[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]































































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                                        TUE WETLANDS OF GUAM/
                                             04
                                           A Birthright In Jeopardy







                                                Video Script

                                          VideoWritten and funded by

                                      Guam Coastal Management Program



                                           Video Produced Through
                                                               C7--





                                                 KGTF - TV

                               Guam Educational Telecommunications Corporation

                                                Produced by

                                               Kathy Coulihan


















































              Funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource
           Management, and the Guam Coastal Management Program, Bureau of Planning,
                         Government of Guam, through NOAA grant #NA470ZO311


                                                     X











              BLACK. Sounds of water. Sounds of rain. Title fades in.



                                               THE WETLANDS OF GUAM
                                                   A Birthright in Jeopardy



              FADE IN:


              Sunrise in the Piti Estuary. CUTS to other wetland areas as the sun rises. The sound of wind
              only, or gurgling water, or toad croaking. Nothing more. CLOSE-UPS of dew and early
              morning water on reeds.

                                                       VO (FEMALE)

                     This island Guam, this home which has 5ustained our fathers and mothers, sons and
                     daughter5 for thousands of years, is a single Vstem created by nature to-function as a
                     whole. The soft shore and verdant mountain tops, the forests, the limestone plateau, and
                     the wetlands, all depend upon each other for their own health. We depend umn the health
                     of each of nature!s elements as well, even when we dodt understand those elements, or
                     their connection to our lives..


              FADE TO BLACK


              FADE IN:


              Quote over black background. Sound of frogs, birds, wind.

                               ..since the base of Lot No. 3465 is predominantly a welland area, it is perhaps
                             in the best interest o the public to lease a portion of land to Mr. JL.

                                                             Bill 660, Section 8, 22nd Guam Legislature


              CUT TO:


              reeds blowing in wind, clouds scudding by, rain begins to fall.

                                                       VO (MALE #1)
                     I manaina hu gi malofan tati, ti man malati-ti, lao ma tunguha muna. lala i tano yan i
                     guianjan ni@ha 12alai lilala, Ma gof tungm na siha famaguon i atottan saina lao ti siha magas i
                     atottan sama. I taotaota pago na hinanao man malelefa ni tiningo manaina ta. Fanaan i
                     menegai liningota ana fan a aguaguat hit yan ta ke hulat i atottan saina. Yangin ini 12a'a't
                     gi hinanaota mona, tatati ta punu i tiningo manaina ta.











             The Wetlands of Guam
             Video Script
             Page 2 of





             CROSS FADE TO.


             wetland area with buildings. Various CUTS.

                                                    VO (MALE #2)

                    There is no crime in ignorance, only in ignoring truth when it is made available and acting
                    from ignorance. That which we don't uLiderstand, we denigEate. That which we
                    denigrate, we fail to protect. That which we fail to protect, we destroy. That which we
                    destroy, we lose forever. That which we lose forever, we deny to our children.



             MORPH FROM BEALTRY WETLAND AT MANENGGON TO DEAD LAND.



             CUT TO:


             Bulldozer pushing fill into wetland. (Southern ffigh School site?)

                                                 VO (CHILD - BOY)

                    Adults tell us that wellands are incubators for life, and we believe them. But adults don't
                    protect wetlands, because tha say that some people should have the right to destroy
                    wetlands simp@ly because they have a piece of paper called a title, Do the animals and
                    plants know what a title is? Is a title a right to destroy the land?

             CUT TO:


             Slow dolly by homes and wetlands along inland road through Piti and Agat.

                                                 VO, (CHILD - GIRL)

                    Wetlands collect rain waters during typhoons or storms, so that not all lands will be
                    flooded. When people fill their wetlands, they put their neighbors land in danger o
                    flooding, In Agat. and Piti. many familigs now have homes that flood, because we have
                    not protected our wetlands. Why don't we protect our communities?










             The Wetlands of Guam
             Video Script
             Page 3 of




             CUT TO:


             Warehouse sitting on filled wetland.


