There's a new SHPO in town, and even though he serves in the armed forces, he said he won't have a problem keeping the military accountable during the buildup process.

Patrick Lujan has been named acting State Historic Preservation Officer, replacing former SHPO Lynda Aguon.

Aguon is appealing her controversial firing with the civil service commission.

Lujan served as former deputy SHPO under the Camacho-Cruz administration and was laterally transferred from the Department of Public Health and Social Services to fill the acting SHPO role.

He is on the job at a crucial time, as projects break ground on and off base in anticipation of the Marines' relocation to Guam.

Lujan is a major in the Air Force Reserves and he's also the Deputy Commander of the 44th Aerial Port Squadron. He said he doesn't think his military background will be a problem when it comes to policing the military's projects.

"My military experience, I think it could be seen as a benefit in this position form an organizational standpoint, form a leadership standpoint," he told KUAM News. I'm not afraid to know which role I'm playing and as SHPO my job is to protect this for our island and for our people. I'm definitely not afraid to challenge them, if need be."

We asked Lujan if he shared the same sentiments as his predecessor - concerns about the way the military is treating ancestral sites and the artifacts in them. Aguon - the former SHPO - vocal and critical about the number of new ancestral discoveries on base, told KUAM News the number of sites and artifacts being discovered was alarming.


"I wasn't really paying attention to what she was concerned with or whatnot, but speaking with the governor yesterday, she had some concerns with things on base and I believe that she and I will be going up there next week," he said.

Lujan said one of his priorities will be studying the current programmatic agreement, which is up for review in December. We asked if protecting and preserving cultural and historical properties was important to him.


"Our island is very small and we have limited sites that we need to protect culturally and just as a people, so definitely," he said. "Our office is responsible for being the caretakers of those, being the good stewards of these sites."

Ancestral sites and artifacts and the way the military treats them have been major reasons senators and activists have called for pause on live-firing range construction activities.


"There's federal, law there's local law dealing with how these sites are supposed to be treated, so if they're not in compliance, of course, we're going to use our authority to do something about it."

Meanwhile, Robert Koss, union rep for fired SHPO Lynda Aguon, is moving forward with her case.

"We recognize the need to fill the SHPO position and appreciate that it's a temporary assignment," he said. "This will allow the (Civil Service Commission) to properly consider the case. We wish the new acting SHPO all the best in this."