Prutehi Guåhan will host a community forum Saturday, June 6, on the draft 2026 Guam Historic Preservation Programmatic Agreement, inviting the public to discuss concerns about the document that governs how military projects treat ancestral and cultural sites.
The forum begins at 3 p.m. at the Kumision i Fino' CHamoru conference room, Suite 230 of the Bell Tower building in Hagåtña. Scheduled speakers include community organizers and conservation advocates Baltazar Aguon, Ian Catling, Monaeka Flores, Dave Lotz and Jarren Saralu, among others.
According to the group, the discussion will highlight unaddressed public comments, recommendations for improvements and challenges in the agreement process. The programmatic agreement substitutes for the standard Section 106 consultation process under the National Historic Preservation Act.
The group alleges the public was not given proper notice of a May 15 roundtable on the agreement as required under Guam's Open Government Law, and that after facing criticism, the State Historic Preservation Officer said he would proceed with the current draft. The SHPO's account of those events was not included in the release and could not be confirmed.
In an open letter circulated May 27, Aguon described the agreement as "the final, legally binding contract that dictates how the military treats our ancestral remains, sacred sites, environmental resources, and cultural heritage."
Conservation advocate Dave Lotz, writing in his column, urged rejection of the draft, arguing a prior agreement had contributed to the loss of ancient CHamoru village sites.
Prutehi Guåhan, formerly Prutehi Litekyan-Save Ritidian, describes itself as a direct-action group dedicated to protecting natural and cultural resources. For more information, email prutehigu@gmail.com.