SAIPAN — Senator Corina L. Magofna is asking the Department of Agriculture for a full accounting of the disaster assistance it pursued for CNMI farmers, ranchers and producers following Super Typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi, her second oversight inquiry to a Commonwealth department in as many days.
In a letter to Agriculture Director Charles Aiseam dated Saturday, Magofna, the Senate Vice President and Chairwoman of the Committee on Resources, Economic Development, and Workforce, requested information on all federal, territorial, private or other grant programs, disaster assistance programs, cooperative agreements or funding opportunities the department pursued after the two storms, including program names, application dates, amounts requested, current status and amounts awarded.
The letter also seeks the department’s estimate of total agricultural losses across the Commonwealth, covering crops, livestock, aquaculture, farm infrastructure, irrigation and equipment, along with the number of farmers, ranchers and producers who reported losses, applied for assistance and actually received aid.
Magofna asked the department to describe its coordination with USDA, FEMA, the Office of the Governor and the Commonwealth Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, to identify funding opportunities that were available but not pursued and the reasons why, and to disclose any statutory, regulatory, administrative, staffing, technical or funding barriers that limited its ability to apply for, receive, administer or distribute assistance. She also requested copies of all applications, award or denial notices, damage assessments, guidance provided to farmers and related correspondence.
The letter points to Guam as a comparison, stating that publicly available information indicates the Government of Guam pursued multiple forms of agricultural disaster assistance following the storms, including activation of a crop loss compensation program and participation in various USDA disaster assistance programs.
Magofna said the Legislature is currently evaluating legislation to establish a comprehensive Agricultural Disaster Recovery and Crop Loss Compensation Program for the Commonwealth, and that the information will help determine whether existing law adequately supports the agricultural sector.
She asked the department to respond with supporting documentation within 15 business days of receipt, or to provide a written explanation and anticipated completion date if additional time is required.
The inquiry follows Magofna’s Friday letter to the Department of Public Lands seeking a compliance update on the Marianas Beach Resort public land lease.
