18,000 Beds Planned

18,000 beds planned: Worker housing project begins soon
By Dionesis Tamondong
Pacific Daily News
April 12, 2010

The construction of an 18,000-bed facility to house temporary workers for military buildup projects is set to break ground at the end of this month.

The Ukudu Workforce Village, which covers about 75 acres of property spanning Tamuning and Dededo, is just one of a few sites that have been approved for living quarters for foreign workers needed for military construction work.

The Guam Land Use Commission has also recently approved an application by Black Construction Corp. for its workforce housing project in the Harmon Industrial Park. When completed, that complex can house up to 1,200 workers.

On Thursday, the commission approved DDT Konstract International's application for its 300-capacity barracks along Bello Road in Barrigada.

If the GLUC was to approve all the pending applications for temporary worker housing facilities, the existing and pending barracks would have the capacity to accommodate more than 23,000 foreign laborers, Department of Land Management Director Chris Duenas said.

That figure is close to the combined populations of Santa Rita, Agat, Talofofo, Umatac, Inarajan and Merizo.

Dededo Mayor Melissa Savares said she was initially concerned about the impact the Ukudu Workforce Village could have on her village -- from the strain on water lines to the traffic congestion. But she said most of her concerns have been allayed after learning more about the facility and requirements placed on the developer.

Younex Enterprises Corp., as part of the conditions of the commission's approval, is required to mitigate potential adverse impacts.

Younex must work with Guam Waterworks Authority to ensure water services in surrounding areas aren't disrupted by its workforce housing facility. As well, buses will transport the workers during non-peak traffic hours to alleviate traffic congestion.

One of the many other conditions requires that "written assurances are submitted stating that the conduct or behavior of the H-2 workers will not be disruptive to the island and its people. The workers should be briefed on Guam's culture and customs ... ," according to the conditional approval letter.

The commission and the Department of Defense have certain standard requirements for housing facilities of companies vying for military buildup projects.

So far, the Ukudu Workforce Village is the largest planned worker housing facility. Whether the complex actually meets its capacity depends on the projects awarded to Younex and the number of workers needed for those projects.

"We expect to open the first 2,000 beds in the fourth quarter of 2010 and will continue to add sectors of 2,000 beds as demand warrants, said Younex Senior Vice President David Tydingco. "By the end of 2011 we expect to be up to 8,000 beds, and that will grow as additional demand warrants."

The workforce village will provide workers three meals a day, a 24-hour medical clinic, organized recreational activities, banking services, convenience stores and other services.

The 252-acre property sits on the Harmon Annex adjacent to the Navy's South Finegayan family housing. About 75 acres of that property is dedicated for the worker housing facility, which is also conveniently located near the planned Marine Corps base.

The major buildup projects won't start until the Record of Decision is handed down by the Navy's top officials, and that's expected this summer.

An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 workers from off island will be needed for numerous projects related to the military buildup over several years.

Already, developers and construction companies are gearing up for those multi-million dollar contracts and subcontracts, and that includes obtaining additional workers and finding or building facilities to house them.

Core Tech International's application for its workforce living quarters -- the Royal Hawaiian Apartments in Tamuning -- is pending before the Land Use Commission, and it has two other sites it can use as barracks, said Joshua Tenorio, Core Tech's business development director.

Last year, Core Tech acquired the Royal Hawaiian Apartments and the vacant El Dorado apartment complex in Upper Tumon. The company can also convert its Tiyan facility, which it's currently leasing to the local government for the temporary John F. Kennedy High School, into a barracks.

"We're doing what we need to do in terms of upgrading our facilities and going through the regulatory process so that we're able to exercise our options if we're fortunate to be awarded one of those contracts," he said.

Camacho asks Defense to slow buildup

Camacho asks Defense to slow buildup

By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno • gdumat-ol@guampdn.com • January 30, 2010

Saying Guam simply can't absorb the shock of a population surge in four years, Gov. Felix Camacho is asking the Defense Department to relocate about 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents to Guam in eight years instead of four.

Rather than completing the Marines' relocation from Okinawa to Guam by 2014, Camacho is requesting the Defense Department for a phase-in time extending through 2018.

"I believe that a request for an extension would help lessen the impact of the military buildup on Guam. In fact, during our village workshop on Jan. 20, I expressed my intention to ask the United States to consider extending their deadline for the buildup," according to Camacho.

"The extension will greatly impact every area of public concern. It will lessen the pressure currently being placed on our people to accommodate a significant influx in our population," the governor added.

Camacho on Thursday wrote to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus requesting the delay.

Guam's population is expected to soar -- with 79,178 additional people in 2014, an increase of almost half the current population. And as the population increases, the military buildup is expected to create 33,000 new jobs by 2014, according to the military's draft Environmental Impact Statement. In 2014 alone, the government of Guam would see $325 million in additional revenue -- an increase of about 60 percent of its current annual budget, according to the impact statement.

Island residents have until mid-February to comment on the draft EIS.

The proposed delay in the completion of the Marines' move, according to the governor, "will lessen the impact on our territory, to give us more time to make preparations, and that affects everything from the number of wells that need to be drilled, the number of workers that need to be here at a certain time."

The island also needs more time to expand the island's only commercial port of entry for construction materials for the military buildup, according to the governor.

"I don't have a set date, but I think that moving it beyond 2014 to even 2018, a four-year push, would be better for us. It is a more sustained growth. There's no peak and a bust," Camacho said in an interview yesterday.

There will be no post-buildup recession as predicted in the draft impact statement, he added.

David Leddy, president of the Guam Chamber of Commerce, said the governor's request is consistent with the Defense Department's revisions to the buildup timetable.

"We think a delay is good for the island as it will afford us more time to assimilate the changes that are coming forth and for more of our local businesses to participate," Leddy said.

Gerry Perez, a member of the initial group of Guam Chamber officials who started knocking on doors in Washington, D.C., almost a decade ago to invite the military to expand its presence on Guam as the island faced an economic downturn starting with the economic crisis, said yesterday Guam also needs to consider America's national security interests.

Voicing his personal opinion, Perez, who also is the Guam Visitors Bureau general manager, said: "I can say that our original objective of attracting a larger military footprint to expand our economic base, provide local employment, and stimulate other economic activity was a success."

"The key question now before the island's leadership is how best to negotiate and harness this military buildup opportunity in a manner that benefits the local community while satisfying our national security interests," Perez said.

