Commonwealth can be safely deposited, curated, displayed …

Commonwealth Museum: Powers. To carry out its duties, the museum, through its board, shall have all of the powers conferred by law on a public corporation and all powers reasonably necessary and incidental to the fulfillment of its purposes, including, but not limited to, the pow…

Museum Board of Governors: Establishment and Composition. (a) Board of Governors. A Museum Board of Governors shall govern the Museum. All powers vested in the Museum shall be exercised by the Museum Board of Governors, appointed by the Governor, composed of nine members who shal…

Powers and Duties of the Board. The board shall have the following powers and duties: (a) To govern the operation of the museum in a manner that furthers its purpose; (b) To take action necessary to exercise the powers of the museum conferred by this article; (c) To adhere to ope…

Officers and Staff of the Museum. (a) Executive Director. The board shall appoint an executive director to administer the operations of the museum on behalf of the board. The board may establish the qualifications of the executive director. The executive director’s salary shall b…

Executive Director: Duties. The executive director shall have the following duties: (a) Under the direction of the board, to carry out the intent of this article and the policies of the board; (b) To carry out federal laws and regulations applicable to the operation of a museum i…

Transfer of Public Lands. The Department of Public Lands shall, in accordance with N.M.I. Const. art. XI, § 5(b), transfer to the Commonwealth museum a freehold interest in that certain piece of public land on which the Commonwealth museum is situated, commonly known as “The Old …

Revolving Fund. (a) There is hereby created the Commonwealth Museum Revolving Fund which shall be accounted for separately from the General Fund. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all moneys received from legislative appropriations for the activities and operations …

Audits. The Public Auditor shall audit the operations, books, and records of the museum in accordance with 1 CMC § 7710(a) and 1 CMC § 7811 et seq. The final report of the audit shall be made public and shall be transmitted to the board, the executive director, the Governor, and …

Conflicts of Interest. The conduct of members of the board of governors, officers and employees of the museum shall be governed by the applicable provisions of 1 CMC § 8501 et seq. Source: PL 10-5, § 13.

Civil and Criminal Penalties. A member of the board, officer, counsel, employee, or agent of the museum, or any other person who embezzles, abstracts, or willfully misapplies any money, funds, credits, securities, or other property of the museum, or who willfully makes any false …

Short Title. This Act may be cited as the Rota Cultural Center Designation Act of 2002. Source: PL 13-31, § 1, modified. Commission Comment: PL 13-31, which took effect November 18, 2002, contained the following findings, severability, and savings clause provisions: Section 2. Fi…

Designation of Cultural Center. Notwithstanding any provision of law including PL 10-57, Lot No. 683 R 01, on the island of Rota is hereby preserved and designated as the future site of Rota Cultural Center. Source: PL 13-31, § 3, modified.

Regulations and Enforcement. The Secretary of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources shall promulgate regulations necessary to preserve and maintain Lot No. 683 R 01 as the site for the future Rota Cultural Center including enforcement provisions consistent with this Act. …

Tatachog Beach Park Pavilion Cultural/Arts Center. (a) Designation of Beach Park Pavillion. The Tatachog Beach Park pavilion is hereby designated as a cultural/arts center under the management of the Rota Mayor's Office. (b) Authorization. The Mayor of Rota is authorized to estab…

Captive/Domesticated Sambar Deer (Binado). It is hereby legal in the Commonwealth to capture alive Sambar Deer (Binado) during authorized hunting season as provided by regulation. Source: PL 17-23 § 3 (October 19, 2010), modified. Commission Comment: The Commission changed “autho…

Terms and Condition For Captive Wildlife. Captive wildlife may be retained in the possession of an individual who holds a permit pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth: (a) Location: The location of the registered wildlife should be specified on a map that includes clearl…

General Provisions for Sambar Deer (Binado). (a) A license to maintain captive deer (wild or domesticated from wild animals) is required. Licenses to maintain captive wildlife will be renewed on an annual basis and it is the responsibility of the permit holder to keep the license…

Rules and Regulations. The Secretary of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources may promulgate additional rules and regulations to carry out the purpose and intent of this article. Source: PL 17-23 § 6 (October 19, 2010), modified. Commission Comment: The Commission changed…

