[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9077--JAN. 15, 2014

Proclamation 9077 of January 15, 2014

Reserving Certain Submerged Lands in the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

The submerged lands surrounding the islands of Farallon de Pajaros
(Uracas), Maug, and Asuncion in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands are among the most biologically diverse in the Western Pacific,
with relatively pristine coral reef ecosystems that have been proclaimed
objects of scientific interest and reserved for their protection as the
Islands Unit of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument (marine
national monument) by Proclamation 8335 of January 6, 2009. Certain
submerged lands adjacent to the land leased by the United States of
America on the islands of Tinian and Farallon de Medinilla under the
Lease Agreement Made Pursuant to the Covenant to Establish a
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the
United States of America, dated January 6, 1983, as amended (Lease) are
essential for ensuring that United States forces forward deployed to the
Western Pacific are adequately trained and ready to respond immediately
and effectively to orders from the National Command Authority, and for
ensuring the safety of citizens of the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands.
Certain of these submerged lands will be conveyed by the United States
to the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on
January 16, 2014, pursuant to section 1(a) of Public Law 93-435, as
amended by section 1 of Public Law 113-34 (the ``Act''), unless the
President designates otherwise pursuant to section 1(b)(vii) of the Act.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of authority vested in me by section 1(b)(vii) of the
Act, do hereby proclaim that the lands hereinafter described are
excepted from transfer to the Government of the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands under section 1(a) of the Act:

the submerged lands adjacent to the islands of Farallon de Pajaros
(Uracas), Maug, and Asuncion permanently covered by tidal waters up to
the mean low water line and extending three geographical miles seaward
from the mean high tide line; and
the submerged lands adjacent to the islands of Tinian and Farallon de
Medinilla permanently or periodically covered by tidal waters up to the
line of mean high tide and extending seaward to a line three
geographical miles distant from those areas of the coastline that are
adjacent to the leased lands described in the Lease.

Nothing in this proclamation is intended to affect the authority of the
Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) under section 1(b) of the Act to
subsequently convey the submerged lands adjacent to the islands of
Farallon de Pajaros (Uracas), Maug, and Asuncion when the Secretary, the
Secretary of Commerce, and the Government of the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands have entered into an agreement for coordination
of management that ensures the protection of the marine national
monument within the excepted area described above. Further

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more, nothing in this proclamation is intended to affect the authority
of the Secretary under section 1(b) of the Act to subsequently convey
the submerged lands adjacent to the land leased by the United States on
the islands of Tinian or Farallon de Medinilla when the Secretary of the
Navy and the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands have entered into an agreement that ensures protection of
military training within the excepted area.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.
BARACK OBAMA