Forum Tackles Militarization

FRIDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2011 04:25 BY GERALDINE CASTILLO | VARIETY NEWS STAFF

PRESENTATIONS and a public forum were held Wednesday evening at the University of Guam CLASS Lecture Hall, where experts discussed the impact of militarization as well as the current and intended acquisition of military land on Guam.

The forum, entitled “Islands of Shame: Base Displacement from Diego Garcia and Guåhan,” discussed the Pågat lawsuit and the impact military bases have on the island communities of Diego Garcia and Guam.

The speakers were Attorney Leevin Camacho, member of We Are Guåhan, and Dr. David Vine, assistant professor of Anthropology at American University in Washington D.C. Introducing the speakers and moderating the following forum was Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua.

“People tend to view the military bases through the more positive symbols of military service, of what the military does for the world, its mission,” said Bevacqua as he introduced the presentations. “But for every military base that you see, there's always some lesser ... aspects to it. There's always high levels of disease, there's always a sort of displacement, dispossession. And so throughout the world, the U.S military has worked on a thousand facilities and so almost all of those facilities – Guam, Diego Garcia, Okinawa, South Korea included – all of them have a shameful history, a history where people were dispossessed, displaced.”

Camacho's presentation detailed the Department of Defense's current footprint on the island; the expansion of DOD lands; and updates on the lawsuit to save Pågat village.

“There are 36,000 acres that DOD officially has control over – that's about 26 percent of Guam,” said Camacho, showcasing maps of Guam that manifest areas throughout the island belonging to DOD or are areas desired for acquisition.

According to Camacho, with DOD's current footprint, Andersen Air Force Base takes up 17,430 acres, while Naval Magazine takes up 8,600 acres; they are the third and seventh largest land areas, respectively.

Meanwhile, Vine spoke about research from his book, “Island of Shame: The Secret History of the U.S. Military Base on Diego Garcia,” drawing parallels between the history of Diego Garcia and that of Guam's. Diego Garcia is a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean whose indigenous people were displaced during the development of a U.S. military base.

“Part of the reason I'm here is because I'm working on a new book about the whole network of U.S. military bases overseas,” said Vine. “It's taken me to Europe, Asia, Latin America, and now I'm lucky enough to visit Guam and continue that research.”

Vine's research for his new book explores the impacts – on cultural, health, environmental and sovereign representation – military bases have in areas outside of the U.S.

Vine noted similarities between Diego Garcia and Guam, with regard to the impacts of island militarization.

“One is the military use of strategic islands; second, displacement and dispossession; third, racism; [and] fourth, the struggle of people against the military.”

$15 billion disputed .

Friday, 28 January 2011 01:38 by Jennifer Naylor Gesick | Variety News Staff

* We Are Guahan questions buildup estimate

Attorney Leevin Camacho, We Are Guahan member, yesterday disputed Governor Eddie Calvo’s claim that $15 billion is coming to Guam from the military buildup and that the entire buildup may stop because of the disagreement over Pagat.

Camacho made this statement when he addressed members of the Rotary Club of Guam yesterday.

Camacho said he does not know where the $15 billion figure is coming from, because according to documents the Department of Defense has released, the Government of Guam is only set to receive $1.78 billion to be spread out over 10 years, and even that figure has been overstated.

“No one has looked at how much the buildup is going to cost GovGuam,” he said. “In terms of net, the $1.78 billion is an overstatement, it’s generous, and it does not take into account any increasing costs,” said Camacho.

Camacho also stated that according to University of Guam professor and economist Dr. Claret M. Ruane, the $1.78 billion figure from the Department of Defense’s Environmental Impact Statement may be overestimated by 18 to 41 percent because information from Hawaii was used to prepare the figures.

Camacho asked: “If the Governor thinks the money coming for projects inside the fence will go to Guam, of the projects that were awarded how many were given to Guam companies?”

Camacho said We Are Guahan is concerned mostly about the ancient village of Pagat being turned into a series of firing ranges.
But the group is also worried about public education, housing, traffic and health care being negatively affected by the relocation of 8,400 U.S. Marines and their over 9,000 dependants from Okinawa to Guam.

“Are the benefits greater than the cost? I’m not sure,” he said.

Camacho also told Rotary Club of Guam members that Governor Calvo’s statements that the buildup may stop because of the dispute over Pagat “are untrue.”

There are over 160 projects identified in the Programmatic Agreement, said Camacho. The Programmatic Agreement is an agreement that governs the handling of projects related to the buildup with respect to cultural and historic sites.

Camacho said that Pagat has taken centerstage, but in reality most of those projects are not disputed. But he said the military has taken an “all or nothing approach to the buildup.”

Pagat is the only ancient Chamorro village with public access, said Camacho. And it is still being used by indigenous healers and for cultural practices like fishing. All other villages are on DoD property and those without base access are usually unable to visit the sites, said Camacho.

He said that the military has disregarded all other options, including splitting up the series of five firing ranges and keeping them on property DoD currently controls, which is 28.5 percent of the island.

Camacho also said that DoD’s recent claims that they will be firing over Pagat and into the water, thus leaving the area open all the time for people to visit the site does not seem logical, and he can’t imagine anyone wanting to go down there while fifty caliber machine guns are going off.

The lawsuit filed over Pagat by the Guam Preservation Trust, We Are Guahan, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Hawaii has a scheduling hearing in the second week of February with a response from the defendants expected by Feb. 14.

Lawsuit filed over Pagat

by Mindy Aguon from KUAM.com

Guam - The Department of Defense is being taken to court over a decision to use an area of land adjacent to the historic and culturally-rich village of Pagat for a firing range complex for U.S. Marines. The litigation looks to force the DoD to comply with federal laws.

"We did not want to get to this stage," Attorney Nicholas Yost said. "We've had many, many meetings and consultations."

Referring to it as their last resort, the Guam Historic Preservation Trust and We Are Guahan joined in a lawsuit with the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed against the Department of Defense. The lawsuit, filed in Hawaii where the environmental review process was coordinated by the Navy, challenges the military's plans to build a firing range complex adjacent to the historic village of Pagat, named one of the 11 most endangered historic sites.

Guam Historic Preservation Officer Joe Quinata said, "This action does not challenge the buildup itself. but seeks to compel the Department of Defense to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act by giving adequate consideration to alternative locations for the firing ranges, as mandated by law."

Yost, with the San Francisco-based SNR Denton, along with Matthew Adams has taken on this case pro bono as they believe the DoD has failed to comply with the NEPA and the National Historic Preservation Act by giving adequate consideration to alternative locations for the firing ranges.

