Community meeting gauges public's thoughts on feds' project at Ritidian

Several dozen of your neighbors took a trip up north last night, to discuss in a productive setting a project that's planned in another northern village that holds a special cultural value to the community.

An opportunity for island residents to sound any concerns or questions about the federal government's plans to develop facilities at Ritidian was held at the Dededo Senior Center. The initial assessment gauged how the work was planned, keeping in mind the flora and fauna of the northern Guam property.

Al Borja with Marine Base Camp Blaz told KUAM News, "The current facility sits within what's currently the surface danger zone of Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, so as a result of that, we have to actually relocate the facility to another location within the Department of Interior property, so we initially looked at areas that we should avoid, particularly for cultural resources concerns and natural resources concerns.

"And we found a specific vicinity where the facilities could be could be located and develop alternatives, and one alternative is a one-story campus for the Fish and Wildlife Service and USGS, but another alternative is for a two-story facility."

The information meeting gave the community a chance to share feedback about constructing facilities and infrastructure. "We truly understand the impact and that this is a very special place for a lot of people in the community," noted US Marine Corps Major Diann Rosenfeld. "And we are looking for that feedback to help us better understand the concerns that they may have, and any information that they contribute to the study."

Officials from the USMC, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as cooperating agency and the U.S. Geological Survey were on hand to dialog positively with residents about their feedback. Continued Borja, "They have special knowledge on the resources that are within the Refuge, particularly when it comes to natural resources and medicinal plants, and things of that nature that require traditional knowledge."

Another concern was the public's access to the Guam National Wildlife Refuge itself, which will be expanded. Fish and Wildlife representative Toni Mizirek shared, "We know the public really loves coming to the refuge; there's a lot of facilities and there's a lot of recreational opportunities, as well as learning about natural and cultural resources that we have. So we're definitely maintaining access to the Refuge even during the construction, as well as after.

"Our facilities are currently in the surface danger zone, but when our facilities get moved outside, we're actually going to improve some of the access because the public can come to our Nature Center on days that we might otherwise be closed and there will be a new entrance and we will make sure that the public can enjoy all everything we have to offer."

Those wishing to submit comments can email [email protected] or send written comments on the Draft EA may be provided by mail to:

EV21 Project Mgr., Ritidian Unit Facility Construction EA
Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Pacific
258 Makalapa Dr, Ste 100
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI 96860-3134.

Written comments must be received or postmarked by September 23, 2024 Chamorro Standard Time to be considered in the Final EA.