By Pacific Island Times News Staff
The U.S. Marine Corps, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a cooperating agency, today launched the public commenting period for the draft environmental assessment for the construction of a new Department of the Interior's facilities and infrastructure at the Ritidian Unit of the Guam National Wildlife Refuge.
The replacement of DOI facilities is required because the existing facilities fall within the multi-purpose machine gun range safety danger zone that overlays a portion of the refuge.
The deadline for comment submission is Sept. 23.
The proposed action includes new DOI administrative, research, educational, and storage facilities. It also includes a new nature center, road improvements, new parking areas, a pedestrian walkway, a paved traffic turnaround and drop-off area near the beach, and a new designated accessible parking spot near the beach.
The proposed action includes two action alternatives and one no-action alternative. Under Alternative 1, the proposed new facilities would be developed as separate, single-story buildings in a campus-like configuration. Alternative 2 would include the same project components with certain DOI functions consolidated into a two-story building configuration.
The main difference between the two alternatives is the construction footprint, with alternative 2 being smaller due to a two-story vs one-story facility.
The proposed action has three components: Construct replacement DOI facilities and associated infrastructure; provide alternate public access from the new replacement facilities to the recreational portions of the Refuge and other project-related road improvements; demolish the existing DOI facilities and prepare the site for potential habitat restoration and regeneration.
The Marine Corps and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold a joint informational meeting on Sept. 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Dededo Community Senior Center (319 Iglesia Circle, Dededo).The Draft EA is available for review and download at the following website: https://pacific.navfac.navy.mil/About-Us/National-Environmental-Policy-Act-NEPA-Information.
Printed copies are also available for viewing at the following locations: Dededo Public Library and the Nieves M. Flores Memorial Library.
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.
Comments may also be submitted via email to: NFPAC-Receive@navy.mil.
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