"At the very minimum, what we want is for them to reopen the process honestly to examine alternatives, and those alternatives include those at Andersen Air Force Base, those on Navy property, all of which are listed in the complaint," Yost explained. "There's also other places on Guam that they have suggested that they haven't looked at all. There's also the possibility of relocating the ranges to Tinian, where indeed some firing ranges are already proposed in the environmental impact statement for the future."

As the lead drafter of the NEPA regulations, Attorney Yost is all too familiar with what the law requires of the federal government. Yost contends the DoD failed to follow the law and violated numerous regulations, adding, "They restricted their surveying of sites to sites on Defense Department land except for Pagat - that is the one exception they made to the rule. Other than that they looked at just Defense Department land."

Yost adds that the alternatives the DoD discarded including sites at the naval and Air Force bases should not have been thrown out without significant review. While the most desirable outcome of the lawsuit would be to put the firing range somewhere other than Pagat, the plaintiffs are also asking that a supplemental environmental impact statement be conducted.

We Are Guahan's Attorney Leevin Camacho believes Guam's unified stance against Pagat has helped make the difference, telling KUAM News, "Pagat is the most glaring example of how the DoD made its decision a long time ago with how the buildup was gonna proceed, and litigation is never what you want to do. I say that as a lawyer. I hope this sends a message that the people of Guam are not going to sit by, as bystanders on our own island and we're going to do whatever we can to protect our home including legal action."

National Trust for Historic Preservation's Dr. Anthea Hartig says the organization is glad to be collaborating on such a historic and meaningful event. "We do not take this kind of legal action lightly, but we feel that even though we've come to it reluctantly, we come to it with a seriousness of mission and we are here for you and we're and we're deeply honored to be there with you," she explained.

For others who call Guam home, today's announcement brought tears to their eyes. Moneka De Oro says she's grateful for the organizations standing up for the people of Guam to protect our future and resources. She added, "It is a very emotional experience. This whole buildup process has been incredibly emotional, especially because the people of Guam have really been cast aside in the decision making processes, so it's very emotional for us to come to this point after gathering our community together after negotiating with the DoD in many different ways, and them not listening to us and to have to come to this. It's very emotional."

United States District Court Judge David Ezra has been assigned the case and a scheduling conference is set for February 14 in Hawaii.

Life after the ROD

Friday, 24 September 2010 04:00 By Gerry R. Partido from MarianasVariety

You have to hand it to the military, they spun the release of the Record of Decision beautifully.

For weeks, anticipation had been building towards the release of the ROD with protests planned and statements set to be released about how the military wasn’t listening to the concerns of the community.

The fact that it is election season added to the fireworks, with every politician worth his salt bashing the military to score some political points.

Then, when the ROD was finally released, surprise! Action on two of the most contentious issues of the buildup, namely Pagat and the Apra coral reefs, were indefinitely postponed.

The military must have known that the ROD would withhold action on these two issues. After all, various federal and Navy officials had further studied the issues after the release of the final environmental impact statement.

Assistant Secretary of the Navy Jackalyne Pfannenstiel even made a personal visit to the Pagat site when she visited the island last month.

But by keeping the decision to postpone action very close to their chests, the feds and the military had the element of surprise and effectively undercut whatever protests were planned after the release of the ROD.

To be sure, postponement of the action on Pagat and Apra Harbor does not mean that those who oppose the military’s original plans can breathe easier.

As our editorial earlier this week pointed out, the military can still proceed with its original plans, maybe after the election season, when passions would have cooled down a bit.

But just because the ROD has been released doesn’t mean that GovGuam and the rest of the community should stop airing their concerns about the military buildup that is now about to start in earnest.

There is life after the ROD and even Joint Guam Program Office executive director David Bice acknowledged that the FEIS did not address all of Guam’s concerns.

Bice also assured that there will be further discussions and collaborations between the military and the Guam community beyond the ROD.

In the meantime, a number of island leaders are continuing with a planned massive demonstration in Adelup on Oct. 1 to draw attention to their feelings about the ROD.

The organizers are saying this will be a non-partisan and multi-sectoral event, with even representatives from the national media invited.

Obviously, the aim is to approximate the massive demonstrations in Okinawa that had drawn worldwide attention to the plight of the native inhabitants there.

But again, being political season, it would be difficult to distinguish between what is true sentiment and what is just rhetoric.

Get your DEIS comments in!

Get your DEIS comments in!

Posted: Feb 14, 2010 2:22 PM
Updated: Feb 14, 2010 4:41 PM

by Michele Catahay

Guam - Island residents have until this Thursday to comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Marines' relocation from Okinawa to Guam. Back in 2006 an agreement was signed between Japan and the United States to move a portion of the U.S. Marine Corps Station in Okinawa to Guam. The plan would essentially transform the island in the Western Pacific into a giant arm of the Department of Defense.

According to the DoD's DEIS, by 2014 the island is anticipated to see its population of roughly 150,000 people increase significantly to 230,000 at its peak. That's an increase of 80,000 people within four years. The EIS outlines alternatives to develops and construct facilities and infrastructure to support the move. It also evaluates the impact of a new deep draft wharf to support a transient nuclear powered aircraft carrier.

The EIS also explores the impact of plans by the Army to develop facilities and infrastructure to operate a missile defense system. This would include relocating approximately 600 military personnel and their 900 dependents to Guam. While the island has until this Thursday to comment, the Guam Boonie Stompers along with the We Are Guahan Coalition hosted a clean up in Pagat, which happens to be one of the areas proposed to build a firing range for training.

Guam Boonie Stompers president David Lotz said his organization, "has a petition drive to submit to the buildup DEIS to keep these trails open, and I feel that's important for the community and even for the military to work towards preserving the island's heritage...if you look at the Quadrennial Defense Review, it actually says it's going to transform the island into a military base and it has to be very seriously looked at. Who is really going to control the future of the island? Is it the military or the people of guam?"

Yona resident Ulysses Story says negative impacts outweigh the positive ones for the island, saying, "To me, I think its traffic and another thing is racism. I mean, people, I think Chamorro people like to preserve their culture and bringing in people that are trying to assimilate them but they don't want to so I think it'll cause some conflict on racism."

Chalan Pago resident Ida San Nicolas says she's in support of the buildup, saying the military has a strong ability to help boast the local economy. "My child is 16 and it is his generation that it affects. My son has confronted me about it, and he has some issues with it but for me, we should let them speak also not just us and just saying what we think. All the jobs are for them and that's what I like is to be able to have some jobs," said San Nicolas.

