The executive director of the US Marine Corps for the Pacific says the amount of misinformation about training plans for the Northern Marianas is frustrating.
Pagan, Northern Marianas Islands Photo: Wikipedia
Craig Whelden says the latest modification of plans for the island of Pagan to restrict live-fire to a certain area has demonstrated the US wants to be a good steward of the environment and is listening to concerns.
Mr Whelden says he is about to make his seventh trip this year to the CNMI and the military is going over and above what it needs to do in terms of consultations.
"There's some misinformation and some disinformation, some of it perhaps intentionally, some of it perhaps because they don't understand. For example, there is a petition floating around the internet that's got tens of thousands of signatures on it that completely mischaracterises our plans for Pagan and there are press reports that I've read that mischaracterise our intent."
Mr Whelden says reports that the military will destroy Pagan, use the island all year, and relocate people are inaccurate.