Sample Letters

The letter you write as testimony to support the construction of a Mariana Trench Visitors Center on Saipan does not need to be complicated. All it needs to do is explain who you are, give an anecdote about your support for the monument, and then request for the Subcommittee to support H.R. 3511, Representative Sablan's “Marianas Trench Marine National Monument Visitor Facility Authorization Act of 2009."

The letter should be addressed to:

Representative Madeleine Z Bordallo
Chairwoman
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans
427 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515

Make sure you give a copy of the letter to Representative Sablan. You can drop it off at his district office or email it to his staff at Paula.Bermudes-Castro@mail.house.gov.

Under the Pala Pala X has a sample letter. Posted below are some more letters that have already been submitted as testimony.

This is a letter from retired educator Roger Ludwick (Mr. Ludwick was my Dad's science teacher in the 1960s):

21 February2010

Dear Representative Bordallo,

My name is Roger N. Ludwick. I have lived on Saipan for over 45 years. I taught biology, chemistry, and physics at Marianas High School when your father, Chris Zion, was teaching there. He was my colleague.

I supported the formation of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument (MTMNM). I signed the petition. I urged others to do the same. The CNMI and Guam now have a world-wide recognized National Park equivalent in size and importance to the Grand Canyon. My support for the Monument presumed that such a park would attract visitors and improve the economy of this region.

Many world travelers are not scuba divers. World travelers like to see the place they are going to boast about later. The only visible parts of MTMNM are Uracas, Maug, and Asuncion islands. To promote visitation to these islands, because they are part of the CNMI, the main tourist center should be located on Saipan and the main economic benefit should come to the citizens of the CNMI. While our people, the newest US citizens rallied to get President Bush to create this park, what were the long time US citizens of Guam doing?

Therefore, at this time, I urge you to throw your support for the establishment of the National Monument Visitors Center to the bill (HR 3511), being proposed by my friend Kilili, Greg Sablan..

Passage of this bill will help fulfill the promises made by the Bush Administration and the federal government when MTMNM was designated 06 January 2009. These promises were made to the people of the CNMI.

I have sailed to these three islands and walked on them in years past. I am 70 years old and look forward to being one of the first visitors to the CNMI Marianas Trench Marine National Monument Tourist Information and Research Center here on Saipan.

Thank you for considering the position of your neighbors, the citizens of the Northern Marian Islands.

Respectfully,

Roger N. Ludwick
Sadog Tasi

And here is a letter from health professional Dianne Esplin:

Representative Madeleine Z Bordallo
Chairwoman
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans
427 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515

February 21, 2010

Dear Representative Bordallo,

My name is Dianne Esplin and I live in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. I signed the petition to create the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, and wrote a letter to President Bush in support of the creation of the monument. There is no place on earth like the Marianas Trench, and the more I learned about it, the more I wanted to learn more and share it with others.

I envision this Monument to be an exciting opportunity for public learning about this incredibly unique location. A visitor’s center could be the starting point for researchers, and then a place to collect the information, research and discoveries of those researchers. I envision this Monument to be a means by which local children can develop a pride and a sense of environmental responsibility to protect this exclusive ocean treasure.

I am writing to you today to ask you to support H.R. 3511, which would help fulfill the promises made by the Bush Administration and the federal government when the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument was designated on January, 6, 2009.

It is my strong hope that the Marianas Trench National Monument will be built in the CNMI, as so many CNMI private citizens have fought and petitioned for this Monument to exist in the first place. We would be so proud to host such a place.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter,

Sincerely,

Dianne C. Esplin

If you have written a letter I would appreciate if you would send me a copy so that I can post it on this blog. It might help others write their letters.