Mangilao resident Aphea Imperial says while there may be some environmental impacts noted in the DEIS, she says the buildup will provide more opportunities for the island community, noting, "There are a lot of opportunities for the community like there are going to be a lot of jobs but there are also bad sides to it like our ecosystems, and it's just going to be overpopulated and guam is so small and i think it's good. i see military people and they help out a lot."

Again, you have until this Thursday to comment on the Draft EIS. To view the voluminous document, log on to GuamBuildupEIS.us.

Students sound off on DEIS

Students sound off on DEIS

Posted: Feb 10, 2010 2:23 PM
Updated: Feb 10, 2010 6:49 PM

by Michele Catahay

Guam - Guam has until next Wednesday to comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Students plan to voice their concerns about a number of issues that will affect them come 2014.

Several Okkodo High School students recently participated in a "Youth Speak" event where experts spoke about the potential impacts of the move of 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam. Today, these students spoke before their peers about their own concerns.

Jeremy Denusta says he's most worried about the Department of Defense's plans to dredge at Apra Harbor to make way for a transient aircraft carrier berthing. He says because Apra Harbor is home to many forms of marine life, he isn't in support of it. "I really care about all of those stuff. Marine life is precious, so we're removing all of the coral there. It's like you're taking away the homes all of the fish. So they can't do that. I wouldn't want them to do that," he said.

Students also raised concerns about the military's plans to use lands in Umatac, Marbo Cave and Pagat to build training stations and firing ranges. Megan Borja says she would hate to have these pristine areas taken away from the people, telling KUAM News, "When they said they were going to use Marbo Cave as a firing range, that was like an insult because they're just going to be blowing all their bullets in there, you know?"

Christina Vasquez told her fellow students that they need to get involved since most of the decisions made will affect them and their families, saying, "Who plans to live here? and build their houses and raise their children? You will be dealing with every single issue that we speak about. The dredging, the landfill, the wastewater, the sewage, the animals. We won't have fish," she said.

Guam Coastal Management Program Outreach Coordinator Tammy Jo Taft says her presentations have allowed students to speak about these impacts in hopes for the youth to comment on the Draft EIS. "The point is to encourage students to comment because students are the generation that will inherit the decisions in the Draft EIS. The point is to help them find a voice and to help them comment on this process," she said.

The island has until next week to comment on the EIS. Taft says while many adults have attended public testimonies and submitted responses, she says the youth need to do so, too. "Most of the students that are in high school, by the time the buildup takes place they're going to be the young adults out in out community looking for jobs, starting families and these are the people that are going to be impacted the most because they have the longest time to spend on this island and deal with the changes that are happening," she said.

Locals question military’s plan to acquire more land on Guam

Locals question military’s plan to acquire more land on Guam

By Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, January 28, 2010

MANGILAO, Guam — As the U.S. military makes preparations to add at least 9,000 troops to Guam, Glenn Nelson wonders how close they’ll be coming to his driveway.

Nelson lives with relatives on the Pacific island’s western shore. North of Nelson’s property lie jungle, freshwater caves, a few quarries and Guam’s only sanctioned raceway.



Photo: The Pagat area on Guam’s eastern side provides popular swimming and diving spots in the summer and good fishing year round. The U.S. military has proposed building three firing ranges – part of plans to move more than 9,000 troops to the island - just north of the area on land controlled by the government of Guam. The ranges would most likely mean limited access to more freshwater caves and land north of this shoreline.

It’s there the military wants to add three ranges to train on live firing, from pistols to .50-caliber guns.

And it’s that proposal for more land — plus another to acquire acreage on the western side of the island for Marine housing — that is at the heart of many arguments from island residents about the military’s plans.

“It’s very important to know — there is a moral wrong for acquiring more land than they actually need,” Nelson said on a recent Sunday from his back deck. “[If our land isn’t affected], that’s great. But everyone has an interest in these lands.”

The military plans to move 8,600 Marines from Okinawa to Guam, a $10.27 billion project partially funded by the Japanese government. Plans also include the addition of an Army unit. As the United States continues to work with the Japanese on the move, residents and leaders on Guam are asking the military to reconsider its plans to use more of the island.



Photo: 222 - The military controls about one-third of the 212-square-mile island, including 8,800 acres of ammunition storage for the Navy toward Guam’s southern end. These 1,000-pound bombs are ammunition for the 5th and 7th U.S. fleets in one of 129 earth-covered magazines at the Navy Munitions Command.

Land is a sensitive issue for a place where some people remember how their parents and grandparents ceded or sold land, often reluctantly, to the U.S. military before and after World War II. The military holds nearly one-third of the island’s 212 square miles, including the northern end for Andersen Air Force Base, much of the natural port at Apra Harbor and another 8,800 acres in the middle of the island that stores millions of pounds of munitions for the Navy’s 5th and 7th fleets.

Those bullets, bombs and missiles are the military’s stockpile for crises and contingencies, as are the mostly empty flight lines at Andersen, military officials on Guam say.

It’s Andersen — a base with no home AIR squadron and 15,000 acres of land that include a golf course, a recreational beach and a planned wildlife preserve — that has drawn more recent criticism from local residents and leaders.

On Thursday, the chairwoman of the Guam Legislature’s military buildup committee sent an eight-page proposal to the Navy office in charge of the buildup, asking officials to consider rearranging weapons stockpiles on Andersen and looking harder at its own recreational beach for firing ranges.

“The Navy needs to put on its thinking cap about this matter and be open-minded,” Sen. Judith Guthertz wrote to the military’s Joint Guam Program Office.

Marine Corps Capt. Neil Ruggiero, a spokesman for the program office on Guam, said Thursday that his office had received the proposal. He said it would likely take a week to get a reply from the program’s headquarters office in the Washington area.

David Bice, a retired Marine major general now in charge of the buildup plan, said in an interview Jan. 8 that earlier proposed plans included more use of military lands for the ranges. But he said that would mean more Marines would be driving around the island each day, additional traffic that local leaders have said they don’t want.

“You’d have 7-ton trucks going up and down the highway every day,” Bice said during an interview in his office on Naval Base Guam.

Bice said the military has approached only three private landowners for the entire buildup. While he declines to name them, he said he is confident there will be no problems with land transactions.



Photo: 444 - The hotels and the military control access to some of Guam’s beachfront, like this area at Ritidian Point just on the outside of Andersen. The beach is controlled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which allows access to the sand but not the water during the day. Tourists, like this family from South Korea, come to visit, take photos and look for crabs.

