Guam - The Department of Parks & Recreation and the Chamorro Land Trust Commission are trying to settle a dispute over CLTC property in Dededo. While DPR, through a master plan designed in the 1970s, had intended to build a skating rink, softball field, track field, mini-zoo and frisbee area on property near the Dededo Sports Complex, the CLTC, through previous administrators, already gave out 52 leases for that property. 

Department of Land Management director Monte Mafnas confirms that Parks & Rec is now asking that the property be given back.  Mafnas, however, says he doesn't intend to kick the 52 CLTC recipients off the land and will instead work with Parks & Rec and the Attorney General's Office to provide some other land in the Commission's inventory to DPR to satisfy them. 

Guam Public Law 12-262 authorized regulatory agencies to make wish lists and DPR was subsequently given 270 acres of land. Mafnas says the leases were given out illegally, but he doesn't intend to kick the residents off the property because they have been current in paying their leases and some are utilizing the property to farm. He adds that the Commission will work with Parks & Rec to determine what other property they can take "meter for meter" to complete their master plan.

Parks & Rec director Pete Calvo says he thanks Mafnas for recognizing the issue and also sympathizes with the lessees, but adds what Mafnas has to be cognizant of is that those reserved properties in Dededo for development were meant to better manage the community's growth. Calvo added that he'll continue to work with Mafnas to see how they can lessen the impact of the activities that had taken place before they came into their respective positions.

The issue came to light after Calvo was tasked with providing the Guam Legislature an update on Parks & Rec's plans to fulfill the decades-old master plan. Calvo says he can't submit the progress report until the issue involving the Dededo property is resolved.