"Quite frankly, it is the reality of funding, capacity constraints, and the timely resolution of differences in the magnitude and dispersal of this (military expansion footprint) that will ultimately determine the buildup schedule, whether in 2014 or beyond," Perez said.

The relocation of Marines from Okinawa to Guam is part of a Japan-United States pact to reduce the presence of U.S. troops in Okinawa.

Japan has agreed to pay $6 billion of the $10.2 billion relocation cost under an agreement that was finalized last year -- before a new set of Japanese elected leaders came into office.

Later last year, however, some of the newly elected leaders in Japan began to suggest they want all U.S. troops out of Okinawa completely. In recent weeks, Japan officials hinted they may ask for the bilateral agreement to be renegotiated.

The relocation of Marines to Guam is part of a broader military expansion plan on Guam, which includes building an Army missile defense facility, and accommodations and wharf facilities for recurring visits of an aircraft carrier or two, according to preliminary military plans.

Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz and Delegate Madeleine Bordallo both have written letters in support of extending the amount of time residents can comment on the buildup's draft impact statement.

Without the granting of the 45-day extension request, Guam residents have until Feb. 18, Guam time, to comment. The deadline to comment is Feb. 17, Washington time.

Bordallo was unavailable for comment yesterday. The Defense Department's Joint Guam Program Office, which coordinates buildup issues, did not have an immediate comment.

Sen. Judith Guthertz also has called for the Marines' move to be stretched "over a period of eight years instead of only two years."

The island would have to accommodate not only the Marines and their dependents, but also workers from off island who will contribute to the population boom.

"We reported on the availability of workforce housing and all of the Guam Land Use Commission's approval of all those properties in terms of the needs of the H2 workforce," said Department of Land Management Director Chris Duenas.

He said the agency presented more than 130 comments on the draft EIS to the governor's office.

The department also visited JGPO officials and requested a discussion between JGPO, the governor's office and the Legislature.

"The military and JGPO should go to the governor's office and the Legislature to discuss the possibilities of what they would do in terms of land exchange and what that would mean for the people of Guam."

The department has been working with the Chamorro Land Trust and the Ancestral Land Commissions to ensure they all have the correct inventory on the properties on Guam, Duenas said.

EIS hearing Thursday at Santa Rita

EIS hearing Thursday at Santa Rita

By Laura Matthews • Pacific Daily News • January 4, 2010

Southern residents will get the first chance to provide feedback on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement with public hearings starting this week.

The first round of hearings on the draft EIS begins 7 p.m. Thursday at Southern High School in Santa Rita, and Agat Mayor Carol Tayama is encouraging people in the south to come out and express their views.

The mayor said she has been receiving e-mails from residents in her village informing her of their concerns, and she wants them to know that this is the venue where they can act.

"They have to come out and voice their concerns," Tayama said. "This is the time now if they want to see any changes. I really encourage residents in the south that if they have any concerns, that this is the time to bring them up."

The draft Environmental Impact Statement will provide a detailed account of how Guam's community will be affected through changes caused by the buildup. These include access to recreation locations, safety, labor-related issues, population increase and associated effects, increases in traffic, utility requirements, noise, land use, educational facilities, public health and social services and impact to tourism.

Concerns

Tayama said she plans to attend the public hearing to listen and make her concerns known.

Other residents are planning to do the same.

Cerila P. Skvaril, a 52-year-old living in Nimitz Hill, said she plans to attend at least one of the hearings on the environmental impact report because she has five children who are likely to be affected by the decisions that will be made with the military buildup.

Skvaril is concerned about the environmental impact of the military buildup on the island, and the fact that local land could be taken by the federal government.

"It is devastating to know the United States government has so much resources and the little resources we have they want to destroy it," Skvaril said.

She said residents who will not attend the hearing should remember that in the end "they will pay for it and their children will pay the price."

Nevertheless, there are some who won't be sharing their point of views at the upcoming hearings.

"I will not attend because I don't have the time. I am always working," said Jhune Cortes, 39, from Astumbo. "But I think people should say whether they want the buildup or not, and I think the buildup is going to be better for the economy."

YouNex greenlit to build $200M facility

YouNex greenlit to build $200M facility

Posted: Dec 27, 2009 4:36 PM
Updated: Dec 27, 2009 6:16 PM

by Michele Catahay

Guam - YouNex Enterprises Corporation recently signed a contract to design, build and assist with the operations and management of an 18,000-bed workforce village. The project is expected to house foreign workers during the construction phase of the military buildup on Guam.

A signing ceremony was held in Seoul, Korea last week by STX Group and YouNex to pave the way for construction for a new facility to house foreign workers for the military buildup. The contract is valued at approximately $200 million to design, build and assist with the operations and management of an 18,0000-bed, fully integrated workforce village to house temporary labor. The project, Ukudu Workforce Village, will be located in the Harmon Annex, bordering the Navy's South Finegayan Family Housing Facility and just north of Two Lovers Point.

The campus will include a medical clinic and fire and security response, transportation for workers to and from worksites and non-work activities, laundry, banking and convenience store services and organized recreational and individual activities to include religious worship facilities.

YouNex Senior Vice President Dave Tydingco said, "We had to go through the land use commission process to rezone the property there, N1, which is a light industrial zone because that was the only zoning that would allow for this type of development. The second phase of planning, which allows for the Land Use Commission to review your site development plan, which was approved on October 29."

Tydingco says the first sector, which will include up to 2000 beds will open up on October 2010. He says depending on the demand of workforce housing, YouNex could construct up to 18,000 beds, if necessary. "We provide a solution that allows for maximum benefits to the customer with the customers being contractors and minimal impact to the community," he continued. "It is isolated and we'll be able to contain and control the foreign workforce population that will be there."

YouNex will not only help with work force housing, but Tydingco says there may be a possibility that his company may help construct residential housing. In fact, he says as part of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, one of the alternatives is to build housing for military personnel in areas near property they own. "We've actually had initial discussions with JGPO about proposing at least 110 acres of the 252 acres we own for residential housing and we are pursuing that with the military and we hope that if they find it a viable solution, we're prepared to move forward, finance and construct and manage that facility for them," Tydingco said.

Guam News Factor - December 9, 2009

 Guam Governor: "I Think It Was Strategic On Their Part"

Guam Governor: "I Think It Was Strategic On Their Part"

Navy's Sudden Land Return Sparks Speculation About Unfair Trade



By Jeff Marchesseault

GUAM - As the Defense Minister of Japan tours Guam to see for himself whether the island is big enough to absorb a U.S. air base from Okinawa, the Government of Guam is facing speculation about a possible uneven land trade that could conceivably be offered by the U.S. Department of Defense.

