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Guam senators, residents press to withdraw draft 2025 DOD programmatic agreement, demand full Section 106 consultations
Summary
At a March 11 public hearing on Resolution 144-38, senators, preservation professionals and residents sharply criticized the draft 2025 programmatic agreement governing Department of Defense undertakings on Guahan, citing missing appendices, reduced reporting, a 30‑day default approval window and risk of expanded land acquisition; the Guam SHPO defended the draft but agreed to a roundtable and additional review.
Chair opened a continued public hearing on Resolution 144-38, which calls for withdrawing the draft 2025 programmatic agreement and the 2008 programmatic agreement and restoring full implementation of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for Department of Defense undertakings on Guahan. The measure drew testimony from the Guam State Historic Preservation Officer and nearly a dozen preservation professionals, residents and advocates.
Patrick King Eluhan, Guam State Historic Preservation Officer, told the committee he supports transparent public input and defended the 2025 draft as the product of multi-year negotiation intended to strengthen institutional commitments, update archaeological-probability mapping and improve reporting. "I assure you that every single voice is being heard, assessed, and addressed," Eluhan said, and he offered Section 106 training for the Legislature and an openness to further edits and a roundtable after the public-comment window closes.
Members of the public and several expert witnesses urged a different course. David…
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