But the military also is looking at land controlled by the government of Guam, including that swath north of the Nelsons’ home. To get a hold of that land, the Guam Legislature must either approve the land deal or force the military to use eminent domain proceedings. Nearly every leader on the island, including Bice, has said they do not want things to come to that.

Earlier this month, Air Force Brig. Gen. Philip Ruhlman, commander of the 36th Wing and Andersen, said some of the base’s land that looks unused now is needed for response plans in case of crises or war.

“There were 155 B-52s here in Vietnam,” Ruhlman said in an interview in his office Jan. 13. “Every parking space was taken. That’s the marker.”

The base also hosts routine deployments of U.S.-based fighter, bomber and tanker squadrons, and it’s the home to the 36th Contingency Response Group, a rapid-deployment unit that can secure and establish airfields.

Another 5,500 acres at Andersen contains more even ammunition for the military — 19 million pounds valued at $2 billion — making that land off limits for further buildup, Ruhlman said. The base’s old airfield, known as the Northwest Field, is being developed as a training center for Air Force security forces on their way to Iraq or Afghanistan, he said.

The undeveloped land on Andersen further complicates things, Ruhlman said. An agreement between the departments of Defense and Interior means that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has oversight of much of the overgrown land on Andersen.

“For every tree I cut down, I have to plant four more,” Ruhlman said.

The Air Force environmental unit working under Ruhlman is putting up a 12,000-foot fence to enclose 135 acres to provide a home for endangered or near-extinct plants and birds, including the Guam rail and the Mariana crow. The decision to create that refuge was made more than three years ago, according to Andersen officials, about the same time the United States and Japan announced plans to move the Marines.



Still, the government’s simultaneous plans to create a habitat for birds while asking for more land for ranges are hard for some residents to take.

“There’s a golf range at Andersen,” Guam Sen. Ben Pangelinan said at one of the military’s public hearings on the project. “You can bulldoze it and just put [the ranges] there.”

The proposed ranges would also limit access to swimming and fishing areas around the Pagat Caves, just north of the Nelson home, according to the military. It’s this that upsets Desiree Ventura, Glenn Nelson’s niece who also lives in the family home.

“It’s not just about the land,” she said. “We’re lucky because we have land. Most of the people don’t have it. It’s about the environment. It’s about the access to recreational sites.”

The following clarification to this story was posted January 28: A Jan. 28 story should have said that although Andersen Air Force Base on Guam has no permanently stationed air squadrons, it hosts routine deployments of U.S.-based fighter, bomber and tanker squadrons. It also is home to the 36th Contingency Response Group, a rapid-deployment unit that can secure and establish airfields.

Firing range key to buildup: Raceway may not need to move

Firing range key to buildup: Raceway may not need to move

By Brett Kelman • Pacific Daily News • January 23, 2010

A plan to build a small-arms firing range on Guam's northeast coast has been one of the most commonly protested components of the coming military buildup, but it is also one of the most essential.

There is no buildup without a firing range, retired Marine Corps Col. John Jackson, director of the Joint Guam Program Office, said yesterday.

None of the existing ranges on Guam could be expanded to handle 8,500 Marines and the military's original plan to put a firing range on military property by Double Reef was shot down by the public, he said.

But Marines who transfer to Guam in the next few years will need a place to maintain their skill and certification with weapons, Jackson said. The Pagat area is the only suitable place left, according to the draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Regardless, some of the loudest voices against the buildup during the last two months have been opposed to the military's plans for this land.

Some of these conflicts -- including the relocation of the Guam International Raceway -- may be resolved, Jackson said. Others, such as concerns about access to Pagat Cave, are misunderstandings, he said.

Raceway

When racers arrived at the raceway last night, buildup protesters were waiting for them.

GovGuam has invested about $7.3 million in the Guam International Raceway since it was built on Chamorro Land Trust land in 2001, but the draft EIS states that the raceway must be relocated.

Joe Naputi Jr., who has been volunteering his time as track manager for about four years, said many volunteers have worked hard to detour illegal drag racing onto the legal track.

"We spent a lot of money already to build this racetrack and we don't know if we have enough money to go and build another one elsewhere," he said.

Even if the military offers to pay for a replacement track of equal value somewhere else, it won't be the same place volunteers have poured their lives into, Naputi said.

Although the military's original plan for the firing range does require the raceway to move, this might change, Jackson said.

He said the Department of Defense is looking for a way to reorganize the gunfire trajectories and safety zones in the firing range so the raceway can stay put without Marines endangering each other.

It is possible the range and the raceway will become neighbors, he said.
Last night, Naputi said this possibility was a step in the right direction, but he wonders if racers would be safe next door to a firing range.

He also said the Department of Defense's indecisiveness didn't inspire a lot of confidence, and asked if it was that easy to change the plan, what is to stop them from changing it back?

"Which one is it?" Naputi said. "They are changing things left and right and we want to know the real truth. It's kind of senseless to tell us you are going to move us out of the way and then later on (say) we are neighbors. That's two different stories."

Opportunity

If the firing range is an essential part of the buildup, then protesters must realize they are objecting to a lot of new jobs, tax dollars and opportunity. Guam can't have one without the other, Carl Peterson said yesterday.

Peterson is a member of the Guam Chamber of Commerce board of directors who has high hopes for the buildup. He said many of the "emotional" protests to the firing range aren't worth jeopardizing the economic boom of the buildup.

Guam needs this, he said.

"We are in debt up to our ears and this income is going to help us (pay off) that debt," he said.

Peterson said the simplest benefit from the buildup will be additional tax dollars, which will help improve the troubled state of Guam's schools, health care and roads.
If the buildup brings $15 billion in spending to the island, GovGuam will make $600,000 from the gross receipts tax alone, he said.

After that, the federal government will dump tax dollars from the mainland into Guam's civilian roadways and infrastructure. And if GovGuam and the military share the island's new landfill, trash service will cost less for everyone.

These are just some of the benefits the buildup could bring, he said.

If there were no buildup, Guam would have to rely on a fading tourism industry and the future will be dark, he said. Japan's aging population is traveling less and competition from cheaper destinations -- such as Singapore and Bangkok -- is strong.

"In the long term, without additional investment of capital from the buildup, it can only mean our standard of living goes down," Peterson said.

Conflicts

If the Guam International Raceway doesn't have to move, some of the civilians who object to the firing range will be satisfied.

But there are still more conflicts out there.

•Cultural activists, such as Joe Quinata of the Guam Preservation Trust, have taken steps to draw national attention to the plight of the Pagat area, where the remains of an ancient Chamorro village are buried;

•Landowners such as Gloria Nelson have said they want to keep their land and the military should not be confident it can be bought; and

•Hikers such as Dave Lotz have said the public deserves access to natural beauties such as Pagat Cave.