"I think it was a strategic move on their part," said Governor Camacho.

After flying into Guam last night, Mr. Kitazawa met with Governor Camacho at Adelup today, then set off with his entourage to tour military installations, saying he believes Guam is suitable for hosting yet another base.

"I think he's going on a helicopter tour," said Camacho.

But after telling Minister Kitizawa that Guam is not an option to replace Futenma Air Base in Okinawa, the Governor announced the Navy will return excess lands to Guam.

Camacho was briefed on the matter by Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and the Environment Roger Natsuhara.

The Governor's announcement raises questions about whether the Department of Defense is posturing to swap land to support the buildup.

The Governor himself said he thinks it's a strategic move on the Navy's part. But it wouldn't be a clean trade. The land in question, behind former FAA housing, was designated for return over a decade ago during the last round of Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) activities back in the mid-1990's.

U.S. Navy To Return Land To The Government Of Guam

December 8, 2009 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo today announced that the U.S. Navy has returned a parcel of land in Finegayan to the Government of Guam. The parcel of land, a total of 450 acres referred to as Guam Land Use Plan (GLUP) 77, is bordered on the west by the Philippine Sea, the north by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) property, the east by Finegayan South, and the south by Harmon. Governor Felix Camacho was also notified of the release of lands by the Honorable Roger Natsuhara, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment. The Navy declared the lands to be in excess and the General Services Administration (GSA) recently approved the transfer of the GLUP 77 land back to the Government of Guam.

"I was briefed by Acting Secretary Natsuhara that the U.S. Navy will be returning the excess land to the Government of Guam," Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo said today. "The return of these lands fulfills an obligation by the U.S. Navy to the Government of Guam. I believe this gesture shows goodwill on the part of the Navy. There are land issues that have been raised in the draft environmental impact statement and we hope that the Governor, the Legislature and our community will be able to find acceptable solutions to these challenges."

U.S. offers to pay Native Americans $1.4 billion for lost funds

U.S. offers to pay Native Americans $1.4 billion for lost funds

By Paul Courson, CNN
December 8, 2009 11:21 p.m. EST

Washington (CNN) -- Thousands of American Indians would receive as much as $1,000 each if they accept a proposed $1.4 billion to settle a class-action lawsuit over government mismanagement of tribal lands.

The suit, filed in 1996, accused the U.S. Department of the Interior of failing to account for and provide revenue from a trust fund representing the value of Indian assets managed by the government.

As part of the settlement, the federal government would agree to establish a $2 billion program to buy small fractions of land to help sellers obtain value from ancestral property, which then would be held by tribal governments.

The missing funds at the center of the class-action case involve what are called Individual Indian Money accounts, which are supposed to represent the property of individual American Indians. The accounts are held by the United States as trustee.

The lawsuit had accused the government of failing to account for the money, failing to make proper payments, and converting tribal money for the government's own use.

A federal judge must approve the plan, and Congress would have to enact a bill to implement it.

At a Tuesday news conference, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar acknowledged the need for a "historical accounting for funds that the government held in trusts for Native Americans."

Attorney General Eric Holder, accompanying Salazar to announce the settlement proposal, said the deal addresses allegations "the government has mismanaged acres of land and millions of dollars that it holds in trust for Native Americans."

But one of the American Indians who filed the suit in 1996 suggested the years of litigation had simply worn them down.

"It's not fair," said Elouise Cobell, but "in the future we may be treated more fairly."

Cobell, a member of Montana's Blackfeet Indian tribe, said those who could benefit from the payments are getting old and dying off.

Pressing for a higher settlement figure would be tough, she said, since she "can't handle how the mismanagement of this trust has hurt people."

Cobell said many of those represented in the class-action suit "subsist in the direst poverty," and that the settlement is "significantly less than the full amount to which the Indians are owed."

Confirmation of a proposed settlement was a tightly kept secret ahead of the news conference at the Interior Department. Part of the reason may have been that the deal nearly fell through just hours earlier, according to an agency official.

"It's confidential," said Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli in response to a reporter's question as to the sticking point.

News of the deal was buried in a statement released in advance from the Interior Department that mentioned "the Cobell settlement," as part of a broader plan being announced to address land ownership by Native Americans.

The group ownership of land by American Indians dates back more than 100 years before American Indians were permitted to write wills. As a result, the government says large parcels of tribal lands are held by owners with "miniscule interests" received from ancestors who conveyed the property to descendants as tenants-in-common.

Officials say the purchase project will allow individual landowners to receive greater value for their share, while cutting administrative costs for the federal government, which manages the Indian land trust.

Salazar said, "It is common to have hundreds -- even thousands -- of Indian owners for one parcel."

The initiative would consolidate ownership through purchases from willing sellers, and tribal governments would have control, according to a "fact sheet" put out ahead of the announcement.

Without the purchases, "Millions of acres of land will be owned in such small ownership interests that very few individual owners will ever derive any meaningful financial benefit from that ownership," the statement said.

Guam needs guarantees from the federal government

Guam needs guarantees from the federal government

Posted: Nov 29, 2009 10:38 PM PST
by John Davis

It's been about a week now that the Draft Environmental impact Statement has been released for public digestion and open for comments, but as you read the 11 thousand page document you'll notice that the DEIS is a bunch of bullet points about the upcoming military buildup offering no real solutions or guarantees regarding the impact to Guam residents.

Aside from the federal government relocating 8 thousand marines from Okinawa, Japan to Guam, island residents can look forward to another 72 thousand people making their way to Guam in search of job opportunities and a better life. Island residents can also look forward to the feds taking more land for their use without the consent of the local government or local residents. The Federal government plans to use more Guam land for military training grounds and military housing. The feds will also construct infrastructure to support an Aircraft carrier strike group at Apra harbor. To date, island residents have a better idea of what the federal government plans to do to support military forces with the Guam buildup, but we don't know how much will come out of Guam's pocketbook and how much will come out of the federal governments pocketbook, that's a big problem.

The department of defense is eyeing at least 3 pieces of property to use as training and housing facilities. These properties are located at the old FAA property near NCTAMS, the Marbo Sea Command property in Mangilao. The third and newest piece of property propsed to be used by the federal government disturbs me the most. The property is located near the southern villages of Agat and Umatac known as Mount Jumullong Manglo. You may be familiar with this property considering thousands of island residents come to this area every year to express their catholic faith on a pilgrimage to the top of this mountain on Good Friday.

