Ifet, Ahgao, and Pahong: Forestry Program

Legislative Intent.

(a)It is the intent of I Liheslatura to preserve Guam’s traditions and culture in the arts. In order to revitalize the traditional arts of wood carving and weaving, it is necessary to develop a forestry program (the Program) to plant Ifet (also known as Ifil), Ahgao, and Pahong (also known as Akgag) trees (the trees), which trees provide materials for carving and for weaving and which are needed to teach these arts to the future generations of Guam. Because of the slow growth rate of the trees, it is necessary that the program be implemented immediately to meet the objectives of this Section.

(b)Establishment of Program. The Department of Agriculture (the Department) shall establish the Program to plant the trees on that land chosen by the Department that is best suitable for the purposes of the Program. The land area designated shall consist of at least eighty

(80)acres, with fifty

(50)acres for Ifet, twenty

(20)acres for Ahgao, and ten

(10)acres for Pahong.

(c)Assignment and rezoning of land. The Department of Land Management shall assist the Department in locating government land that is best suitable for the Program, such assistance to include assignment of such land to the Department and its rezoning if necessary. Seventy

(70)acres in northern Guam in a limestone area shall be set aside for Ifet (fifty

(50)acres) and Ahgao (twenty

(20)acres); and ten

(10)acres shall be set aside in central or southern Guam for Pahong.

(d)Forestry maintenance and issuance of permits. The Department shall be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the trees in the Program and shall hire two

(2)full time employees for the maintenance of these forestry preserves. The Department shall be responsible for the issuance of permits for the harvesting of wood therefrom; provided, that such permits must have the approval of the Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency (CAHA).

(e)Monitoring and approval of requests for harvest. The Department shall be the custodial agency for the Program. CAHA shall approve the priority of permit recipients and the quantity of materials to be given them, and shall monitor usage of such materials. Materials obtained from the Program shall be used exclusively for arts and other cultural programs. For every one

(1)tree harvested fifty

(50)young trees of the same species shall be planted by the recipient(s) in the same area. Seedlings of such species will be provided by the Department which will also supervise their planting.

(f)Appropriation authorized. The Department is authorized to submit the necessary appropriation to I Liheslatura to carry out the Program within ninety

(90)days of the enactment of this Section.