[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6177154,"mediaKeyId","5341415-a9fa44dd8b133c7d204404625613c738","parentId",5341415,"title","Governor’s defense office says village needs assessment grant will fund mayor-level resilience work","audioSeconds",1274,"startMs",2336000,"endMs",3610000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5341415-a9fa44dd8b133c7d204404625613c738&start=2336&end=3610","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5341415-a9fa44dd8b133c7d204404625613c738/thumbnail_2336000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6177154/Governors-defense-office-says-village-needs-assessment-grant-will-fund-mayor-level-resilience-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6177154-95a6aaa00ba54baedce3ee92b7271e0d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775211578&Signature=D72xzkdAjcs3QqxTF7fpS71Kjk6OBo97Ne3peisSup0cFf3W92AxQAjgXlDvMcE1nCLcuP0lbTBxLTxRr6PuNPjgBoBOLNGptf0G~KAsaTSbdNr7kGQ-dCu3xR4iwldyfl2AnTnx~opTXz6OyR-uQkzlqcLzccLjVyAAKIdBJRD1EEv9XYxFDgdLNkBkMs8g3uJnBlQq3yCFOhb5~OBVCYxMYy1-vKolG5bsuvmljgeR5llTBskJVnGDmMvBscWNoAlK01OF4Osl2l0O9szm2-zq1NbyjNz4Rf69gUQ6f3eZSrfWdgu250uEyyru8aLYeikf7e2Fl9crS8K2FEltNA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Mayor's Council of Guam","date","2025-07-09T14:11:54Z","article","Vera Tapascia, executive director of the Community Defense Liaison Office (CDLO) in the governor’s office, told the Mayor’s Council that the office manages defense-mitigation grants and is closing on a village needs assessment grant the office expects to award Sept. 1 to help mayors evaluate local emergency-response vulnerabilities.

Tapascia described CDLO responsibilities that include negotiating mitigation projects with the Department of Defense and administering grants under the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation to address infrastructure needs tied to military growth. She said past grants supported a wastewater treatment plant, a cultural repository, a biosafety laboratory and hospital assessments and that CDLO is pursuing projects such as undergrounding power lines and port modernization to reduce infrastructure risks tied to base expansion.

On the village needs assessment: Tapascia said the grant is intended to provide funding and subject-matter expertise—engineers, environmental specialists, planners and economists—to help the Mayor’s Council and individual villages perform vulnerability assessments covering communication, emergency shelters, cyber resilience and other local needs. “We will be receiving that grant award on September 1,” she said.

Council members raised questions about whether facilities such as Guam High School on base could be used in emergencies and how village hardening should be prioritized. Tapascia said the assessment will include village-level participation and recommend priorities that could be packaged to DOD and other funders to secure additional mitigation money. She noted the CDLO office is small—seven staff—but manages mitigation portfolios tied to several billion dollars of planned Department of Defense work on Guam over coming years and leads a civil–military coordinating council that meets regularly with DOD and government leaders.

Why it matters: Rapid defense-related construction and program acceleration have raised infrastructure, environmental and service-delivery concerns for villages. The village needs assessment is designed to give mayors tailored vulnerability analyses and a prioritized list of mitigation projects that CDLO can present to federal partners for funding.

Next steps: CDLO expects the award Sept. 1 and will work with the Mayor’s Council to hire or contract subject-matter experts and begin village-level vulnerability assessments and emergency-response planning.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Mayors' Council of Guam Monthly Regular Meeting - June 4, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Vera Tapascia, executive director of the Community Defense Liaison Office, briefed mayors on CDLO grants tied to military buildup mitigation, including a near-term village needs assessment expected to fund mayoral vulnerability and emergency-response work.","taxTitle","Mayor’s Council of Guam, Agencies, Executive , Guam, International","taxId",18961,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6177160,"USGS outlines yearlong nighttime snake surveys to help Guam Power Authority reduce outages",1332,2544000,3876000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5341415-a9fa44dd8b133c7d204404625613c738&start=2544&end=3876","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5341415-a9fa44dd8b133c7d204404625613c738/thumbnail_2544000.jpg","/articles/6177160/USGS-outlines-yearlong-nighttime-snake-surveys-to-help-Guam-Power-Authority-reduce-outages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6177160-c047c912749a099806972f1224637107/orig.mp4?Expires=1775211578&Signature=DDUXs7K3hBUWKaLTgz9SYpqEkUZpkWUw~VS4l--L1bQPJ4uv8w7AQsohEFMm5zRI9YgWYVjlNg5erRZkwoGlWVWXkB6ltFAXmM2zfzbQANul7Nh6--LJpQLP3bZFjfUy59pa9bVa8n1mxTgW03dImh~DrZYd-5JGC9ddpcWjDXEetV-AqtJ1-WboFVM~6~6EtmIWdD6CRQKQn0hx5vY0kWzhVfzT~6~qGemM4KXUp0HpSqrEb0wr6yxCSEYPOwnoof9M3nN7uofPlnm9Um3-Ss0wag88jo9s7Og86QYW1DYGFQRdXAvFEHylnZIJzcnMtPXz3pKdmnqMRflzxx2uGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Christiana Kanata, research staff with the U.S. Geological Survey Brown Tree Snake Project, told the Mayor’s Council that USGS has begun nighttime visual surveys and mark–recapture work near substations to understand snake movements that cause power outages.