                                                   VO (CHILD - BOY)

                     Wet ands filter the waters which are returned to our aquifer, and replenish our drinking
                     water suppjly, Thty remove toxins fro     r run-off, and our agriculture, and our gol
                     courses, md our subdivisions' When people fill wetlands. they endanger our water Mpjly
                     and our island. Mv don't we protect our water and our people?

             FADE TO BLACK:


             Sounds of river waters as they fall over rocks.

                                                           Title


                                                   What Are Wetlands?



             CROSSFADE:


             Starting with head waters of a small river, a series of CUTS as the water builds and empties into a
             bay.

                                                     VO (FEMALE)

                     It is believed that practically all of the water the Earth has created. is still with us in one
                     form or another. The Ucle of water from the oceans to the rivers and the streams. to the
                     plants and animals that nourished by it, is a complex cycle of life, and one that we are only
                     now beginning to comprehend in a rudimentw@@ fashion.

                     Guam has an especially intimate relationship with water, as we are surrounded by it and
                     inundated by it throughout our cultural heritage. But it is not oWy the coastal waters that
                     are important in the deficate balance of nature on Guam. for the inland bodies of water are
                     just as crucial as any other link in the chain of life.










             The Wedands of Guam
             Video Sefipt
             Pzge 4 of




             CUT TO:


             Agana Springs, Piti Estuary, Manenggon man-made wetlands, mangrove. As many cuts and fades
             as necessary to cover VO.

                                                       VO (MALE)

                     Wetlands are a unique 12art of Guam's n&Wral land area. Thgy include &VYAM12s. marshes,
                     mangroves, springs and river vallgys that are usually covered with water. Some of the
                     smaller areas may dry up during dfy periods, while others remain inundated with surface
                     water year round.

                     Our wetlands function as filters to keep sediment &way from our coral reefs, as purifiers
                     for our fresh water supplies, as incubators for juvenile fish, and as natural flood control
                     areas to safeguard our people and their homes,

                     Wetlands-of one acre or more in size, occupy a mere five thousand acrfs of Guam's total
                     of more than 13 5,000 acres. Less than 3.7% of our total land. Yet that value of the
                     fimctionsAh@y perform far exgeed their 5ize, They are responsible for making our island
                     livable,


             FADE TO BLACK:


             Sound of birds, rain hitting water.

             FADE IN:


             Heavy rain, various cuts to water running off hills, streets, etc., into a wetland area. Various cuts
             to crabs, fish, etc., in a wetland area.



                                                     VO (FEMALE)

                     Wetlands are among the most productive ecoaystems in nature. Wetlands protect homes,
                     farmland5, villages and urbanized areas fiLo-m flooding, by slowing and Ltoring floodwater.
                     Tha trap- and modify pollutants from stormwater and runoff Thgy are essential areas fo
                     feeding, nesting, cover, and breeding for a variety of birds, fish, rMtileS, invertebrates, and
                     mammals,










              The Wetlands of Guam
              Video sciript
              Page 5 of




              CUT TO:


              various shots of waves/tidal action in mangroves.

                                                      VO (FEMALE)

                     Wetlands provide shoreline stabilization and protection from the wind, floods and waves.
                     As water washes in, the wetland vegetation slows down the flow inland. The prop root
                     Vstem in mangroves, for example, reduces tidal currents and traps much floating debris
                     resulting in the extensive deposition of sediments and eventual creation of more land.

0             CUT TO:

              Agana swamp, wet, near Agana River.

                                                      VO (FEMALE)

                     Active wetlands serve to reduce the nutgient load in runoff and protect the ecological
                     balance in estuarine and marine waters by limiting the We. amount, and nature of algae
                     growth, Excess algae growth. or an unnatural distribution can severely harm marine
                     communities, including our coral reefs.

              CUT TO:


              Agana Springs area.

                                                      VO (FEMALE)

                     Wetlands preserve the integdty of the water lens system. Scientists have linked the
                     wetlands of Guam to our water tables and groundwater recharge areas, Wetlands enhance
                     water quality by retaining pollutants and converting them through a biochemical 12rocess
                     to less barmful substances. Thty transform and retain nutrients, reduce sediments and
                     filter surface runoff.










