DVIDS – Information – Joint Area Marianas, Native and Federal Businesses Collaborate; Bolster Conservation Applications in Guam

The Division of Protection (DoD) Readiness and Environmental Safety Integration (REPI) program introduced the award of roughly $11.1 million that can instantly profit three separate and ongoing pure assets conservation applications in Guam.

By collaborative efforts between Joint Area Marianas (JRM) and native and federal authorities companions, the REPI program has added $8 million to an ongoing cooperative settlement with the Nationwide Fish and Wildlife Basis (NFWF) to preserve authorities of Guam (GovGuam) forests in Taguan in Mangilao and Masso Watershed in Piti.

Moreover, the 2023 REPI Problem program has awarded JRM and its companions the Guam Division of Agriculture(GDoAg) and White Buffalo Inc. (WBI) $1.9 million for native plant nursery upgrades for island-wide habitat enhancement, and $1.2 million for a panorama scale feral pig management program in Northern Guam.

“It is a improbable instance of the success that’s potential once we decide to working collectively for the great of our group,” stated JRM Commander Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson. “I’m extraordinarily happy to see this multi-agency collaboration below the REPI program and I commend our groups collectively for realizing one more vital milestone.”

Balancing army mission whereas addressing pure assets conservation necessities on a panorama scale has been the precedence for the JRM REPI workforce working alongside GovGuam in supporting useful resource administration wants.

This $8 million settlement will assist aims within the 5-Yr Guam Implementation Plan to bolster conservation efforts of the agriculture division and the restoration priorities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

“In fulfilling guarantees made by Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio, the Division of Agriculture seized this chance for a collaborative partnership to maximise conservation and administration efforts of Guam’s pure assets,” stated GDoAg Director Chelsa Muña-Brecht. “Our group will see great prioritization and development in our public conservation areas by this REPI partnership,” she added.

“We’re grateful to the agriculture division and Ms. Chelsa Muña-Brecht for her imaginative and prescient resulting in number of precedence areas of Taguan and Masso. The enter and steering was additionally essential to the nursery improve and feral pig management initiatives,” stated Camp Blaz Forest Enhancement Program Supervisor and REPI Technical Lead Adrienne Loerzel of Naval Amenities Engineering and Techniques Command (NAVFAC) Marianas.

“Along with our companions, GovGuam and USFWS, we are going to proceed to try even tougher to attain our milestones of rising our capability to establish native options for the restoration of endangered species and fractured habitats.”

By a memorandum of understanding, JRM and the USFWS have labored collectively to make sure that elevated DoD investments in GovGuam lands will translate to long-term advantages to listed species and their habitats important to restoration. USFWS performed a key position all through the event of the 5-Yr Guam Implementation Plan.

The NFWF is the nonprofit basis that manages JRM awarded REPI funds in the direction of the five-year plan and works with all companions to supervise conservation initiatives inside GovGuam’s precedence conservation areas.

“The funding offered by JRM will allow the conservation group to enhance the resilience of the limestone forest ecosystems,” stated Jeff Trandahl, NFWF government director and chief execution officer. “NFWF seems to be ahead to working with JRM, GovGuam, FWS, and different implementing companions to handle the conservation priorities of the Guam Habitat Conservation Initiative.”

“We sit up for taking these massive steps with GovGuam and our REPI companions to mobilize our initiatives. Given the long-term nature of pure assets conservation, we do need to rejoice even the incremental wins as we push for vital conservation advantages,” Loerzel stated. “Getting GovGuam initiatives mobilized in precedence conservation areas are just the start. Our long-term hope is that success from these investments additional evokes a deeper sense of possession all through the group to protect our island’s pure magnificence and restore our biodiversity.”

The REPI program pays native governments and personal landowners throughout america to extend or improve pure habitats with out requiring the switch of possession. The robust ahead progress by present Guam REPI partnerships will translate to extra funding alternatives sooner or later.

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For extra data please contact the JRM Public Affairs Workplace at

cjrmpao@fe.navy.mil.