USGS is partnering with Guam Power Authority and said the Office of Insular Affairs funds the project. Kanata said snake-caused outages cost Guam Power Authority “more than $3,000,000,” can last minutes to several days depending on the hardware affected, and generally occur late at night when snakes are active.

The field work focuses on transects along rights-of-way near eight substations the agencies identified as repeatedly affected: Jigo, Harmon, Tumon/Tumuning, Agana area (Roy T. Damian Street), Mauneng/Toitu/Maite area, Piti/Parrot area, Talofofo and other trouble sites identified in maps passed to mayors. Teams search vegetation and lines using high-powered headlamps, flag transects, capture snakes for measurements and implant tags, then release them at the capture site so movements can be tracked over weekly checks for one year.

Kanata said the surveys are limited to public rights-of-way and coordinated GPA property; crews will notify GPA dispatch immediately if they encounter a snake on a live pole. She also provided a contact number for nightly search updates and scheduling (listed in the meeting): 362858511.

Mayors and others pressed the presenters on the catch-and-release method. Mayor Inalahan said releasing tagged snakes “kinda really doesn't feel… we are definitely trying our due diligence and trying to eradicate these snakes,” and urged that more snakes be killed than released. Joyce Sayama of Guam Power Authority Communications and John Beneventi, GPA utility administrative aide, responded that USDA-run traps at substations do remove and kill snakes captured in those traps and that the USGS project is intended to provide movement data to guide where control effort is most effective. Sayama said GPA line crews perform trimming and preventive maintenance year-round and encouraged residents to report snakes to GPA dispatch rather than approach downed or live lines.

Why it matters: Snake-caused outages are an island-wide reliability and safety problem. The study aims to identify snake origins and movement corridors to improve targeted control near critical substations and reduce repeated outages that affect many customers.

Next steps: USGS will continue weekly tracking for a year, provide weekly location notices of their night-survey schedule to the mayoral council contact, and coordinate with USDA and GPA on control work. GPA emphasized its 24/7 dispatch and line-crew availability for trimming and outage response.","US Geological Survey Brown Tree Snake Project staff described a nighttime mark–recapture survey around eight substations to inform mitigation of snake-caused power outages, prompting mayoral concerns about the project's catch-and-release method and questions about local control and removal.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6177164,"Guam Kyak and Canoe Federation seeks mayoral partners for middle-school paddling program",580,1892000,2472000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5341415-a9fa44dd8b133c7d204404625613c738&start=1892&end=2472","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5341415-a9fa44dd8b133c7d204404625613c738/thumbnail_1892000.jpg","/articles/6177164/Guam-Kyak-and-Canoe-Federation-seeks-mayoral-partners-for-middle-school-paddling-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6177164-c626db99751f64ed0ede2fea1d8fa276/orig.mp4?Expires=1775211578&Signature=Iglx4P3u0CYstGyqXzrMMHsIKr0fSqPSVG2b9XSSLMM2mCNv1Iriu2Id0fsp1sf0zgdyXhTWJol~2CWoQS9Nd5h7XI6W-Vq1XgEEkpg35~KVjmA3wELcaRelx22fE7ca~OGL0BO9t2jkc90U6plpjTFbds2amtScY8X6hge5EglOjgZvhBv0VD81zt~aAEGgMIMJUtNkPVwD4224x4eg3riHNcVKtyEsLvXUSfYhjqNhNMXSJeUBQE~HSZ-QDDaxsl2p9b2xzNIvDaZVGkoFOlIbNmC4V1s0bB5~bI4qwekGseFRaRyiUecVuQhU1vXnkSAtkh0CDu7b4R9OQdms1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Melanie Escobar, president of the Guam Kyak and Canoe Federation, asked the Mayor’s Council to partner with her federation to launch a middle-school youth outrigger paddling program that she said would reconnect students with Chamorro culture, improve fitness and build leadership.

Escobar said the federation currently comprises four clubs and that some clubs have only a handful of teams since COVID and recent typhoons reduced participation. She said the youth program would target students ages 11 to 14 and recommended placing a six-person galaide (small youth outrigger) in each participating village, along with about a dozen paddles and life vests to start.

“ I am the president of the Guam, Kyak and Canoe Federation,” Escobar told the council as she described an outreach plan that includes weekend introductory sessions, after-school practices when school resumes, quarterly friendly regattas among villages and cultural lessons led by elders and master canoe builders.