             The Wetlar-ds of Guam
             Video Script
             Page 6 of




             FADE TO BLACK:


                                                        TITLE


                                             Who Benefits From Wetlands?


             CROSSFADE:


             stock footage of homes under flood, (Agat, Barrigada).

                                                      VO (MALE)

                     It is not always eaay to see who benefits from laws which maintain a healthy environment,
                     but it is al3yays eaV to see the immediate impacts from our failure to do so. Families face
                     economic ruin. and disruption of lives, simply because we fail as a commuw1y to protect
                     those resources which nature has provided the Earth.


             CUT TO:


             various shots of bulldozers grading, dumping fill, cutting land.

             SUPERUVIPOSE:


                      "We do not inherit the landfirom ourfathers. We borrow itfirom our children.

                                                      VO (MALE)

                     If our actions don't match our words, then our words are lies. If the 12rotection of our
                     communities does not take precedence over the profits of today, then our government is a
                     failure. If we treat the land as if its health was secondaj@E to our desires, then we will fail
                     our ancestors, our selves, and our descendants.


             FADE TO BLACK:


                                                         TITLE


                                                        The Law


             CROSS FADE TO:










              The Wetlands of Guam
              Video Script
              Page 7 of


              Go from long shot to close up cuts to wetlands in various stages of violation, including fill,
              dumping, grading.

                                                      VO (FEMALE)

                     Guam may hold the distinction of having the weakest, least 12rotective wetland laws in the
                     United States. Although Guam defines wetlands as "Areas of Particular Concern, in truth,
                     our resources are not prglected by law. Executive Order 90-13. which is only a
                     reiteration of Executive Order 78-2 1, are the full extent of the legal base upon which
                     Guanf s rather weak rules and regulations rest,



                     Worse, decisions for allowing fill and dgstruction of wetlands rest with the Territorial
                     Land Use Commission, a group appointed more for their support of winning political
                     teams than for any expertise in commuw@y planning. understanding of resource values, o
                     abilijy to comprehend direct, indirect or cumulative i=acts of development. The agencies
                     designed to provide the expertise in the5e areas are, more often than not, ignored in the
                     decision making process.

              CUT TO:


              Superior Court building

                                                       VO (MALE)

                     When wetland violations occur, the commum
                                                                 ft must relly on the federal government to
                     take actign, because Guam's laws are too weak to bring a violation to court. Because of
                     this, when court action is taken, the fine collected goes to the federal treasuEy. rather than
                     to violation mitigation on Guam. In ong case, the federal government received one 12oint
                     three million dollars for Ihe fill of wetlands on Guam, while Guam has been unable to
                     prosecute and collect fines on its own.


              CROSS FADE TO:


              long shot of Fena Lake, cut to various vegetation, birds, other life.











             The Wetlands of Guam
             Video Sciript
             -Page 8 of




                                                   VO (FEMALE)

                    In the five years between 1986 and 1990, the U.S. Amy Corps of Engineers took action
                    against 27 wetland violations on Guam. The Government of Guam took action against
                    none. The Government of Guam does not currently have the laws necessaa to protect the
                    commuW-ty, As we seek more voice over our own lives througb Commonwe&,h
                    shouldn't we also demonstrate a greater abiI4 to protect our comrnuw@v? Doeswt
                    increased responsibility come with increased self-governance? These are our lands, not
                    the Federal Governments! It is our responsibility, not theirs!

             CROSS FADE TO:


             black. Title fades up.

                                                    I Sesonyan Siha

             CROSS FADE TO:


             tracking along running stream, come upon "The Wetlands of Guam" beside stream, move to
             close up of booklet cover.


                                                 VO (CHILD 'GIRL)

                    In 199 1, wetland Merts in the Government of Guam responded to an Executive Order
                    which required revisions to the existing and inadequate wetlands rules and rewlations.
                    Thgy developed new law and new rules designed to protect our land. our homes, ou
                    community. These new protections were forwarded to legislature, and tUy have been
                    introduced in bill form twice, but to date our new protections have not been acted on.