Amnesty. Those individuals who are in possession of captive Sambar Deer (Binado) that are unregistered or noncompliance with existing regulation shall comply with the provision of this article without being penalized within 365 days following the approval of this article into law…

Definitions. (a) Bioprospecting defined. (1) “Bioprospecting” means any search, analysis or study of naturally occurring biological processes, organic compounds, living or dead organisms, genetic information and DNA, and any other naturally occurring substances, processes and out…

Scope of article. (a) This article does not modify or replace any other requirement under federal, CNMI, or local law related to an act that under this article is considered bioprospecting, including any requirement to obtain the permission of a landowner. (b) This article applie…

Regulations. Within 180 days after the enactment of this article or as soon as possible thereafter, the Secretary of the CNMI Department of Lands and Natural Resources (DLNR) shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out the intent of this article inclusive of mon…

License for Bioprospecting. (a) Beginning immediately upon the promulgation of rules and regulations by DLNR, DLNR shall create a license application form for purposes of this article that includes: (1) notice of the CNMI’s reservation of economic interests provided in 2 CMC § 39…

Reservation of Economic Interests – Agreement to Negotiate in Good Faith. (a) The right of a person to engage in an act of bioprospecting in this Commonwealth is subject to the CNMI’s reservation of any right it may have to an economic benefit derived from the act of bioprospecti…

Economic Benefits of Bioprospecting Denied. (a) A person who engages in an act of bioprospecting in violation of this article is guilty of criminal trespass. (b) If found guilty of a violation under this article, a court may in addition to a penalty imposed herein, order restitut…

Legislative Findings. The legislature recognizes that there exists no statute of frauds in the Commonwealth. The legislature finds that there exists a current need to identify and record the many types of interests and estates in real property evolving within the Commonwealth. Th…

Interests in Real Property: Writing Required. No estate or interest in real property other than for leases for a term not exceeding one year, nor any trust or power in any manner relating thereto, can be created, granted, assigned, surrendered, declared or otherwise transferred e…

Interests in Real Property: Recording and Certification. (a) Any conveyance or other transfer of real property required to be in writing by 2 CMC § 4912 shall be recorded with the Commonwealth Trial Court Recorder’s Office by the party receiving the interest or estate. In the eve…

Other Contracts and Transactions That Must Be in Writing. The following contracts are invalid unless the same, or some note or memorandum thereof, is in writing and subscribed by the party to be charged or by his agent: (a) An agreement that by its terms is not to be performed wi…

Applicability and Civil Penalty. (a) This article shall apply to all transactions involving real property located in the Commonwealth and to all persons, businesses, corporations, partnerships, and entities, domestic or foreign, resident or alien. (b) A person who knowingly and w…

Exception for Local Custom. This article shall not apply to a partida performed pursuant to custom of the Northern Mariana Islands. Source: PL 3-81, § 6.

Lease Renewal Rights. A mutual agreement by a landlord and a tenant to make a new lease to replace an existing lease shall not constitute a permanent or long-term interest, and shall constitute an independent, new lease allowable under Article XII of the Constitution where: (a) S…

Designation. The Department of Public Lands shall designate Susupe Lake and its surrounding wetland as the “Susupe Lake Wildlife Park.” The Department of Public Lands shall be responsible for surveying the area to show its actual land area and boundaries. Source: PL 20-91 § 3(101…

Establishment. Lake Susupe and its surrounding wetland is hereby established as the “Susupe Lake Wildlife Park” under the management of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation. Source: PL 20-91 § 3(102)(Feb. 18, 2019), modified. Commission …

Development Plan. The Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation shall prepare the Susupe Lake Wildlife Park development plan that will show and described the area that are not, and/or allowed entry by the public, pathways, public amenities, conce…

Operations of Concessions. (a) The Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation shall be responsible for the issuance of concessions permits for the concessions rights at the Susupe Lake Wildlife Park to qualified person, business, or corporations.*…

Visitors Guidelines and Policy. Consistent with the Development Plan, The Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, in consultation with the Division of Fish and Wildlife shall provide policy and guidelines for all visitors to follow and comply …

Definitions. As used in this Chapter, the term: (a) “Bureau” means the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality. (b) “Commonwealth” means the government established under the Constitution which became effective on January 9, 1978, including its autonomous and non-autonomous ag…