The fieldwork for the survey of the Compact of Free Association Migrants to Guam has been completed. The survey was conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Governor's Office, the Bureau of Statistics and Plans, the Guam Department of Labor, and the University of Guam.

 

Known as the "Count Me In" campaign, the COFA survey is needed to help determine Guam's stake in the $30 million of Compact impact funds that are available.  Stats & Plans director Tony Lamorena told KUAM News, "The U.S. Congress requires that a survey be conducted of our Micronesian brothers and sisters who came to Guam as a result of the Compact of Free Association and the results of this survey is used to redistribute the $30 million that Congress appropriates to the various entities and those four entities is American Samoa, the CNMI, Guam and Hawaii."

 

Guam currently receives about $14 million in Compact impact funding, but the hope is that with accurate and up to date numbers the island can increase the amount of COFA funding it's entitled to.  Lamorena says the U.S. Census Bureau is crunching the numbers and should have a report available in three months.