Escobar said several villages have moved boats to Matapang after security and lighting problems at previous storage sites and that she hopes mayors will host equipment bases closer to southern villages so young paddlers there can attend without long drives. She asked mayors to consider beaches and piers with safe, calm water such as Cocos Lagoon, Molassa Pier, Umatac Bay and Talofofo Bay.

The federation is preparing quotes to acquire new six-person youth canoes and requested mayoral support for storage, security and access. Escobar also noted Guam will host a regional event, the Micro Cup, next year and said early investment in youth development will strengthen local representation and help make the island a ready host.

Next steps: Escobar said she will email contact information and program details to mayors who expressed interest and will follow up on equipment quotes and potential village pilot sites.","Melanie Escobar, president of the Guam Kyak and Canoe Federation, asked village mayors to help site equipment and support a middle-school outrigger program to rebuild youth participation ahead of next year’s Micro Cup.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6177170,"State historic office urges mayors to inventory local sites, offers help with National Register nominations",704,668000,1372000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5341415-a9fa44dd8b133c7d204404625613c738&start=668&end=1372","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5341415-a9fa44dd8b133c7d204404625613c738/thumbnail_668000.jpg","/articles/6177170/State-historic-office-urges-mayors-to-inventory-local-sites-offers-help-with-National-Register-nominations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6177170-101eb2690a6b55e2fb4f2411b49d731c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775211578&Signature=nbCjrIpPqdnAha1Gz-58uQGHRLAxVYrXdlwd0rzS1jP2waM~39XBWQLdXD5ePoiWDvx-YGyYyjTbGSs~QsQAIErOVbeFw7zLVbkedjr~xHg3tDHo2sbWUOGa6~zN6Qj3g-m8kXJBIz-lqW2gSAHZoPFhLZ1fUBU0p9wLiCvDQ7qCqTrbhxpzF2ViX7v-pytce0ER895E0fD1pMsFoAm8rALSZ04wonT-0wlwh~W9vTZzGUaBG~bgZJHSmjQ8bBRZxnL-RsC-MJXcZcMGwkVe7hnJFHC6m~N1EJkJKa-aMgrfwqjLe0L-mW6a4ni3f1usnigYy0KX1EqcagNBeaN-og__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Patrick Luhan, of the Guam Historic Resources Division in the State Historic Preservation Office, told the Mayor’s Council of Guam on Wednesday that the office has an island-wide inventory of properties on the National Register and is available to help villages identify and nominate other historically significant sites.

Luhan said the federal National Register typically considers properties 50 years or older eligible and that the office has completed surveys in the island’s south and central areas while finishing work on the east side and parts of Tamuning and Dededo. “We actually wanna be a a true partner, you know, and and, you know, keeping that historic value in your in your, respective villages,” Luhan said.

Why it matters: National Register listing does not prohibit most private development, Luhan said, but it can raise a property’s historic value, open eligibility for grants, and require consultation when projects could affect archaeological or burial sites. That matters to mayors who oversee village permitting, maintenance and public works projects that can encounter subsurface cultural resources.

Luhan outlined three priorities: distributing village-specific lists of registered sites, expanding architectural surveys for buildings roughly 50 years old, and documenting underwater and prehistoric sites that fall under federal jurisdiction. He said the office maintains detailed files and photographic inventories and can assist mayors and village crews to avoid disturbing burials or other archaeological remains during routine work.

During questions, mayors raised whether listing leads to federal funding and whether memorials and battlefields could be advanced to National Park or National Historic Landmark status. Luhan said listing provides recognition and access to some grants but not large direct preservation budgets; nominations for national landmark or park status require extensive documentation and can take years. He also described a planned Naftar Maniata memorial to house remains from the Hornbostel collection and said the legislature has appropriated money toward that project.

The office asked mayors to bring potential sites and field observations to the division, and to call before disturbing areas where crews may encounter cultural resources. Luhan repeatedly offered the office’s surveys and archaeologists as technical support to clarify property lines, update inventories, and document sites that may no longer exist so they can be delisted when appropriate.

The presentation included slide images of listed places in Hagåña, Hagåtña, Asan-Maina, Tumon/Tamuning and other villages and noted underwater sites and fortifications on federal property that nonetheless affect village planning.

Looking ahead: Luhan said the Historic Resources Division will provide printed lists to the councils and is available by phone or office visit for pre-project consultations to reduce the chance of accidental discovery of archaeological materials.","Patrick Luhan of the Guam Historic Resources Division told the Mayor’s Council that many village sites qualify for federal listing, outlined an ongoing island-wide survey, and offered staff support for nominations and damage avoidance during local projects.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Governor’s defense office says village needs assessment grant will fund mayor-level resilience work

USGS outlines yearlong nighttime snake surveys to help Guam Power Authority reduce outages

Guam Kyak and Canoe Federation seeks mayoral partners for middle-school paddling program

State historic office urges mayors to inventory local sites, offers help with National Register nominations