House Ways and Means reviews Department of Public Lands $4.89 million FY2026 budget; officials outline vacancies, land-compensation backlog and Managaha RFP

SAIPAN — The House Committee on Ways and Means on Tuesday examined the Department of Public Lands’ (DPL) fiscal year 2026 budget proposal and pressed agency leaders on staffing gaps, outside professional fees, a backlog of land-compensation claims and the status of a request for proposals (RFP) for Managaha Island.

The committee, chaired by Representative JP Sablan, opened the public hearing by noting a quorum and adopted the day’s agenda. The session focused on DPL’s budget submission of about $4,892,000, the agency’s available internal fund balance and a list of operational pressures that committee members said must be addressed before final appropriation.

Why it matters: DPL manages island public lands that generate revenue used for maintenance, concessions and land claims. Lawmakers sought detail on where the agency will spend the governor’s proposed funds, what revenue the department already holds, and how outstanding land claims and maintenance obligations will be resolved.

Secretary, Department of Public Lands, who led the DPL delegation, told the committee the department is seeking support for the governor’s package while answering detailed questions from committee members about personnel, contracts and program priorities. “That appraiser job should be filled within a week or 2 weeks from today as soon as all the signatories are complete,” the secretary said when asked about a longstanding vacancy in the appraiser position.

Committee members pressed the agency on the $526,062 listed for professional services in the governor’s proposal. The secretary described how that total breaks down in the agency’s internal listing: roughly $150,000 proposed in the executive division (including legal services), about $60,000 for finance (single-audit work), $8,000 for the homestead database, $25,000 for land-claims contract work, $50,000 for compliance services and about $90,000 earmarked for Managaha-related…