Yesterday, Jackson said anyone who wants access to Pagat Cave will be able to during the 13 weeks a year when the firing range is not in use, and that it might be open to the public some weekends too.

This is "not very well articulated" in the draft EIS, he said.

The document suggests Pagat Cave will be off limits all the time, but this was never the plan, Jackson said.

Limited access may actually help protect the cave and the cultural remains, he said.

"There won't be any of the destructive activity going on down there that takes place today. I don't know if you've been down there, but there is a lot of trash down there," Jackson said. "... We would have people that would go down there to make sure it is kept clean."

Latest DEIS hearing in Yigo

Latest DEIS hearing in Yigo

Posted: Jan 11, 2010 10:52 PM PST
by Nick Delgado

Guam - As the military begins to wrap up their public hearings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, residents it seems are just getting started raising their voices against the proposed military buildup.

"Do you see what they are doing? This is exactly like recruiting," said Jason Ray Tedtaotao. "They use forums and persuasion, we see benefits and temptation, but the thought of our future should cause us hesitation, it should make us ask questions. Like why are the people who call this land home, the same people up here giving reasons for you not to take it."

Tempers were high for most who provided input on the DEIS, specifically on the military's plans to acquire more land for the Marine relocation. Residents expressed disappointment, saying the military should rather build inside the existing base. That was the argument presented by Sasayan Valley landowner Gloria Nelson.

She said, "There is only my decision that you will find another place that you already own to have your firing range, throw grenades and dump your toxic waste on. There is no compromise because this is not about money. There is no market value for something that is not on the market."

Nelson says she will continue to say no when it comes to the military asking for land to accommodate the buildup. She also argues the one Guam slogan as she feels that the DEIS is not a unified document. While some use the words "a dumb deal" when describing the DEIS, Senator Ben Pangelinan says the federal government from the beginning has purposely given wrong and misdirected information on the buildup.

"If General [David] Bice says we decided to move the firing range from Finegayan because you told us you don't want us shooting at you tourists and at your fishermen, and we're listening to you. Well, listen to me General Bice: I don't want you desecrating those ancestral burial grounds, I don't want you bombing and shooting spirits of ancestors that rest in Pagat. Listen, listen, listen," he said.

But out of the bunch who testified against the buildup, resident Mark Sablan says he is in favor of the Marines relocation as the island is in need of more skilled and educated workers. "Let's go ahead and raise the opportunity and give a chance to see if this military buildup can provide jobs," he said.

A total of 66 participants signed up to voice their concerns, some even giving up their spot and allowing others to use their time. Although the hearing went late into the night, some residents tell KUAM News that they were in fact turned away from providing comment on the document. The problem they say is that there is just not enough time during these hearings to do so.

Participants are being given three minutes to provide comment. Another public hearing gets underway at seven o'clock this evening.

Pagat land to be nominated in national list

Pagat land to be nominated in national list

By Brett Kelman • Pacific Daily News • January 12, 2010

An effort to get a portion of the Pagat area listed among the most endangered historical places in America intends to disrupt the military's plan to use the area for a proposed firing range, said Joe Quinata of the Guam Preservation Trust.

Quinata is one of among those working to get the Pagat area listed in America's 11 Most Endangered Places, an annual project that has drawn the spotlight to threatened national treasures since 1988.

Every year, the National Trust for Historical Preservation, a private nonprofit corporation, publishes a list of noteworthy landmarks that may be damaged, destroyed, neglected or forgotten.

The Pagat land currently falls under the Chamorro Land Trust. It was unclear yesterday what impact the endangered historical places designation would have on the Land Trust property.

"We believe that if at least the nation is aware of what is happening here on Guam, and this program is powerful enough to make that happen, we could make changes," Quinata said. "If it doesn't change (the military's) plans, at least you have all these (watchdogs) that are monitoring the Pagat area."

Application paperwork for the project is finished and filed, Quinata said, but the Guam Preservation Trust still has until Friday to collect photographs from the public. The selected places will be named May 19.

The remains of the ancient Pagat village may be affected by the coming military buildup because the Department of Defense plans to build a firing range nearby. Quinata said he fears that military activity might destroy or trample the artifacts that remain. Although Pagat village is no more, local history is layered into the area, he said.

Grinding stones called "lusongs" and latte stone pillars are easy to find in the jungle in the area. Beneath the soil, 3,500-year-old artifacts tell a story of how ancient Chamorros lived and survived. Pagat Cave, which was once a source of fresh water for the village, is now popular hiking destination and tourist attraction.

If the buildup moves forward as planned, public access to the area will be restricted.

The public has until Feb. 17 to submit comments about the buildup plan, including Pagat Cave. Quinata said the same information provided in the application to the national trust will be submitted as a comment to the buildup.

The list

If Pagat is chosen for the list of most endangered places, it will be an unusual -- but not unprecedented -- pick.

According to the national trust's Web site, most of the places selected are historical structures that are still standing, but are threatened by urban development or poor maintenance. Schools, stadiums, hotels and bridges that are historic, but not ancient, dominate the list.

The natural places that make the list are generally quite grand, like a 12,000 foot mountain that is threatened by uranium mining, or California's under-funded park system.

The most recently selected place that closely compares to the Pagat village is Pinon Canyon, Colo., which was selected in 2007.

The canyon was threatened by expansion by the U.S. Army facility that would have condemned private lands, damaged the historic Santa Fe Trail -- an American highway that predates automobiles -- and destroyed some undisturbed prehistoric archeological sites.

Since Pinon Canyon was selected by the National Trust for Historical Preservation, Congress and the Army have moved funding to other projects and started expanding a different facility in Louisiana, according to the national trust's Web site and the Denver Post.

Quinata said the Pagat site carries value unlike any other.

"We will be one of a kind and that's what we are looking for," Quinata said.

Yigo hosts DEIS community hearing

Yigo hosts DEIS community hearing

Posted: Jan 11, 2010 9:43 PM
Updated: Jan 11, 2010 9:43 PM

by Nick Delgado

Guam - The third installment of public hearings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement took place Monday evening at the Yigo Gymnasium. The hearing attracted more than 400 island residents with more than 60 of them signing up to provide public comment.

Tempers were high for most who provided input on the DEIS specifically on the military's plans to acquire more land for the Marine relocation. Residents expressed disappointment saying the military should rather build inside the base.

