Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas, Esther Kia’aina and Congresswoman Aumua Amata’s exchanged remarks in what could be viewed as ‘straight talk’ about the positions that the U.S. and American Samoa are taking regarding federal regulatory matters and policies, including funding, during a House Natural Resources Subcommittee hearing held last week in Washington D.C.

During the hearing on DOI’s fiscal year 2016 funding for Indians, Alaska Natives, and Insular Areas, Aumua told Kia’aina that the people of American Samoa have sent her to Washington “to conserve and preserve our heritage, our customs, our traditions and, yes our resources — both human and natural.”

“In order to do that, we must strike a balance in developing federal policies that will best accomplish those objectives,” she said and noted that Kia’aina recently visited the territory, and the Assistant Secretary no doubt is aware that the “federal government’s decision to wall off a huge part of the ocean that provides for the livelihood of our people has been very controversial.”

For her part, Aumua said, “I expect to be supporting legislative proposals that would curtail the federal government’s authority to take such actions in the future without consultation with the people most affected: the people of the islands.”

Aumua also said that she saw a recent newspaper story, which states that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a grant to the University of California for a project to limit emissions from backyard barbecues that result in grease drippings.

“I can tell you that if EPA were to promulgate regulations applying to American Samoa governing the use of backyard barbecues in private homes without thorough consultation with American Samoa, the federal government will be severely testing the limits of our people’s tolerance,” she said.

Aumua shared that her father, American Samoa’s former Gov. Uifaatali Peter Coleman, retired from public life in 1993 after over 52 years in government service in the military, on Capitol Hill, at the Interior Department and nearly 40 unbroken years as a senior government leader in the Pacific Islands, including four terms as governor of American Samoa.

“I asked him what he saw as his legacy in public service. Without hesitation he told me ‘the development of self-government in the islands’,” she said.

Aumua informed Kia’aina that “I will not tarnish my father’s legacy nor the trust the people have placed in me by standing idly by while the federal government does nothing more than impose environmental colonialism on American Samoa or any other islands under the legislative jurisdiction of this committee.”

She asked the DOI official to enlighten the committee on the administration’s “plans to cope with the environmental challenges we face in the Pacific and whether we will be able to count on you as our ally, just as your administration is in the citizenship lawsuit.”

Kia’aina described Uifaatali as not only a great leader for American Samoa, but a great leader for the Pacific, and his loss was a loss for the people of the Pacific, she said. Additionally, she looks forward to working with Aumua on issues of importance to American Samoa as well as all insular areas.

Kia’aina then said, “I think the key in all that you describe, has to do with respect and consultation between the federal government — whether it be the executive branch or Congress — and the people of American Samoa, as it applies to both regulatory processes as well as policies.”

She acknowledged that her visit to American Samoa (late last year) was a professional and personal transformation for her.

“I thought that because of your isolation, it is incumbent upon the Office of Insular Affairs and the federal government to ensure that transportation laws, like cabotage, that is impeding the quality of life… are addressed,” she said, adding that she’s already been in discussions with the U.S. Department of Transportation “on that front.”

With regards to environmental challenges, Kia’aina said it’s clear in President Obama’s budget that “climate change is the number one priority. Ocean acidification, sea level rise and intrusion of salt water into our fresh water supplies are very concerning, and I look forward to working with you and all the other leaders on climate change and other environmental issues.”

ANNUAL BUDGET FOR AMERICAN SAMOA OPERATIONS

According to the FY 2016 budget, DOI/OIA is requesting $22.75 million in annual American Samoa operations, and Aumua stated that these funds have remained stagnant over the last year 25 years and asked why DOI has not requested an increase.

Kia’aina replied that, out of all the U.S. territories, American Samoa is the only insular area with funding allocation for government operations, “so this is a very unique program” and any inflationary costs will be borne by the local government.

She also said that OIA, throughout the budget year, works with the territorial government on a multitude of funds, which include the Capital Improvement Projects. CIP is providing funds for a new passenger/cargo vessel to sail between Manu’a and Tutuila, and hopefully within the next year, the vessel will be operational, she said.

Additionally, OIA provides technical assistance funding, coral reef funding and funding assistance for energy planning.

“One of the shining spots of our energy program is on the islands of Manu’a where in 2016, we’re expecting the islands to be 100% energy self sufficient,” she said and noted that this is being made possible by OIA’s collaboration with the territorial government and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

She also said that the department has a multitude of funds for renewable energy, especially solar.

“So, it is regrettable that we are unable to increase funding in [government] operations,” said Kia’aina.

In response, Aumua said, it appears Interior “is comfortable with the status quo in the way of assisting American Samoa and other U.S. territories. I hope this is something that we can work on.”

See Samoa News edition on Feb. 2 for more details on DOI/OIA proposed allocation for American Samoa in FY 2016.

(The House Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs’ website provides an archive copy of the webcast hearing as well as written testimonies by witnesses at the hearing. Amata is the vice-chairman of this subcommittee.)