By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

A FOUR-MAN team from the U.S. Office of Ocean and Coastal Resources Management arrives on Guam today to conduct an onsite evaluation of Guam’s coastal management program, which was last assessed three years ago, the Bureau of Statistics and Plans announced.
“The purpose of the evaluation is to review the activities of the GCMP and make recommendations on improvements to be addressed in the next three years,” BSP said.
The team, representing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will be on Guam all week to meet with officials of various government agencies that have networked to implement and monitor coastal management system.
These agencies include the University of Guam Marine Laboratory, the Water and Energy Resource Institute, the Department of Public Works, and the Guam Environmental Protection Agency.
According to the itinerary released to the media, the NOAA team led by John McLeod will also meet with the Military/Civilian Task Force to get a briefing on the potential impacts of military buildup on Guam’s environment.
Also on McLeod’s team are John Parks, Guam’s liaison officer for the Office of Coastal Resource Management, John Joyner, director of the CNMI’s CRMO, and staff member Kathy Yuknavage.
NOAA conducts local-level coastal management resource evaluations every three years to see how well a state meets with the goals and standards of the Coastal Zone Management Act or the National Estuarine Reserves System, and if they adhere to the federally approved management plans and programs tied to federal grants.
Based on evaluation results, NOAA decides whether to continue a current grant or to negotiate future financial assistance award.