Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The US military's updated proposal to expand troop training in the Northern Mariana Islands is again drawing close scrutiny from environmentalists, cultural advocates, and local residents concerned about its long-term impact on Tinian's ecosystem.

But the Marine Corps said it will use public feedback to refine or adjust its plans.

Among local concerns is the potential threat to endangered species and sensitive habitats, particularly the Tinian monarch, a small native bird that inhabits the same forested areas proposed for live-fire exercises.

Conservation groups fear that expanded training activities - such as ground maneuvers, construction of targets, and aircraft landings - could degrade nesting grounds and lead to further population decline.

There is also worry about bat species, migratory birds, and native vegetation that have already been stressed by development, invasive species, and climate change.

While the revised plan excludes Pagan Island from the training footprint, concerns remain about Tinian's shoreline integrity, especially if support facilities near the coast are developed or expanded.

Cultural preservationists are also sounding the alarm over potential damage to historic and ancestral sites, some of which have yet to be formally surveyed.

These include burial grounds, latte stones, and WWII-era structures that carry spiritual and historical significance to the Chamorro and Carolinian peoples. The plan calls for site avoidance strategies, but critics argue that without full documentation and enforcement, irreversible damage remains a possibility.

These concerns set the stage for the release of the 'revised draft environmental impact statement' for the US Marine Corps' CNMI joint military training proposal, which reworks earlier plans from 2015.

The Marine Corps said it will use public feedback to refine or adjust its plans before issuing a final environmental impact statement.

JULY 4 DEADLINE FOR SAMOA VOTERS TO ENROLL

Samoans living abroad must complete their full voter registration by July 4, if they wish to vote in the country's upcoming general election.

Samoa's Electoral Commissioner, Toleafoa Tuiafelolo John Stanley, said while online registration is still available for overseas voters, completing the process requires a physical return to Samoa to provide biometric data, including fingerprints and photographs.

But he said the electoral office was "doing fine" to be ready.

"Before the early dissolution of parliament, the voter registration was 48 percent. As we speak, just looking at that system right now, 2pm [10 June] the voter registration is now 60 percent.

"The number of voters registered is 70,395."

The election date itself is August 29.

HRPP BREAKAWAYS

Several members of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) in Samoa have broken away to set up their own political party.

The new party, Samoa Labor Party, has officially registered with the Office of the Electoral Commission to contest the August general election.

Its president, Faaolesa Katopau Ainuu told the Samoa Observer the party was formed after they learned that HRPP had already selected its candidates from certain districts, without informing them.

The other political parties already registered include HRPP, Fa'atuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST), Samoa Uniting Party or Samoa Ua Potopoto, Samoa National Democratic Party, and Democracy Republic Party.

SEASONAL WORKERS

An NGO in Australia has been helping Pacific seasonal workers left homeless and stranded after their contracts ended.

Australian South Sea Islanders Port Jackson president, Emelda Davis, told the Fiji Times they have supported workers stranded at Central Station in Sydney.

Davis said many workers faced fear and confusion once their contracts finished.

She said these people don't always understand the conditions of their visas and contracts, and how to get it renewed.

She added that while not all employers are at fault, many don't understand their responsibilities.

Davis believes better training for employers, fairer visa rules and stronger community support are needed to stop more Pacific workers from ending up on the streets.

PNG MINING

Northern Governor Garry Juffa has urged MPs, especially those from the coastal and island provinces, to consider their people's livelihoods before endorsing and embracing seabed mining.

Governor Juffa expressed his concern after the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the New Ireland government, and the announcement that it was ready to embrace seabed mining.

Juffa urged the Government and New Ireland Governor Walter Schnaubelt to stop the seabed mining activities in New Ireland, and to back an investigation by independent experts into the ramifications and repercussions of such activities on the ocean floor.

LOGGING DISCREPANCIES

A new report in Papua New Guinea from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime shows huge discrepancies in log export values.

The UN agency's findings are based on official PNG log export monitoring reports and Chinese customs data.

The report shows foreign owned logging companies could be defrauding the PNG government and resource owners of billions of kina in revenues.

The community advocacy organization Act Now is calling on the prime minister and regulatory agencies to take urgent action to address the discrepancies.

The report revealed that the value of logs exported from PNG, as declared by the logging companies, is 50 percent lower than the value of the same logs as declared in China by the importing companies.

This discrepancy, for the five years to 2022, is put at US$1.5 billion dollars.

(Source: RNZ Pacific)