Last Guam Håyun Lågu Tree Dies Near Firing Range, Sparking Extinction Fear

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Last mature håyun lågu tree perishes near US military firing range in Guam, potentially marking local extinction of the species.

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Military's 2023 live-fire machine gun range construction stripped protective limestone forest, leaving rare tree exposed to harsh elements.

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Conservation attorney Maxx Phillips expresses devastation over tree's death, marking potential local extinction of the species.

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Guam faces considerable costs from climate change, while funding for resilience measures arrives slowly.

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Mariana eight-spot butterfly faces extinction risk due to habitat loss from firing range development.

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Indigenous groups protest military construction's impact on ancestral lands and sacred burial grounds.

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Environmental advocate Joni Kerr points to widespread ecological damage, including threats to aquifer and soil contamination.

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Marine Corps attempts recovery by planting håyun lågu saplings, though survival remains uncertain amid environmental challenges

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Marine Corps' recovery program mirrors other successful conservation initiatives, like those with the Guam kingfisher.

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