The feds plan to use the pilgrimage property to train hundreds of Marines at once. Soldiers training on the land will conduct jungle and navigation training for 12 weeks of the year. Does this mean that after 3 months of military training and exercises the land will be opened back up? I don't think so, even if the feds say the road to be built on top of the existing hiking trail will be lined with locked gates and barriers will keep any civilians from traversing the area. Is it good news for residents that these gates and barriers will be unmanned? What about the protection of National Security? If I were planning the use of this land for the federal government, I would keep this training area under lock and key t all times. I would not allow an avenue for a breach of security because the federal government wants to portray a friendly relationship with the Chamorro people.

On the other hand, the property located at the old FAA and Marbo Sea Command are being eyed by residents owed ancestral lands after the Guam International Airport Authority took their Tiyan land for GIAA improvements. There is existing public law that provides an avenue for compensation of Tiyan landowners, so if these two pieces of property are supposed to be given to residents for their use, why would we want to lease it to the federal government? Better yet, if the property is taken by the federal government, will Tiyan landowners be compensated at fair market value or will the federal government use their powers of condemnation? In the past, the feds have taken land without compensation or input from residents, so why would it change?

Lastly, the Department of Defense will be constructing a deep-draft wharf to support aircraft carrier personnel. Projections contained in the DEIS show 63 aircraft carrier visits per year at 21 days of less per visit.

That's an additional 5600 military personnel on Guam every time a CSG anchors down at Apra Harbor. These 5600 military personnel will be granted liberty to see the sights and shores around the island, but who will be protecting local residents from military personnel when they are out and about? I don't think the Navy has enough Shore patrol officers to handle 5600 military personnel on the streets of Guam during liberty. In order to support the aircraft carrier, shore side infrastructure must be upgraded. That means, power, water, wastewater infrastructure will be upgraded, but who will pay for it? GovGuam, DOD, DON? I'm not so sure considering there have not been any guarantees from the federal government regarding cost sharing measures for infrastructure upgrades directly related to the military buildup.

Now that the DEIS is open for comment, all residents should look into it and be prepared to ask for guarantees from the federal government. We know what's about to happen, but we don't know how those affected will be compensated or if there will be any compensation from the federal government at all.

Guam needs guarantees that come with matching federal dollars for every dollar our local government spends. I personally believe that the federal government should fund construction of Haul roads, power and water infrastructure and building new schools because this massive buildup will impact all services provided by our local government. After all they are visitors on our island, Guam is our home and if the feds are going to change our way of life they should foot the bill.

The views and opinions expressed on KUAM Columns do not reflect those of Pacific Telestations, Inc. or its advertisers

Land grab

Land grab

Wednesday, 25 November 2009 01:51
by Therese Hart | Variety News Staff

Military planners could still use condemnation to take lands

GENERAL David Bice, executive director of the Joint Guam Program Office, has repeatedly assured the local community that the federal government would not condemn lands for use of the military buildup, but JGPO director Col John Jackson did not back up Bice’s statements during a recent radio interview.

Jackson gave evasive, vague and noncommittal responses when K-57’s Breakfast Show host Ray Gibson asked him if the military intends to condemn Guam lands.

Residents were also assured earlier that the military was not interested in acquiring land in the Sasayjan Valley in the Marbo area in Yigo, but the recently released draft environmental impact statement shows otherwise.

During a recent interview with Variety, Bice said the military would look into the acquisition of lands. “That's how we're going to approach this. It would be a normal acquisition process and that has yet to be determined as we go forward on that,” he told Variety.

Not at any price

Some local landowners said they would be interested in negotiating with the military for their portions of property in the Yigo area, but landowners of the adjacent properties within the footprint of the proposed firing ranges on the northeastern coast of the island are not willing to give up their lands at any price.

Landowner Glenn Nelson said that the draft environmental impact statement should have also taken into consideration other sites that are federally-owned to include off-island properties, and that non-federally owned lands should be the last option.

“I’m not so sure anymore if people actually grasp the concept of the potential negative impacts associated with this buildup other than the dollar signs attached to the various projects. I need help, the island needs help. This project is moving much too quick and impacts are far too great,” said Nelson.

Not theirs yet

Landowners in that area have said Benny Crawford, who leads the Tiyan landowners, are not the only landowners involved. Crawford seems poised to negotiate lands without the authority of other landowners whose lands lie within the footprint. Furthermore, Crawford and the Tiyan landowners don't even own those properties. They are still under the inventory of the Ancestral Lands Commission.

DEIS Raises Concerns over Land and Population

DEIS Raises Concerns over Land and Population

Guam - Over the weekend the Department of Defense released it's highly anticipated Draft Environmental Impact Statement or DEIS.

The DEIS is a document thousands of pages long that contains the most detail ever released on the DOD's plans for the Guam Military Buildup. Although no one has had the time to thoroughly review the entire document some have already found some plans that bring up serious concerns.



Senator Ben Pangelinan has already found several things that concern him on the draft EIS. First in his list is the increase in the number of marines that will be moved to Guam. For years DOD has said 8,000 marines and 9,000 dependents would move to Guam from Okinawa. According to the DEIS 11 to 12 hundred more marines could be coming.



Overall the DEIS says that the population of Guam at its peak during the buildup will increase by 75 thousand people. In addition to the increase in people the DEIS also shows that the military plans to obtain more land. DOD is currently looking at utilizing an additional 2200 acres of property that is not currently owned by the military. Much of this land lies along the back road to Andersen. In fact one of

The plans calls for the use of the Pagat area as a firing range. DOD originally planned on using property near NCTAMS or South Finegayan for this firing range however that proved undesirable as the firing range would be near local fishing spots. Thus they have offered an alternative plan. The major problem with the alternative of using Pagat is two things first it's owned by the Chammorro Land Trust and second some of the property contains an important archeological site. Senator Pangelinan says he has hiked through the area in the past and has actually seen the archaeological site which even contains remains of ancient pillars used by the Chamorros known as latte stones.



The site in Pagat is even registered at the Department of Historic Preservation as an archaeological site.



