[CPEO-MEF] Interior official aims to address land issues

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

PACIFIC DAILY NEWS
Interior official aims to address land issues
By Katie Worth, kworth@guampdn.com
October 5, 2003

Among the dozens of high-ranking federal officials on island for this
weekend's Coral Reef Task Force meeting is Judge Craig Manson, assistant
secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior.

Manson, who was appointed by President Bush in 2001, oversees the
National Parks Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and also
co-chairs the task force on behalf of the Interior Secretary.

In addition to heading the meeting, Manson said he will take advantage
of his first trip to the region by trying to resolve some conflicts
between the federal and local governments about land management issues.

One such conflict is the long-standing battle over the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife's desire to designate 25,000 acres -- or about 19 percent of
Guam -- as critical habitat for the island's endangered birds and bats.

That designation would not change the ownership of the land -- most of
which is military -- but would require all federally funded projects on
the land to be reviewed to ensure it does not affect the native habitat
of endangered species.

Local officials have argued that the designation would actually reduce
environmental control over the land and give the military a reason to
avoid complying with the heavier local controls.

The matter has gone to federal court and local officials will be
presenting their alternative to the critical habitat designation in
court Oct. 7.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.guampdn.com/news/stories/20031005/localnews/390512.html

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