Transcript Current Issues - APAN Community

Office of Insular Affairs and
Perspectives on the Pacific
Kristen H.L. Oleyte
Senior Policy Advisor to PACOM
Senior Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Areas
6 March 2013
This brief is classified:
UNCLASSIFIED
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Mission
 Department of the Interior (DOI): To protect and
manage America’s natural resources and heritage, uphold our
trust relationship with indigenous communities, and supply
energy to power our future.
 Office of Insular Affairs (OIA): Administer the U.S.
Federal Government’s relationship with U.S. territories
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U.S. Virgin Islands
Guam
American Samoa
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)
Administer financial assistance to the Freely Associated
States (FAS):
 Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)
 Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI)
 Republic of Palau
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OIA Area of Responsibility
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Strategic Importance of the Insular Areas
 National Security Interests
 Defense assets in insular areas
 Strategic location
 Guam military build-up
 Economic Interests
 Proximity to Asian markets
 Commercial shipping lanes
 Foreign Policy Interests
 Pacific Island Forum
 Micronesian Challenge
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OIA Lines of Effort
 Improve Quality of Life
 OIA Infrastructure & Technical Assistance
 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Initiative
 Compact Impact Initiative
 Enhance Economic Opportunity
 Inaugural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Estimates
 Pacific Business Partnership (PBP)
 Promote Efficient and Effective Governance
 Interagency Group on Insular Areas (IGIA)
 Joint Economic Management Committees
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DOI-OIA Rebalance Engagement
 Guam Military Realignment
 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Activities
 Civil Military Coordination Council (CMCC)
 Insular Area Health
 PACOM Asia Pacific Health Initiative
 US Pacific Fleet 2013 Pacific Partnership
 Insular Area Energy
 DOI-DoD Energy Partnership MOU
 Insular Area Resiliency
 PACOM Asia Pacific Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience
(ADR3 Network)
 CDC Disaster Risk Reduction Workshop
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OIA Perspectives
 Insular Area Strategic Importance
 Whole of Government and Whole of Society Approach
 Promoting Insular Area Resilience
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Capacity building
Economic development
Infrastructure
Energy
Food Security
Disaster Preparedness, Response, Recovery, Mitigation
Climate Change
Back Up Slides
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American Samoa
 Economic Base:
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Tuna Canneries
Government
(Little tourism)
 GDP: $634 million
 Per Capita Income (2010):
$6,311
 U.S. Grants: $172 million
 Current Issues:
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Economy: Lost 2,000 jobs with
Chicken of the Sea tuna
cannery closure in 2009
Energy Renewables &
Efficiency: DOI & DOE
Interagency Agreement
Guam
 Economic Base:
• Tourism spending:
- $1.35 billion
• Military: Total estimated build up
spending:
- $8.6 billion
 U.S. grants: $362 Million
 Per Capita Income (2010): $16,549
 Best deepwater port in the Western Pacific
 Current Issues:
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Military build up: 4,700 Marines (and 1,300
dependants) from Okinawa expected
China Visa Waiver program
Energy Renewables & Efficiency: DOI &
DOE Interagency Agreement
Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands
 Economic Base:
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Tourism
GDP: $756 million
Per capita income (2010): $9,656
U.S. grants: $113 million
Current Issues:
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CNMI Hospital: avoiding
suspension of Medicaid
certification (DOI and HHS MOU)
Economy: loss of garment
industry in 2009 resulted in severe
contraction of employment and
government revenue
Energy Renewables & Efficiency:
DOI & DOE Interagency
Agreement
Republic of Palau
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Economic base:
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Tourism
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Fishing and Agriculture
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$560 million of Compact funds
(1994-2007); includes $149
million for construction of
Balbedaob Road.
 GDP:179.9 million
 U.S. Grants: $25 million
 Current Issues:
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US Negotiated Amended Palau
Compact
Need new legislation with Offset
Federated States of Micronesia
 Economic Base:
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Subsistence Farming & Fishing
Long Line Fishing Licenses
Dive Tours
 GDP:310 million
 U.S. Grants: $121 million
 Current Issues:
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Improving Compact Sector
Grants for Education. Pilot
Education Review Board
Launched in Chuuk this week.
Preparing for Second Five Year
Period Review of the Compact
– Due end of FY13 for Compact
Period 2009 - 2013
Republic of the Marshall Islands
 Birth Rate: 33/1,000, among the
highest in the world
 Major Economic Activities:
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Government Services
Tourism
 GDP:170 million
 U.S. Grants: $71 million
 Current Issues:
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Consequences of migration to the
United States (Compact Impact)
Impact of climate change
Legacy of U.S. military nuclear
testing