Stop the Desecration of Pōhakuloa, Urge BLNR to reject the Army’s EIS
This Friday, May 9th at 9am the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) will convene for decision making regarding the acceptance or non-acceptance of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Army Training Land Retention at Pōhakuloa Training Area (agenda item D1). The Army is seeking the renewal of a 65 year lease for a military training site on Hawaiʻi Island, which is set to expire in August, 2029.
It is critical that the BLNR reject the current Army EIS.
Please submit written testimony by May 8th, at 9am and if you are able, provide oral testimony in person or at the BLNR hearing this Friday, May 9th at 9am to urge the BLNR to reject the Army’s EIS. Video testimony via zoom is also available.
Why Should the BLNR Reject the Army’s EIS?
Inadequate Environmental and Cultural Impact Analysis:
The EIS is inadequate in addressing the environmental and cultural impacts to the area. Pōhakuloa is a wahi pana, a sacred and storied place, home to irreplaceable Native Hawaiian cultural sites and some of Hawai‘i’s most endangered species. The Army has not demonstrated the capacity or will to serve as a proper steward of this land.
For example, the Army’s actions have already resulted in the burning of nearly 20,000 acres, including designated critical habitat for native flora and fauna. This is unacceptable. Additionally, the ongoing use of live-fire and bombing in the impact area raises serious concerns about environmental contamination, safety, and long-term degradation of both the land and water.
Furthermore, the Army EIS does not provide a sufficient plan for mitigating the environmental and cultural impacts. Given the military’s horrendous track record of cleaning up military debris and caring for the site, it is unrealistic to expect the military to comply with the requirements of a conservation district.
The State has a Constitutional Obligation to Mālama ʻĀina:
As affirmed by the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court (Kahaulelio v. DLNR, 2019), “the State has ‘the highest duty to preserve and maintain the trust lands’ — a duty rooted in the constitutional obligation to mālama ʻāina, to care for the land.” The Court emphasized that the State’s trustee obligations exist even without proven lease violations, noting the duty is proactive and preventative.
In Kahaulelio v. DLNR, 2019, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court found that the State of Hawaiʻi had breached its constitutional trust duties by failing to: reasonably monitor and inspect trust lands at Pōhakuloa leased to the U.S. military; ensure compliance with cleanup and safety provisions in the lease; take timely action after learning of possible contamination or violations; and document its efforts and provide transparency to the public.
Concerns Over Depleted Uranium Contamination:
The presence of depleted uranium in the soil at Pōhakuloa is consistently churned up and aerosolized during live fire exercises and blown across the island. Exposure to depleted uranium is linked to cancer and many other negative health impacts.
Military Use Conflicts with Conservation Land Use Designation
It is hard to conceive of any ongoing military use of the site that would be compatible with the site's designation as a conservation district. The proposed military uses of this site are simply incompatible with the conservation designation. Ongoing live-fire and bombing in the area threaten the native flora, fauna and cultural resources of the area, including some of Hawaii’s most endangered species. The EIS does not provide specific or adequate mitigation measures to prevent impacts to the critical habitat or culturally significant sites.
What You Can Do to Protect Pōhakuloa
To provide written testimony:
Submit written testimony via e-mail to blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov by May 8th at 9am, below is sample testimony, please personalize as you see fit.
To provide in-person testimony:
Attend live at 1151 Punchbowl St. Room 132 (Kalanimoku Building), Honolulu, Hawai‘i.
Please arrive at least fifteen (15) minutes prior to the meeting start time in order to add your name to the sign-in sheet.
To provide video testimony:
Send your request to blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov. Include your name and the agenda item on which you would like to testify (D1). Once your request has been received, you will receive an email with the Zoom link. Requests may be made during the meeting.
LIVE STREAM: https://www.youtube.com/live/oWZU3uaHxp4
Sample Testimony:
Aloha Land Board Members:
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the U.S. Army’s proposed retention of leased lands at Pōhakuloa Training Area, and to urge the land board to reject the Army’s EIS.
Pōhakuloa is not just a piece of land—it is a wahi pana, a sacred and storied place, home to irreplaceable Native Hawaiian cultural sites and some of Hawai‘i’s most endangered species. The Army has not demonstrated the capacity or will to serve as a proper steward of this land, and the FEIS fails to meaningfully address these concerns.
For example, the Army’s actions have already resulted in the burning of nearly 20,000 acres, including designated critical habitat for native flora and fauna. This is unacceptable. Additionally, the ongoing use of live-fire and bombing in the impact area raises serious concerns about environmental contamination, safety, and long-term degradation of both the land and water.
Military training activities of this scale are simply not compatible with conservation, cultural integrity, or aloha ‘āina. Enough is enough.
The FEIS is insufficient and should be rejected on several grounds:
Inadequate Environmental and Cultural Impact Analysis
Lack of a sufficient plan to mitigate impacts to cultural and natural resources
Concerns about depleted uranium on the site have gone unaddressed
Military usage is incompatible with the conservation district designation
The approval of the EIS ultimately conflicts with the BLNRʻs constitutional duty mālama ʻāina
I urge the members of the land board to respect the land, the culture, and the people of Hawai‘i by rejecting the Army’s FEIS for Pōhakuloa. It’s time to return these lands and begin a real process of healing and restoration.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Optional: Your Town or Island]
