"In the 90's, we were told preserving the endangered species was more important than returning the land to CHamoru families. Today, we're being told a firing range complex is more important than protecting the endangered species." -Hita Litekyan

We are the descendents of Ritidian original landowners who have been calling on the U.S. to return our land for more than six decades after it was stolen through eminent domain for national defense purposes to build a Naval Communications Facility. Our families watched painfully as our lands were used as a recreation area for military families.

Thirty years later, in 1993, the Department of the Navy declared our land as excess, meaning it no longer had use for it. While our families thought we would finally see the land returned, the Navy decided to instead illegally transfer the properties to Fish and Wildlife Service to be used as a Critical Wildlife Habitat or Wildlife Refuge. 

Community protests erupted in response to the wildlife refuge decision; families held campout protests at Ritidian, opposing the imposed curfews and calling attention to the injustice. 

In 1995, the 23rd Guam Legislature unanimously passed Public Law 23-25, which demanded that the Department of Defense return the excess land to the original landowners on the grounds that it was taken by "force, deceit and outright theft." The families tried to take the matter to court but it was to no avail. 

Today, our beloved Ritidian is proposed to be used as a buffer zone for a U.S. Marine Live Fire Training Range Complex (LFTRC). In the 90's, we were told preserving the endangered species was more important than returning the land to CHamoru families. Today, we're being told a firing range complex is more important than protecting the endangered species. We are tired of the double speak, all as a ruse to keep the land under federal control. 

Moreover, we oppose the firing range complex for its harmful environmental and cultural impacts. According to the Navy’s own studies, Tailalo’ (Northwest Field) was considered the most destructive option of the five location options. 

• The LFTRC is being built over the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer (NGLA), a precious resource that provides our island community with 85% of our fresh drinking water. Up to 6.7 million lead bullets will be fired and more than 400 grenades will be exploded over the aquifer each year, threatening our primary water source as well as surrounding ocean areas.
• Fifteen endangered species call this area home including the sihek  or Guam Micronesian kingfisher, which is extinct in the wild and struggling in captivity; åga, or the Mariana crow, ko’ko’, or Guam rail; fanihi, or Mariana fruit bat; Guåhan's last remaining adult håyun lågu tree; abbabang or Mariana eight-spot butterfly; three species of tree snail and six native plants.
• The Guam Fishermen's Co-op has testified against the firing range, opposing the Surface Danger Zone extending three miles out into the ocean, cutting off one of the best areas for fishing for 273 days out of the year while the range is in operation.
• Yo'åmte will be cut off from accessing rare åmot (medicine) plants.
  
  Enough is enough. It's time for past injustices to be made right. Return our land. 

For more information, please email hitalitekyan@gmail.com