Office of Insular Affairs and Perspectives on the Pacific 1 UNCLASSIFIED 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
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 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 2 UNCLASSIFIED
OIA Area of Responsibility 3 UNCLASSIFIED
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 4 UNCLASSIFIED
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 5 UNCLASSIFIED
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 6
OIA Perspectives Insular Area Strategic Importance Whole of Government and Whole of Society Approach Promoting Insular Area Resilience - Capacity building - Economic development - Infrastructure - Energy - Food Security - Disaster Preparedness, Response, Recovery, Mitigation - Climate Change
Back Up Slides 8 UNCLASSIFIED
American Samoa Economic Base: - Tuna Canneries - Government - (Little tourism) GDP: $634 million Per Capita Income (2010): $6,311 U.S. Grants: $172 million Current Issues: - Economy: Lost 2,000 jobs with Chicken of the Sea tuna cannery closure in 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: - 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: - Tourism GDP: $756 million Per capita income (2010): $9,656 U.S. grants: $113 million Current Issues: - 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 Economic base: Tourism Fishing and Agriculture $560 million of Compact funds ( ); includes $149 million for construction of Balbedaob Road. GDP:179.9 million U.S. Grants: $25 million Current Issues: - US Negotiated Amended Palau Compact - Need new legislation with Offset
Federated States of Micronesia Economic Base: - Subsistence Farming & Fishing - Long Line Fishing Licenses - Dive Tours GDP:310 million U.S. Grants: $121 million Current Issues: - 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
Republic of the Marshall Islands Birth Rate: 33/1,000, among the highest in the world Major Economic Activities: - Government Services - Tourism GDP:170 million U.S. Grants: $71 million Current Issues: - Consequences of migration to the United States (Compact Impact) - Impact of climate change - Legacy of U.S. military nuclear testing