A U.S. district judge on Guam has ruled that the Navy must provide information regarding its efforts to protect endangered or threatened species, such as this Mariana fruit bat named Babydoll, seen here at the Guam National Wildlife Refuge on May 20, 2013. (Melissa White/U.S. Air Force)
A federal judge on Guam recently ordered the U.S. Navy to dive deeper into its record of endangered species protections at a new Marine Corps base on the U.S. island territory.
U.S. District Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood on Dec. 12 rejected the Navy’s bid to limit disclosure to records prior to 2017 and said environmental groups suing under the Endangered Species Act are entitled to see more recent evidence.
The case began in 2023, when advocacy groups the Center for Biological Diversity and Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian — now known as Prutehi Guahan — sued the Navy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over insufficient efforts to protect endangered animals.
The lawsuit claims construction at Camp Blaz created massive impacts environmental impacts and that the two federal agencies have failed “to protect and conserve more than a dozen endangered and threatened species at imminent risk of extinction on Guam,” according to an amended complaint filed Dec. 12.
The construction of Blaz, the Marines’ first new installation since 1952, is a core component of the Defense Department’s planned relocation of Marines from Okinawa to Guam. The base covers more than 4,000 acres and is expected to host approximately 5,000 Marines.
The groups also said that promised mitigation efforts, such as controlling invasive species and restoring habitats, have yet to be enacted.
The Navy and Fish and Wildlife Service denied those allegations.
In the most recent ruling, the federal agencies sought to limit discovery to “administrative records,” particularly environmental reviews and other data prior to the lawsuit.
However, since the advocacy groups are attempting to “determine the extent of any continuing violations” of the Endangered Species Act, the court determined that the case requires additional discovery and ordered the two parties to coordinate a plan to share evidence within 30 days.
“For too long, our island has been treated as a sacrifice zone,” Leevin Camacho, attorney for Prutehi Guahan, said in a Dec. 18 news release. “This ruling affirms that the military does not get a free pass just because it operates behind fences. Our people, our wildlife and our cultural practices deserve protection and respect.”
Camacho did not respond after business hours Tuesday to an email seeking further comment.
The construction of Camp Blaz — and an $8 billion missile defense system spread across 16 sites on the island — have been the subject of scrutiny by locals and environmental advocacy groups due to the destruction of limestone forests, a unique ecosystem home to various endangered species.
Joint Region Marianas acknowledged Stars and Stripes email request for comment Tuesday afternoon but had not responded as of that evening.