The DEIS is a huge document with volumes of information regarding various plans the military has been considering but up until now has not been willing to make public. Senator Pangelinan says in the past he has asked the military to give some type of milestone releases of what they're working on but those requests were never granted. In fact Senator Pangelinan says he believes withholding all this information until the release of the D.E.I.S. is a “calculated move” on the part of DOD in order to conduct the military buildup “the way they want to do it”.

Written by :
Clynt Ridgell

Draft EIS Reaction November 23

DOD wants to acquire 2,200 acres

DOD wants to acquire 2,200 acres

By Dionesis Tamondong • Pacific Daily News • November 23, 2009

The Department of Defense is interested in acquiring at least 2,200 acres of non-federal land for the military buildup, according to the draft Environmental Impact Statement.

The report lists four main parcels the military is looking at, the largest of which is for a firing range along the island's northeast coast.

Between 1,100 acres and 1,800 acres along Route 15 in Mangilao and Yigo are needed for the proposed firing range. That would require the condemnation or leasing of those properties, which are owned by the local government, private owners and ancestral land claimants.

Sen. Judith Guthertz, chairwoman of the legislative committee overseeing buildup issues, said the military acquisition of land is going to be the most sensitive issue.

"They'd have to negotiate with the landowners, and it's really entirely up to the private landowners what they will want to do," Guthertz said. "With reference to the government land, we're talking about Chamorro Land Trust property and ancestral land. Those are very sensitive issues."

The EIS report lists three other main parcels of interest:

# Former Federal Aviation Administration housing in south Finegayan, Dededo, is owned by private landowners and GovGuam. The 680-acre parcel is currently vacant.

# In Harmon, there are 326 acres of land claimed by multiple ancestral land claimants, as well as private owners and GovGuam. This area is vacant but for a few abandoned buildings.

The Dededo and Harmon parcels are part of the planned Marine Corps base headquarters. About 8,600 Marines and their 9,000 dependents are being relocated from Okinawa to Guam.

# About 105 acres of GovGuam land in the Cabras area of Piti is being looked at as part of a wharf and related facilities. The site is generally vacant with a few abandoned buildings.

The Defense Department is also looking to acquire small pockets of non-federal land, and some road projects may also require land acquisitions.

"There may be some owners who are interested in selling or leasing land to the federal government and would perceive the federal acquisition or the lease of their property as a beneficial impact," the EIS report states. "Other owners who do not want to sell their property (or relocate) are likely to consider the forced sale or relocation as an adverse impact, even though they are properly compensated."

A bill sponsored by Guthertz in the last Legislature requires that any GovGuam land transactions for federal purposes require the approval of the Guam Legislature. The bill is now law.

"That means that no GovGuam land can be sold or leased on a long-term basis without the approval of the Legislature," she said. "Any such request will have to undergo the normal process of public input and testimony and due diligence from the senators."

Guthertz said military officials have assured her and other lawmakers they would not condemn any private land.

Navy details impact of Guam move

Navy details impact of Guam move

By Teri Weaver , Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, November 23, 2009
TOKYO — It’s 8,600 Marines, not 8,000, moving to Guam.

That doesn’t count the estimated 9,000 sailors and Marines expected to visit the island for an average of two months each year.

And when construction, moving and hiring really get cranking in 2014 under the U.S. military’s plan to expand its bases in Guam, an estimated 80,000 people will temporarily flood the island, almost doubling the current population, according to a Navy report released Friday detailing the possible effects of the buildup.

The massive report comes more than three years after the United States and Japan agreed to move the III Marine Expeditionary Force.

The troop movement, from Okinawa to Guam, is part of a strategy to decrease troops in Japan and bolster the U.S.-controlled island in the Pacific.

While that agreement has come under scrutiny by a newly elected government in Japan, U.S. military officials say they are moving forward with the estimated $10.3 billion project.

Friday’s release of the environmental impact statement contains thousands of pages listing options about where the military wants to put the Marines, a new Army air defense unit and an expanded berth for visiting aircraft carriers within the island’s Apra Harbor port.

It also includes details about transforming existing training space on Tinian, an island in the Commonwealth of Northern Marina Islands. The expansion would support company- and battalion-level live-fire ranges.

Most of the report, though, deals with significant changes anticipated on Guam during and after the buildup. They include increased noise on the northern part of the island, traffic snarls during road construction, loss of habitat for threatened and endangered species, and significant changes to the coral reef ecosystem in Outer Apra Harbor, according to the report’s executive summary.

Overall, the buildup would bring about 34,000 new people to Guam permanently. About a quarter of the 1,800 new civilian Department of Defense jobs would be hired from island residents.

The military would expand and use much of Guam’s utility infrastructure for power, sewage and trash. Under one proposal, the Navy would drill 22 new wells on Andersen Air Force Base while connecting with the Guam Water Authority’s system, the report says.

When it comes to land use, the military would use much of its existing land at the northern tip of the island. Yet it’s clear, as military officials have said previously, that the current footprint is not enough for current plans, the report states.

Under a preferred option, the military would buy or lease private and public land near existing bases, including area now used as a racing track, reserved for development for new housing and existing homes, according to Sen. Judith Guthertz, who chairs Guam’s legislative committee that oversees the military expansion.

"Land is a very emotional issue here, especially because of our experiences during and after World War II," Guthertz said Saturday during a phone interview. Then, she said, "a lot was taken by the Navy and was not always under the best and fair terms for the indigenous people."

Now some of the land the Navy wants — including land reserved for development by the local Chamorro people — is controlled by Guam, which is a U.S. territory without a vote in Congress. A local law passed last year will require approval from Guam’s legislature before the military can buy or lease any locally controlled parcels.

But Guthertz said she and other local leaders anticipated those requests. Understanding what else might be in the massive report is the next step.

On Saturday, government officials in Guam were beginning to go through the details. Guthertz said her office spread the thousands of pages out in a room and assigned staff to study certain sections. Guam Gov. Felix Camacho parceled the report out to agency heads to comb through the technical language of the statement, which many call the EIS.

"We’ve only had it barely a day," said Shawn Gumataotao, deputy chief of staff for the governor. "All of our regulatory agencies will spend a lot of time with our people looking at the EIS. We’re also encouraging the public to do the same."

The Navy put the report out a day early, on Friday. An electronic version can be viewed online, and hard copies are available at local libraries and some mayors’ offices. A reading room was set up in the Agana Shopping Center in Hagatna.

Until Feb. 17, anyone can comment on the proposed options in the report, either online or by mail. The Navy will hold six public hearings on Guam, Saipan and Tinian from Jan. 7 to Jan. 15.

