By Pacific Island Times News Staff
The Navy is proposing to build a barrier at the future site of Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz in Finagayen to limit movement of brown tree snakes, rats, cats, and ungulates such as feral pigs and deer.
Project P-187, named "Brown Tree Snake Exclusion Barrier South," includes access pathways for geotechnical field investigations and an irrigation pipeline for natural resources out-planting efforts, according to the Programmatic Agreement memo.
"There will be gates installed for natural resources personnel to enter for monitoring and propagation of desired species," the memo states.
The project, which is part of the Marines relocation program, is in line with the military's natural resources conservation mitigation efforts including measures that contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species.
"As part of these measures, the Department of Defense is establishing a forest enhancement area that requires a multi-species barrier to keep out brown tree snakes and other non-native species, including ungulates, out of the area where forest enhancement activities will be occurring," the memo states.
The memo said project design field investigations for the exclusion barrier require geotechnical field investigations, which may include hand and mechanized vegetation clearing for an access path and work space creation (approximately 20 x 20 feet grubbed space), drilling and sampling, testing and evaluation.
"The geotechnical field investigation generally entails drilling exploratory borings with a truck-mounted drill rig using 8-inch diameter augers or pipe casing with water or air rotary drilling methods," the memo states.
"Exploratory boring depths will vary, but range from 13 –115 feet (4 – 35 meters). The samples are collected for laboratory analysis. Exact locations for the boreholes are flexible, and may be adjusted based on environmental constraints like natural and cultural resources."
The Navy invites the public to review and submit comments on the project. Comment period ends Nov. 21.
The following PA memo includes new cultural and natural resources
information associated with planned construction projects and is available
on the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Pacific
Cultural Information (CRI) webpage at http://go.usa.gov/kZWG.
This is a 45-day public comment period and interested members of the
community may submit comments via email to criwebcomment@navy.mil.
Those without internet access may obtain a printed copy from the Guam
Historic Resources Division, located at 490 Chalan Palasyo, Agana Heights,
96910.
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