Draft Economic Analysis of Proposed Critical Habitat on Guam and Rota Released for Public Review

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released a draft economic analysis of the potential impacts of designating critical habitat for the Mariana fruit bat, Guam Micronesian kingfisher, and Mariana crow on the of Guam and for the Mariana crow on Rota. The report indicates that over a 10-year period, direct costs that would be attributable to critical habitat on the two islands are relatively minor at a total of less than $555,000. Indirect costs, which are described as uncertain, were not quantified.

"Almost all of these costs would be associated with military projects on Guam," explained Paul Henson, field supervisor of the Fish and Wildlife Service