Officials raise concerns on EIS

Officials raise concerns on EIS

By Bernice Santiago • Pacific Sunday News • November 22, 2009

Access to land, strains on infrastructure, the timely transfer of funds for improvements, and the military's commitment to use local port and utility facilities were among the concerns raised by government officials after the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

The draft EIS, released Friday, lays out proposed plans for military construction associated with the transfer of 8,000 Marines and 9,000 dependents from Okinawa to Guam, along with the environmental and social impact of those changes. The community has until Feb. 18 to submit comments on the EIS report.

All public comments will be weighed and considered, retired Marine Col. John J. Jackson, director of the Joint Guam Program Office, said during a press conference yesterday.

Sen. Judith Guthertz, chairwoman for the legislative committee on the military buildup, said that she's preparing a joint report assessing the draft EIS with the committee on rules, natural resources, and federal, foreign, and Micronesian affairs.
"It's a lot bigger in terms of its impact than most people thought it would be," Guthertz said yesterday, "particularly with the population increase estimates and the proposed footprint for land."

Guthertz is preparing an inventory of non-federal land that the military is proposing to acquire as part of the buildup, she said. "I'm very concerned about the land, and I think probably that's going to be the most sensitive part of the draft EIS," she said.

Gov. Felix Camacho said yesterday that four sites in Dededo, Yigo, Mangilao, and Agat would be affected, according to the proposals in the draft EIS, and that he will be working with the village mayors on public access issues in their villages.
The construction of a permanent Marine Corps base in Dededo could possibly include the long-term lease of private land in the Harmon Annex. The military hopes to build a new firing range in Mangilao and Yigo, as large as 1,680 acres, which would require the use of more than 900 acres of non-military land. In the south, a large portion of land between Agat and Umatac has been proposed as a "maneuver training area," including jungle training, land navigation and air-to-ground operations, for the Marines stationed in Dededo.

Camacho stressed that island residents should read the main volumes and appendices of the draft EIS, in order to submit their comments and help shape the final outcome the military buildup. "The entire community needs to be involved," Camacho said.

Sen. Eddie Calvo expressed concern with the impact of the military buildup on the island's infrastructure. The island's roads, power, water, wastewater, and solid waste systems, which are already strained, will be affected by the population increase. The systems need improvements to cope with the increase, but Calvo said that there have been several stumbling blocks during the process.

Almost $50 million in federal funds has been appropriated for road construction scheduled to begin next year, which isn't nearly enough, Calvo said. In addition, though the EIS states that the military will use the Layon landfill, a formal memorandum of understanding for the future use of the Layon landfill still hasn't been signed, Calvo said.

Major upgrades to the commercial port and the airport were planned because of the expectation of cargo for the buildup entering Guam through those facilities, Calvo said. Calvo is concerned that the military will not use the commercial port for cargo shipments, citing the August shipment of Watts Constructors' cargo from the Guam Shipyard.

"The win-win situation that we're talking about may not be a win for Guam," Calvo said. "It may be a win-win for the government of the United States and the government of Japan."

Calvo is running as a gubernatorial candidate in next year's election.
On Monday, acting Speaker Rory Respicio will be asking each legislative committee to hold joint public hearings with the military buildup committee, to give the public more opportunities to comment on the EIS.

"Every single component of the EIS impacts us one way or another," Respicio said. Residents should be concerned with possibility that power or water rates will go up, that the federal government may or may not move to augment health services, and what the impact to the island's environmental resources will be, he said.

"This military buildup will change the face of Guam," Respicio said.

At the Joint Guam Program Office press conference yesterday, Jackson said the public comments, especially legitimate concerns, do carry a lot of weight in the final decision-making process.

He gave the example of how comments during the public scoping period earlier this year led to the military scrapping its plan to build a firing range in the Finegayan area of Dededo and instead build it along the coast of Mangilao and Yigo.
The original plan would have created a danger zone extending over popular fishing and recreational areas.

"Nothing will be set in stone until the record of decision comes out," Jackson said. "Even when you look at that and we have our plans all in place, things can still change at that point because we may discover something else that wasn't identified in the public comment period or in our surveys."

According to a timeline in the draft EIS, the final statement is scheduled to be available by June 30.

After a 30-day waiting period -- July 6 to Aug. 6, 2010 -- the Record of Decision is scheduled to be issued by July 30, 2010. This allows buildup-related construction to begin.

But those dates are still tentative.

"This is a very long and drawn out process because we really want to get it right. And we want to get it right not only so that the requirements are met for the military, but for the government of Guam and the people of Guam," Jackson said. "We have one chance to get it right."

Buildup may use local utilities

Buildup may use local utilities

By Amritha Alladi • Pacific Daily News • November 19, 2009

The financial and logistical strains on labor, land use, water and power resources are among the most pressing military buildup concerns for Guam's industry leaders who attended the Guam Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting yesterday.

As of now, the Department of Defense will continue to be a customer of both the Guam Power Authority and Guam Waterworks Authority, according to Consolidated Commission on Utilities Chairman Simon Sanchez.

After yesterday's Chamber meeting, Frank Campillo, outgoing chairman of the Chamber's board of directors, said Guam's infrastructure is already having trouble with basic maintenance associated with the growth the island faces without the buildup.

"The roads are filled with potholes now," he said. He wants to know how Guam agencies, including the utilities, are going to handle further growth in demand for water and power.

Furthermore, Frank M. Crisostomo-Kaaihue, business developer for G4S Security Services, said he hopes the buildup doesn't deplete Guam's resources to the point where there is nothing left for future generations.

"It's important that our water, lands are not contaminated. That's the biggest concern. I want to make sure that my children's children still have a Guam," he said.

But Retired Marine Maj. Gen. David Bice, executive director of the Joint Guam Program Office, which oversees the buildup readiness for the Defense Department, said Guam will not shoulder the cost of buildup-related upgrades to local utilities alone.

The Defense Department already is discussing with Japan how to share some of the costs to pay for those improvements, Bice said.

He said DOD is a customer of the Guam Power Authority and wants to maintain that status. Plus, Sanchez said the power agency has the capacity to support the extra power needs that will be created by the shift of 8,000 Marines and their dependents from Okinawa to Guam.

Bice added that there is, however, a need to upgrade power facilities, for example, transmission and distribution lines from power plants in Dededo and Piti to the Apra Harbor.

Additionally, Sanchez said the Defense Department already is a customer of Guam Waterworks Authority and will continue to be for wastewater treatment services.

