A tense public debate has heard strong arguments for and against a controversial plan for a national marine monument in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas.
The Federal Government is planning to establish the reserve in the territory's northern islands to conserve 115 thousand square miles of ocean, protecting the biodiversity of the area.
Our correspondent in the CNMI Mark Rabago says while the public has mixed thoughts on the idea, US President George Bush is expected to make the final decision just before he leaves office.
"President Bush is leaving office at the end of his term next year and so he wants this as a legacy for him to open up what Theodore Roosevelt did in the early 20th Century, to open up spaces in the United States that we could conserve the environment. So he's doing it in the ocean. So that's the driving force here."
Mark Rabago says the CNMI Governor, Benigno Fitial, is openly opposing the idea, and has asked President Bush to reject the plan.
