UOG, DoAG and partners continue to make progress on Guam Habitat Conservation Plan

The University of Guam (UOG) Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (CIS & SG), the Guam Department of Agriculture (DOAG), and the consulting firm ICF, continued to make progress on the Guam Habitat Conservation Plan (Guam HCP) at multi-agency meetings held over three days.   

Under the Endangered Species Act, landowners, developers, government agencies, and other non-federal entities engaged in lawful activities like construction of a home or hotel, or maintenance of roadsides, can apply for an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), under section 10 of the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). An ITP allows the permit holder to cause impacts to endangered species and their habitats, under the condition that those impacts are offset by conservation as described in an HCP.  

The Guam HCP is a plan of action designed to provide a structured approach to offset impacts from land use on listed endangered species.   

Members of the HCP Steering Committee met in early November to discuss the Administrative Draft of the Guam HCP, which addresses concerns and comments compiled throughout the year at stakeholder, Steering Committee meetings, and from state public engagement. These discussions are important as they ensure that the plan provides for the needs and expectations of the public.   

UOG CIS & SG Associate Director for Natural Resources, Else Demeulenaere, Ph.D., attended the recent discussions, sharing her expertise with attendees.  

“The key focus of the discussions revolved around how we can build the HCP reserve network for the Guam HCP, as it is the central component of the plan’s conservation strategy,” said Demeulenaere.   

The HCP reserve network will be composed of lands set aside for use in conservation of endangered species to offset the impacts of development, which applies to all of Guam except for lands under federal jurisdiction. Since the development impacts to endangered species are permanent, the lands within the reserve network must be protected in perpetuity.   

Demeulenaere adds, “The challenge is securing government and conservation easements that can be protected in perpetuity, enabling effective habitat management and ensuring endangered species continue to thrive in Guam. This protection will help offset impacts to listed species as part of the agreement with USFWS.”  

Director of the Department of Agriculture, Chelsa Muña also shared her insights at the HCP meetings.  

“The HCP provides a framework that allows landowners to use their property while meeting conservation requirements. A common misconception about the ESA is that it restricts private property rights due to the presence of a listed species, but it offers a permitting process that enables development.”   

Muña adds, ”My biggest takeaway was that our team is carefully considering what the HCP will mean for Guam and especially how to prevent overburdening small landowners. The meetings helped improve our ability to collaborate meaningfully and ensure Guam’s needs, for both conservation and economic development, are truly met by this plan. We welcome all our community members and HCP Steering Committee team back in 2025 for our next set of meetings.”  

For information about the Habitat Conservation Plan and the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, visit www.guamhcp.com and www.uog.edu/cis.