Bice said the Defense Department's preference is to upgrade the existing Northern Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The plant processes only about half of its 12 million-gallon capacity, according to GWA spokeswoman Heidi Ballendorf. But the capacity need will be increased to 18 million gallons once the buildup starts, Sanchez said.

Ballendorf said she expects improvements to the Northern Wastewater Treatment Plant will cost about $50 million, for which GWA does not have the funds.

"That has to come from the agreement with DOD going forward," she said.

According to Sanchez, the Defense Department is willing to cover all costs associated with the direct impact of its actions, but the improvements to GWA facilities will help improve the quality and help reduce the cost of utilities for Guam's civilians as well.

The issue of agreeing on an integrated solution for water still needs to be discussed between DOD and GWA.

GWA officials and some CCU members are scheduled to meet with JGPO officials today to discuss in detail what specific improvements will be needed to accommodate DOD's water and wastewater needs.

However, there is also the option of having stand-alone facilities, Bice added.

"We certainly want to make sure we support the move of Marines to Guam with the least impact on the people of Guam," Bice said.

The "preferred options" and alternatives are discussed extensively in Volume 10 of the draft Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS, which will be released on Saturday, Bice said.

The 8,000-page document will be available for public viewing at the public library, the University of Guam Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Library, and mayors' offices in Yigo, Dededo, Barrigada, Agat, and Mangilao, according to Capt. Neil Ruggiero, JGPO public affairs officer. Digital copies will be available online at the EIS, One Guam and Pacific Daily News Web sites.

Sen. Ben Pangelinan said JGPO officials had asked him for suggestions on where to place additional digital and hard copies of the draft EIS for public viewing. He suggested several shopping centers frequented by residents, and for JGPO to provide computers with Internet connection so people can read the report and do research.

"I am also somewhat perplexed that during all the planning and discussions on the (draft EIS) for the past several months which, in my opinion, were an important component to the process, we were never asked for any input. But for simple solutions as to location sites, our suggestions and ideas are valued."

Other residents have expressed similar dissatisfaction over the EIS study.

The Guåhan Coalition for Peace and Justice yesterday announced it would lead a protest at 4 p.m. tomorrow outside the ITC building in response to the release of the environmental report this weekend.

"It was not conducted in a manner that demonstrated a true assessment of the social, cultural, and political implications an increased military presence will have on the island's people," a release from the Coalition stated. "Local residents and their elected officials were largely excluded from the process of gathering information and making recommendations for this study."

Some of these issues the coalition is concerned about will also be addressed during the two-day conference on "The Military Buildup and Beyond" hosted by the Guam Legislature today and tomorrow.

Today, Roger M. Natsuhara, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for installations and environment, will give the keynote address at 9:05 a.m., with a question-and-answer session to follow. The morning session will include a panel discussion on family and community issues regarding public health and building a competent work force. After lunch, the conference will feature a presentation at 1 p.m. by Emanuel Mori, president of the Federated States of Micronesia. A panel discussion on the use of natural resources will follow at 1:30 p.m.

Tomorrow, Philippine Labor Undersecretary Romeo Lagman will present his government's perspective on the buildup. Lagman is expected to talk about how skilled workers from the Philippines could temporarily augment Guam's current labor pool for the buildup, according to a press release from the Guam Legislature.

The Guåhan Coalition's protest and the Legislature's conference are both open to the public.

An Independent Guam

EGuam on its own
Monday, 10 August 2009 00:31 Letter to the Editor .

THIS is the picture of an independent Guam that I have in my mind. The United States keeps Anderson Air Force Base here simply as a military outpost in the Pacific and as our security. All other lands in military inventories are reverted to GovGuam, being distributed and used at our discretion.

American dollar remains to be our currency, like other independent Pacific nations that have this form of security and currency arrangement. With a stable government and currency comes investors’ confidence. All existing free enterprises continue. All jobs are retained. Mortgages and bills get paid. Now we invest in our selves.

We can take advantage of our proximity to the ocean. We can invest and develop the following initiatives:

A storage facility to accommodate fish harvests from the entire Micronesian region;
A fish cannery;
A transit point for distribution of Micronesian fish to the world;
A fueling and replenishment point for the fishing fleets. In addition to fueling, vessels can replenish supplies such as food, fishing inventory and labor.

Because of our proximity to Micronesia and Asia, these ideas are feasible and will stimulate the development of more businesses. Thousands of new jobs will be created and new monies will be infused into our economy. With new monies we will live better.

Our hospital, utilities, roads, trash and other services will be better maintained. And the domino effect will touch individual lives.

I am not talking about going back to coconut huts and grass skirts. We can leave those for the tourists to marvel at. I like my computer, cell phone, the mall, movies and my car, but I also feel that it is our destiny as a people to decide our fate, for better or worse. It is our birth right.

Caged things must be set free at some point. As with our children, even with all our investment, time and love, there comes the time when we have to let them seek their own path.

Ben “Sinahi” del Rosario
Mangilao

Waimanalo wants Air Force to return Bellows Land

A proposed resolution claims the Air Force no longer needs 400 acres and should give it up
By Kaylee Noborikawa
July 12, 2009
Honolulu Star Bulletin

Some Waimanalo residents are calling for the U.S. Air Force to return about 400 acres from Bellows Air Force Station because the land is being used for recreation rather than critical military purposes.

“I’m asking the neighborhood board to adopt a resolution which asks for the return (of the land), and I expect the neighborhood board to transfer that resolution to Congress, our senators, and President Obama,” said Joseph Ryan, a former member of the Waimanalo Neighborhood Board and a Waimanalo resident since the 1960s.

Ryan drafted the resolution after receiving an environmental assessment in March by the U.S. Air Force which wants to construct at Bellows 48 vacation rentals, a nine-hole disc golf course, a community activity center, a car wash, a water park, a resort pool, and a nine-hole par-3 golf course.

Ryan said his action is not related to the military’s closing of Bellows to the public for a month recently. The popular beach and camping area was closed because of misuse and vandalism, military officials had said. It was reopened over the July 4th weekend.

According to Ryan, the state should get the land, which was appropriated by President Woodrow Wilson in 1917, since the military is no longer using it for its original military purpose.

A total of 1,510 acres of ceded land was appropriated in the presidential executive order, but in 1999, about 1,100 acres were transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps, according to the Corps.

