HAGÃ…TÃ'A " Tinian may have its proposed four firing ranges expanded as Guam residents insist that Pagat should be spared from military buildup activities because of its historical significance to the indigenous people.
Tinian Mayor Ramon Dela Cruz said the military purposely delayed plans to build the Pagat firing range because their island is being considered to host it.
œI know there is a serious consideration in really expanding the Tinian firing range to include the firing range in Pagat, Dela Cruz told the Variety on Wednesday.
He was here to attend the day-long Center for Micronesian Empowerment conference on œThe Untapped Potential of the MarianasMicronesian Workforce at the Marriott.
The Record of Choice for the buildup signed on Sept. 20 stated that training operations on Tinian will support company-level sustainment for the Marine Corps on Guam.
œBecause Guam cannot accommodate all training for the relocating Marine Corps forces, Tinian, which is approximately 100 miles away and has greater land availability, provides the best opportunities for training groups of 200 Marines or larger, the next step of the training continuum, it stated.
Back pain
CNMI Gov. Benigno R. Fitial could not attend the event due to back pain, according to the mayor who was part of a small contingent that represented the commonwealth in the conference which also drew participants from island nations affiliated with the U.S.
U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Tony Babauta and FSM President Emanuel Mori were among the participants.
Alternative sites
In a separate interview, David Bice, executive director of the Joint Guam Program Office, said feasibility studies are being conducted to expand firing range sites not just on Tinian but on Pagan as well, an uninhabited volcanic island in the northernmost part of the CNMI.
œWere going to be building four ranges on Tinian to support the Marines. There is a follow-up study that will look throughout the CNMI, including additional ranges on Tinian as well as potential ranges on Pagan Island or other places too, the retired major general said in a separate interview.
œThis is part of the Pacific-wide study in terms of looking at our range of alignment throughout the Pacific. Its not only the CNMI but the Pacific as well, he added.
The U.S. has military jurisdiction over the Freely Associated States: Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.
Bice said Route 15 is the preferred fire training range on Guam which is near historic Pagat.
The Guam Preservation Trust nominated Pagat village for inclusion in Americas 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, which is a program of the Washington-based National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Bice said the military will soon conclude its talks about the Pagat firing range with Guam in accordance with Section 106 of the International Historic Preservation Act.
Pagat is an ancient Chamorro village and a sacred ancestral home of the indigenous people, with relics that date back to centuries ago.
The buildup involves relocating 8,600 Marines from Okinawa, Japan and their families to Guam. The first contingent is expected to be here by 2012.
Japan and the U.S. agreed to spend at least $10 billion to build infrastructure and facilities to accommodate the relocating troops.
This year, the two countries already agreed to release $1 billion to jumpstart some of the projects.
Article source: http://www.mvariety.com/2010102131321/local-news/pagat-firing-range-may-be-moved-to-tinian.php
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