Resident Gloria Nelson expressed frustration saying that the people should not relax, adding that there is no compromise when it comes to acquiring more land for the military. Nelson says they will continue to say no when it comes to the military asking for land to accommodate the buildup. She also argues the One Guam slogan saying the DEIS is not a unified document, and that the military is thinking only of themselves rather than the people of the island. "Your children already have the cleanest sands, the cleanest oceans, and the cleanest playgrounds." Nelson stated.

Dededo resident Janet Aguon calls the review period of the DEIS "a dumb deal," citing the 11 thousand pages contained in the document with only 90 days for the comment period.

Senator Ben Pangelinan called the DEIS a document that is full of misinformation saying, "Since the announcement of the buildup, the military purposely gave wrong information, so that we don't know what is going to happen to our land, our people, and our children." He adds, " Until they decide to tell the truth, not a single piece of dirt should be turned over for this military buildup." Pangelinan expressed how he does not want the military desecrating the ancestral grounds especially in the Pagat area, and how he wants the military to mitigate before creating more problems for the future.

However, a number of participants expressed major disappointment as they say they were turned away from providing official testimony before JGPO. Ylig-Yona resident Anthony Ada says when he came in to sign up, he was told that they just have too many names on the list. 66 total residents signed up to provide comment. Ada believes the two-hour time frame is just too short to hear the communities concerns. Guam Legislature officials have also said that they will continue to document and record all participants' comments, even after the military breaks down for the evening.

JGPO officials will conclude the DEIS hearing's tomorrow at Okkodo High School in Dededo before heading up north to hear concerns from residents in the CNMI.

Mayors back land resolution

Mayors back land resolution

Friday, 08 January 2010 00:16
by Zita Y. Taitano | Variety News Staff

THE Mayors Council covered a lot of ground yesterday morning during their first official meeting for 2010. [Village mayors buckle down to work on Thursday during the Mayors Council’s first official meeting for 2010. Zita Taitano]

Upon Yigo mayor Robert Lizama’s motion, the mayors unanimously voted to support Sen. Judy Guthertz’s Resolution 258, which would prohibit the federal government from imposing eminent domain to acquire private property along Route 15 in Pagat for the use by Marines as a firing range.

A public hearing was held on the resolution and drew more than 100 residents, 44 of whom spoke in support of the legislation. There was only one opposition to the resolution.

Presenting the reasons for the resolution was Guthertz chief of staff, Dr. Richard Wyttenbach-Santos, who indicated that there are other areas the Marines could utilize such as Naval Magazine, but had learned that the area was too far to travel. Other sites also usable include near Ritidian Point and also on Andersen Air Force Base.

Lizama also suggested that a petition be drafted for each village in support of Resolution 258-30. “I think we’d be making a statement in getting our people involved and getting our ‘familia’ network and friends,” he said.

Several other items were also discussed including the continuing problem with the streetlights and the appointment of the Mayor’s Council to head this year’s 66th Liberation Day festivities.

Mayors Council executive director Angel Sablan brought up of the matter of the Department of Public Works’ plan to outsource the streetlights maintenance, which he said is of great concern. Sablan has asked for a detailed listing from Guam Power Authority on all streetlights on Guam.

With regard to the Liberation Day activities, Dededo Mayor Melissa Savares, newly elected president of the Mayors Council, said the council will start getting ready early this year for liberation and that includes recruiting for candidates for the 2010 Miss Liberation Pageant.

“We want to start planning for the vendors. We want to have a big Chamorro concert for the Liberation Day Committee to draw the people out,” she said.

The council’s new officers will be sworn in at 5 p.m. on Jan. 19 at the Asan/Maina Community Center.

Buildup raises access worry: Some fear blocking of cultural site

Buildup raises access worry: Some fear blocking of cultural site

By Amritha Alladi • Pacific Sunday News • January 3, 2010














Access concerns: Michael Bevacqua, right, explains the lusong to Dylan Guerrero at a cultural site on the Pagat trail, yesterday. Some residents are worried access to the site may be restricted if the military uses the area for a live-fire range. (Vuong Duong/For Pacific Sunday News)

Stones once used for grinding are strewn on the ground of an ancient village that once neighbored Pagat Cave.

Yesterday, a group of Guam residents trekked about 1.3 miles over rocky terrain to see the site, fearing those few remaining vestiges of a civilization that once was may soon be swept away.

"It really opened my eyes," said 25-year-old Crystal Nelson. "I felt really disappointed in myself, being one of the countless number of locals who don't take the time out to really appreciate what we have on the island."

The Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice yesterday arranged the "We Are Guahan" hike to raise awareness about the Pagat freshwater caves and the ancient Chamorro village and archaeological burial grounds near it. The coalition wanted give local residents a chance to visit it before it's too late, according to hike leader Kie Susuico.

The Defense Department's draft Environmental Impact Statement shows the military wants to put three live-fire ranges on a large portion of that area, and some Guam residents worry that may bar access to the pristine caves and cultural site.

Susuico, who's been hiking to cultural sites for three-and-a-half years, said out of perhaps 130 hikes, he's only seen Chamorro people on about four of them.

"The rest of the time, it's all military. So for me, it seems like our people, the Chamorros, don't even know what's down there which is pretty sad," he said.

He wants the local population to stand up for the historical and cultural importance of the site, since the Defense Department doesn't seem to respect it, he said.

"I think it's crazy. Pagat is on the National Register of Historic Places, just like Arlington National Cemetery or Mount Rushmore," he said. "They wouldn't put a firing range there, you know? To me it seems like they don't even care about our rights, our history, our culture or anything like that."

As much as he is frustrated with the military's proposed plans, his message is intended for the local residents as well: Wake up.

If we don't reclaim our history, protect our heritage, our culture, our language, I think we'll truly be lost. To me, right now it's on the verge of going, and I really wish people would start to care more about it," he said.

Joshua Dunn from Chalan Pago certainly answered that call.

Dunn has lived on the island for 14 years. Until yesterday, he hadn't visited the Pagat Cave area. The chance the island may soon lose a valuable resource inspired him to join the Guahan hikers yesterday.

"I had a lot of invites from people to go do it before, but I just never really had the time to do it," he said. "But I'm free today."

And even former military members in the group expressed disappointment the military may restrict access to some of Guam's most beautiful sites.

"I believe they've taken all the (best) spots." said Devorah Covington, who served in the Air Force. "They don't need to get rid of the historical sites. This is our island. At least give us access."

'Sacred site'

University of Guam adjunct history professor and former senator Hope Cristobal guided the hikers through the ancient Chamorro burial grounds, a "sacred site," which dates back to the pre-latte period, she said. There, she demonstrated a 17th-century-style funeral ceremony.