             CUT TO:


             Various cuts of attractive wetlands at sunrise, in rain, in wind, etc. on voice over double expose
             pre-contact Chamorro family at wetland, picking plants, filling water jug, etc.












              The Wetlands of Guam
              Video Script
              Page 9 of




                                                   VO (CHILD -BOY)

                      Less than three point seven percent of our land protects one hundred percent of ou
                      people. The wetlands protect our homes, protect our water, protect our health. It is time
                      for your generation to protect our wetlands so that my generation will have flood
                      12rotectio , and clean water. It is what the govermnent is supposed to do, It is what
                      communities are supposed to do. Protehi I Tano Ta. Na sahu i maina mai la na hinanao.

              CUT TO:


              black.


              FADE IN:


                                   To Those Who Forget, The Earth Sends Reminders


              CUT TO:


              Footage of flooding on NOAA tape. Various cuts over the next three minutes.

                                                     VO (FEMALE)

                      Throughout history, several truths about wetlands have been self-evident. First;
                      ag!jcultural communities have, for thousands of years, understoo-d the value of the nutrient
                      rich wetlands for agLicultural production, and understood the value of protecting those
                      lands. Second; developers and real estate agents have. for those same thousands of yems
                      seen wetlands as impediments to immediate profit, and therefore viewed them as
                      something to be destrQyed for ftinction,

                                                       VO (MALE)

                      Human beings exist because our 121anet is dynamic, and because it is dynamic in a
                      particular way, Fires occur naturally. and can benefit both flora and fauna, Volcanos
                      renew landscapes, create new land forms. and eventually create new, rich soil. TLY12hoons
                      are simply responses to complex interactions within our atmosphere, and earthquakes are
                      necessary relief valves for our tectonic 12lates, Flooding of land renews nutrients and
                      pertnits the gycle of water and life to operate as nature requires, nurturing our lands, our
                      water and our air,












               The Wetlar@ds of Guam
               Video S6pt
               Page 10 of


                                                           VO (MALE)

                       These are scenes of nature's response to mans careless and thoughtless and selfish
                       mismanagement our natural 5ystems. Wetlands! In 1993, the Nlidwest of the United
                       States suffered terrible flooding which devastated millions of lives, Whole towns were
                       lost. Possessions which took generations to accumulate were gone in hours. Proj2eM
                       values were destroyed. Friendships and families forced apart. Crops drowned, What was
                       truly tragic about the floods, was that thty diddt have to happen, Nature was not to
                       blame for the massive devastation, man was.

                       Using a known base of existing wetlands in 1780, we know that 85% of wetlands in
                       Illinois have been filled; 87% in Indiana; 89% in Iowa; 42% in Nlinnesota; 87% in
                       Nfissouri, and; 90% in Ohio, If only half of those wetlands had been retained, instead o
                       being filled and developed, thgy could have stored an amount of water equal to more than
                       twenty day's flow of the Mssissippi River at flood stage at St. Louis. 700,000 cubic feet
                       of water per second. or 30 million acre feet of water. But propedy owners demanded
                       their rights, and politicians and land-usg commissions failed in their obligations to do the
                       right thing over the popular thing, and thus wrought destruction upon the land.


                                                         VO (FEMALE)
                       Like the United States. we on Guam too have ignored nature's needs and communit
                       needs over the years. The Mdwest 12aid a hea@@ price for that in 1993, Guam can still
                       learn from their lesson and reverse the 12attem of abuse of land and nature we have come
                       to accept. But we will not do that until we stop thinking of artificially defined lots or
                       tracts of land as somehow occul23dng separate and independent space, and realize that all
                       of Guam is a single system. designed by nature, We are a com=WW@, and our actions as
                       individuals impact on the entire community. Wetlands, regardless of ownership, serve a
                       comnmm-@ty function and must have the,community's support for their 12rotection. If not,
                       we will certainly learn that nature will, as always, prevail in having her way. That w
                       does not have to be harmful to us, but it will be unless we choose otherwise.

               Freeze final frame of man, looking up as he his swept down the flooding waters to his death      .....

               FADE TO BLACK. FADE IN CREDIT FADE TO BLACK, CREDITS. FADE OUT.



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