“When the Air Force decided by its EA to use the base for recreational services, they made the decision that this is no longer critical defense purposes. Recreation is a collateral purpose. It doesn’t support the primary mission,” said Ryan.

The military responded by saying that although the primary mission is recreation, the Armed Forces continue to train on the land. Hickam’s 15th Security Forces Squadron, U.S. Marine Corps security forces, and the Honolulu Police Department use Bellows for training, including building clearing, hostage negotiation training, and robbery response.

“Bellows continues to fill key roles in troop recreation and training,” said Capt. Christy Stravolo of the Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs. “One of the key priorities of the Air Force Chief of Staff is airman morale and readiness. Bellows contributes to this priority every day.”

The Bellows Air Force Station offers cabins, camping sites, and other recreational activities for military retirees, soldiers in the reserve/guard, active military members, and U.S. Department of Defense civilians. According to Stravolo, 500,000 visitors use Bellows’ facilities every year.

“Troops can’t afford the expensive commercial establishments, so here’s a chance they have to relax with their families at a very reasonable price. The fees they charge are quite a bit less than Waikiki,” said Gen. Robert Lee.

Lee is in charge of the Army National Guard at Bellows and trains newly promoted sergeants on unit tactics.

“I think we can work it out with the community. We allow the Waimanalo Neighborhood Board to use our facility for their meetings; I believe we can work out a good solution,” Lee said.

30 Tinian Farmers May Be Displaced by the US Military

30 Tinian farmers, ranchers may be displaced by the US military
By Moneth Deposa
Reporter
The Saipan Tribune
April 3, 2009


A significant number of farmers, ranchers, and hog raisers on Tinian are expected to be displaced if the U.S. military decides to fully utilize the property it leased on the island.

According to the Tinian Legislative Delegation, up to 30 ranchers and farmers -- about 80 percent of the island's agriculture sector -- would be affected and the municipality needs to find a site soon for their relocation.

Delegation chair Sen. Joseph Mendiola said final plans detailing what specific part of Tinian will be used for military exercises and training will be presented to the island's leaders in July.

The U.S. military holds the lease to about two-thirds of available land on Tinian.

“We don't know yet the final plans for Tinian. Up to this time, we're still waiting word from the military, which is also coordinating with the municipality and the governor. [There is] no final word yet if all two-thirds of Tinian would be used for their training sites,” he said.

Without the military's confirmation, the delegation cannot plan for the future of its farmers and ranchers, Mendiola said.

Although the Tinian community is counting on the positive economic impact of the buildup, they are also concerned about possible displacement.

“A lot of farmers and ranchers would be displaced if they [U.S. military] decide to use the entire two-thirds of Tinian,” Mendiola said

The senator said some public lands on Tinian may be identified as new sites for the farmers and ranchers.

If it were up to him, Mendiola said, he prefers that the military use the North Field as an exclusive military training ground.

He added that the island's airport is close to the U.S. military's leased property and problems may arise if the area is used for live-fire training and other military exercises.

The transfer of some 8,000 Marines from Okinawa, Japan to Guam starting in 2012 is projected to benefit the CNMI, particularly Tinian.

However, Mendiola said, even the approximate number of U.S. Marines who will be assigned to Tinian is not known yet.

“Even that number is not available to us.we're still on a 'waiting game,'” he said, adding that whatever recommendation the CNMI leadership may have for the military would be supported by the delegation.

http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=89101

DoD May Have to Compete With Developers

DoD may have to compete with developers
Thursday, 15 January 2009
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

THE Department of Defense might have to compete with private developers and the Guam International Airport Authority for the acquisition of Yigo lands, which are being considered by the military as a potential site for a new firing range.

Rolenda Faasuamalie, public information officer for GIAA, said the airport authority is eyeing a portion of the target property as the site of the $16 million municipal airport project to be funded by the Federal Aviation Authority.

GIAA was among the three bidders that responded last year to the Guam Economic Development and Commerce Authority's solicitation for lease and development of the 395-acre property owned by the Chamorro Land Trust Commission and Ancestral Lands Commission.

"We received a notification that we ranked third, but we're not aware of the current status of the bidding selection," Faasuamalie said.

She added that FAA-funded studies have already identified the ancestral lands on Route 15 as the most ideal site for the municipal airport project, which is part of the government's aviation enhancement initiative.

Faasuamalie said the proposed municipal airport will be designated for private small aircrafts so that don't they mix with commercial planes as they do now at the existing airport.

"We're being optimistic about the future, and trying to meet our space and capacity," she said. "It would require that the government give us authority to use the land."

Faasuamalie said GIAA has not identified an alternative site for the municipal airport.

GEDCA
Mike Cruz, manager of GEDCA's Real Property Division, said the selection committee has evaluated the bidding proposals and ranked the bidders, accordingly, but no final decision has been made.

"We have to go into negotiation with the first ranked bidder, but we haven't started yet. We have to get together with the negotiating team which will include the Ancestral Lands Commission," Cruz said.

He confirmed that GIAA was among the bidders but declined to identify the two other bidders.

"We will negotiate with the No. 1 bidder first, and if it didn't work out, we would proceed with the ones next in line," Cruz said.

He said the developer that will eventually be awarded the lease would be allowed to use the property however it wants.

"We don't limit how private developers want to use the property. We believe the private sector knows the market," Cruz said.

The Land Trust property and the roughly 250 acres of land being occupied by the Guam International Raceway are currently being surveyed by military contractors.

The Joint Guam Program Office has confirmed that DoD is considering those properties for the construction of non-live fire training facilities.

"We have authorized (the military) to access the property and take a look at these areas. They told us that they're looking at these properties as part of the (environmental impact assessment)," Cruz said. "But they never said they will acquire or use it."

Dededo Town Hall Meeting on Military Move Planned

Dededo town hall meeting on military moved planned
By John Davis
Published Jan 6, 2009

KUAM News has learned the Joint Guam Program Office will be holding a town hall meeting later this month to provide an update on planning efforts relative to the buildup of troops. Dededo mayor Melissa Savares says JGPO will also provide an update on government land in the village the feds have been looking at for their use.

"They're looking at expanding a little bit more than what hey have in the village and it's not that they want to take Chamorro Land Trust Property, but they want to lease Chamorro Land Trust property," the mayor explained.

According to Savares, the town hall meeting is scheduled for January 21 at 6:30pm at the Dededo Senior Center. KUAM has been unable to confirm with JGPO whether similar town hall meetings are planned for other villages.