Inarajan resident Manny Chong said hikers saw latte stones at the village, and stones used by the ancient Chamorros for grinding.

"It's been worn down by the weather, but it's still obvious that used to be an ancient village," Chong said. "If it's given to the military, they're going to destroy that. We want to see it in its natural state. We want the younger generations to see it."

Cristobal gave the hikers a history lesson on life since the time explorers landed on Guam. She described the brutalities the Spaniards imposed on Guam's ancestors, Nelson said after the hike.

Land worries

But for Nelson, there's more at stake than the loss of cultural and natural assets.

Nelson owns property near Pagat, and the military's proposal may mean a chunk of her land will be taken.

"It's disheartening that people think that they can just come and take the land, without any consideration to (the people living there)," she said. "They come and they just want to strip its natural assets for national security."

However, according to the latest statement released by JGPO public information officer Capt. Neil Ruggiero, the Defense Department has tried to utilize its own property for the military realignment. But it must follow federal environmental laws and planning processes to determine the best locations for the facilities and ranges necessary for the buildup.

"We have also learned that it may be wise to develop property near existing bases to allow functions to be grouped together in one location and eliminate the need to travel from one range or training area to another," Ruggiero said. "This will ease impacts, such as traffic, on the surrounding community."

Barrigada resident Robin L.G. Marquardt feels otherwise.

"The federal government on Guam probably has enough land to do their activity as it is now, so taking more land than they already have may be unnecessary or may be thoughtless," he said. "It needs to be measured, not just a decision made like buying a cup of coffee."

Marquardt joined yesterday's hike to support the community and to see with his own eyes the beauty of what could possibly be lost, he said.

He and the other hikers agreed on one thing: local residents need to visit these sites now.

"We want the locals, the people who are here, to see it. (Those) who have never seen it, they should go and learn about their island, go check it out," Chong said. "Get in touch with the past."

First person: Land is our cultural archive

First person: Land is our cultural archive

Monday, 04 January 2010 01:23 by Jude Lizama | Variety News Staff

IT is quite sad to acknowledge positive life-changing experiences are generally diluted and essentially robbed of all vigor by the mundane - and at times - trivial activities members of modern society commonly identify as necessary.



Teke Kaminaga is all smiles as he enjoys the strong coastal breeze after hiking through the Pagat jungle to visit ancient Chamorro village sites and freshwater caves. Photos by Jude Lizama/Variety

Additionally, the high volume of these modern time eating activities has directly caused these empowering experiences to become extremely rare.

Until this past weekend, I was a culturally blind and apathetic Chamorro man. I attended a Saturday hike in Pagat Mangilao to visit freshwater caves, remains of ancient Chamorro villages and more importantly, lands the U.S. military is threatening to wrest from the indigenous people. “We Are Guahan” headed the hike.

Understand, I am not ignoring what many debate as the cost of freedom. I only wish to express personal befuddlement as to why the Chamorro people, who also happen to be citizens of the U.S., must make sacrifices so severe they conflict with the very definition of the word “freedom.”

I refer to the potential of losing access to an area where our ancestors’ bones lie; an area where they experienced their own respective failures and successes, just as all humans do.

An assembly of a “meeting of the minds” by the We Are Guahan group, shortly after the release of the draft environmental impact statement, sought to educate and empower the population through the dissemination of information.

The hike was a shift away from informational pamphlets to education through experience.

Blanketed by the thickness of our island air we hiked through wildly growing foliage as the fury of the sun struggled to permeate the lush green jungle canopy with its white hot rays.

We hiked together, people of all ethnicities, to see some of the ancient Chamorro legacy: lusong – or grinding stones - undisturbed in the jungle’s tranquility, freshwater caves unobtrusively nestled away from even the trained eye and withered latte stones; all cultural gems and evidence of a past life in an area where soldiers would hone death-dealing skills.

Hike leader, Kie Susuico, told me “Chamorro culture is connection to the land. I hope, on some level, this hike helps people reestablish with the land and our history. Seeing these sites has helped me appreciate our history and our culture more. It’s also made the island bigger for me. For me, it’s about paying respect to our ancestors, and letting them know that some of us have not forgotten.”

The halfway point of the hike was a treat as the seemingly unforgiving jungle peeled back its suffocating tentacles only to reveal powerful and refreshing ocean winds.

Please know that the Chamorros and those who respect our cultural values and resources do not have much left to protect. We have a deep affinity for our culture and our land, and we will protect it. We are a humble, peace loving people. We respect our elders, especially those who have passed.

As an unincorporated territory of the United States, why do our own “countrymen” look to blatantly disrespect our ancestors? Perhaps the ties of kinship in this relationship are made healthy only by sacrificing all things sacred. Perhaps kinship withers when dominant nations feel threatened; when “might is right,” displays an inconsistent success rate.

Che Guevara wrote, “…when the great guiding spirit cleaves humanity into two antagonistic halves, I will be with the people.”

My soul tells me that I must be steadfast for the Chamorro people. What does your soul tell you? When a once culturally strong people find comfort in apathy, intuition will lift the veil of cultural blindness only when it is too late. By then, there will be no culture to preserve; there will be no culture to live for.

Residents Testify Against Federal Land Condemnation

Residents Testify Against Federal Land Condemnation

Guam - Dozens of island residents from all walks of life showed up to testify in favor of Resolution 258 a resolution





Introduced by Senator Judi Guthertz to strongly oppose the condemnation of lands for use by the military.

Panel after panel of people spoke out today in favor of Resolution 258 and in opposition to the military's proposed taking of both government and private properties. Chamorro rights activist Danny "Pagat" Jackson said he felt the Chamorro people were "an endangered species in their own land."

In it's Draft EIS the military has proposed the possibility of taking over 2000 acres of additional property from the people of Guam for use as a firing range. One of the proposals calls for taking lands along the eastern shore of Guam in the Pagat area including the Marbo caves and Sasayan valley area. Today the Guam legislature heard from dozens of people both old and young alike.

Laura Nelson asked senators to consider her generation and give them the same opportunities and lifestyle their generation had been afforded as she said she knew that the military buildup would change the lives of all who live on Guam.

Some testified because they either owned or lived on property that the military is proposing to take. Others like businessman Henry Simpson testified because the proposed firing range would close down his Guam Raceway Park. The park is a popular attraction for auto, drag race, and offroad enthusiasts. Others testified because they have simply been opposed to the military buildup from the very beginning. Former Nacion Chamoru Magalahi Ben Garrido says he and the Chamoru Nation have been testifying against the buildup for years often in the face of ridicule and laughter. He said "Look where we're at now."

