Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands v. United States

OPINION

CANBY, Circuit Judge.

The question in this case is whether the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (“CNMI”) is to be treated as a State for purposes of the Quiet Title Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2409a. One effect of such treatment would be to exempt CNMI from the Act’s twelve-year statute of limitations. The district court determined that CNMI was not to be treated as a State. The Commonwealth now appeals this decision. We conclude that, although the CNMI is not a “State” under the Quiet Title Act, the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 48 U.S.C. § 1801…