Even Superior court Judge Steven Unpingco testified in favor of the resolution citing among many reasons the environmental impacts the proposed firing range would have on the Sasayan valley. It's a valley Judge Unpingco says offers both recreational activities like hiking to the marbo caves and traditional fishing areas.

Unpigco questioned the reasoning behind the military's need for additional property considering the fact that they already own 40 thousand acres or 27 percent of Guam's land. Judge Unpingco even suggested that the military could use other areas like Pati point.

Unpingco also brought up Guam's borrowing capacity something that is limited by the total value of Govguam property. Guam will need this borrowing capacity in order to beef up it's infrastructure for the military buildup.

Written by :
Clynt Ridgell

Military to hikers: Take up indoor hobbies

Military to hikers: Take up indoor hobbies

Friday, 18 December 2009 04:21 by Jude Lizama | Variety News Staff

SINCE bonnie stompers are likely to lose access to jungles and cultural sites on island, the military is suggesting that hikers switch to indoor hobbies.

The Marine Corps Community Service has proposed various quality of life facilities such as hobby shop, indoor physical fitness centers, indoor recreational resources such as bowling, skating rink, youth center, theater and recreational pavilion.

These are among the alternative recreations cited by the military in the draft environmental impact statement.

“By presenting alternate recreational options to the potential users, impacts to the recreational resources on non-DoD lands in north Guam could be lessened,” the study cited.

A significant portion of nonmilitary acreage on the east coast of the island, in addition to the loss of some of the island’s recreational and cultural sites, may be confiscated as a result of the training range complex construction alternatives proposed within the draft environmental impact statement.

According to the impact study, “There are several recreational resources that the public would lose the access to, and the use of the features if the proposed action were implemented: Guam International Raceway, Marbo Cave, Pagat Trail and associated trails near it, cultural gathering activities (suruhana), and off-shore fishing near Marbo Cave.”

Through the possible implementation of Training Complex Alternative A, the U.S. military would look to acquire 921 acres of nonmilitary land located east of both Andersen South and Route 15. This alternative would also require 1.7 miles of Route 15 to be realigned. Alternative B could possible would see the military take 1,129 acres with no realignment to Route 15.

If conducted, both of the training facility options would consist of live fire ranges under the classifications of known distance, unknown distance, pistol, square-bay, and machine gun; in addition to range control, range roads, range towers, and proposed special use airspace.

Additionally, the study cited that “Implementation of [Main Cantonment] Alternative 1, regardless of the Training Complex Alternatives A or B, would cause the cessation of the present activities at all the resources mentioned because the Known Distance Range Complex is proposed in that location. The loss of Guam International Raceway land and use would be an adverse impact. Therefore, [Main Cantonment] Alternative 1 would result in significant impacts to recreational resources.”

“Heightened awareness and education about environmentally sensitive areas,” will contribute toward “minimizing deterioration of resources,” the draft study says. “The general wear and tear of the amenities available and the conditions of the recreational resources would likely be accelerated due to the presence of potential users.”

Hikers worry about site access: Military plans would restrict public from lands

Hikers worry about site access: Military plans would restrict public from lands

By Brett Kelman • Pacific Daily News • December 13, 2009

A series of hikes in January will take anyone who wants to go to five natural sites before they become more difficult, impossible or illegal to visit when the military buildup arrives.

Guam Boonie Stompers President Dave Lotz hopes to take as many people as he can to places such as Pagat Cave before the Department of Defense utilizes these areas. He hopes enamored hikers will join his cause to preserve the access local residents have now.

Pagat Cave is a sinkhole and stone cavern in Yigo filled with cool, waist-deep water and candlelight. Locals and tourists swim in the cave and explore the coast almost every day. An ancient Chamorro village once drew fresh water from the cave, Lotz said. Artifacts pepper the ground.

The military will build a firing range next door.

When the Boonie Stompers hike to Pagat Cave on Jan. 2, some residents might go there for the first time.

Or for the last time.

"Go while you can," Lotz said on Dec. 4. "Obviously we want to garner support for our cause, but realistically we may not prevail. But we are optimistic we will."

The military buildup will bring about 8,000 Marines and their dependents from Okinawa to Guam in the next few years. Air Force and Navy operations will expand as well.

As the military's presence grows, so will its borders.

According to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement released on Nov. 20, the Department of Defense will acquire or transform large portions of land in northern, central and southern Guam for its increased needs.

There are a lot of hiking sites on that land, and the Guam Boonie Stompers want to ensure the public will not lose access to them completely after the Marines arrive, Lotz said.

Three of the hikes -- Pagat Cave, Ague Cove and the Lajuna area -- are on land the public will lose access to, according to the Draft EIS report. Access to Mount Lamlam and other southern mountains won't be restricted significantly, but Lotz isn't taking chances.

"In some of them (restriction) seems quite apparent, in others it's ambiguous," Lotz said. "As we have seen on this island -- and I've been here 40 years -- access is basically at the whims of the base commander."

Balance

The access craved by hikers such as Lotz must be balanced with military needs and public safety, according to an e-mail from Joint Guam Program Office spokesman Capt. Neil Ruggiero.

It is not the military's intent to unnecessarily restrict access, Ruggiero wrote.

Although the preferred plans listed in the Draft EIS state that public access to Pagat Cave, Ague Cove and the Lajuna area would end, Ruggiero wrote that it is premature to assume that all access to these areas will be prohibited. Comments from the public could change plans for the future.

"Comments on the DEIS, to include those on the subject of access, will be analyzed and considered in the development of the Final EIS. Thus, final decisions have not been made at this time, and specific policies regarding public access to military bases and facilities on Guam will be determined by the Joint Region and base commanders," Ruggiero wrote in his e-mail.

Exchange

According to a preliminary statement prepared by the Boonie Stompers, Lotz and his fellow hikers will request the military include specific plans and schedules for continued access to the noteworthy places that could be gobbled up by the buildup.

If a plan for public access isn't spelled out, Lotz worries access could wither over time until it barely exists -- like at Fena Caves.

The caves are the site of a brutal World War II massacre that sits on Navy property in Santa Rita. A small group of mourners are allowed to visit the caves once a year, but the site is otherwise closed to the public.

If access to Pagat Cave and the other sites are going to be restricted in a similar way, the public should get something in return, Lotz said.

The Boonie Stompers will request the military create access to areas including Haputo Beach, Double Reef Beach, Orote Point, Fena Caves and Tarague Beach as an exchange, according to the statement.

Ruggerio did not respond to a question about whether renewed access to these areas was a possibility.

Senator Blas on EIS