The state Board of Land and Natural Resources has formally rejected the U.S. Army’s environmental assessment for training areas on Oʻahu, marking another significant decision in the ongoing discussion regarding the Army’s presence on state land in Hawaiʻi.
This decision, announced on Friday, pertains to three training areas covering approximately 6,322 acres of state land.
The board’s ruling comes just under two months after a similar assessment for the Pōhakuloa Training Area on the Big Island was also rejected.
During the Friday hearing, the board examined the Army’s environmental assessments, with public testimony extending for nearly five hours.
The Army’s tenancy on state land is set to expire in August 2029, prompting a critical review of their operations.
The three Oʻahu leases represent about one third of the Army’s nearly 29,000 acres of state-owned land throughout Hawaiʻi.
In addition to state lands, the Army conducts training exercises on over 120,000 acres of federal land across the islands.
Though the rejection of the Army’s assessments does not guarantee that the board will deny the Army’s applications for continued occupancy, it highlights the necessity of an accepted environmental impact statement as a prerequisite for the Army’s application to remain, as stipulated by state law.
Board chair Dawn Chang noted that time is of the essence, stating, “Realistically, they will be pushing it for time,” referring to the typically extensive assessment processes.
In a potential shift, Army officials have expressed a willingness to reduce their operational footprint on Oʻahu, offering to relinquish around 90% of their state land leases on the island while retaining a mere 450 acres at the Kahuku Training Area.
However, critics of the Army’s assessment have raised concerns regarding its thoroughness.
Issues highlighted included inadequate consideration for potentially affected archaeological sites and insufficient attention to biological resources, which were also points of contention in previous evaluation stages.
Wayne Tanaka, the president of the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi, articulated that there exists an implicit expectation from the Army that giving up some lands could mitigate the implications of a sub-par Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Even with the Army’s proposed relinquishment of approximately 5,800 acres of state-owned land, it is important to note that the Army would still retain over 12,000 acres of federal land at both the Kahuku Training Area and Mākua Military Reservation.
William Aila of Hui Mālama o Mākua expressed his support for the Army’s decision to downsize, consider it a positive initial step.
He emphasized that the military training occurring on these lands is a want rather than a need, implicitly suggesting alternatives exist.
The Army maintains that their training sites are crucial for national security, particularly in adapting to the growing influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region.
Governor Josh Green echoed this sentiment in a statement following the board’s decision, underscoring the strategic importance of Hawaiʻi in terms of both local and national defense.
“In a time where global threats are evolving, Hawaiʻi’s strategic location is vital for the defense of our islands and the nation,” he stated.
Countering this perspective, Aila, a former chair of the state land board, argued that necessary military training could occur on other existing sites in Hawaiʻi, such as the 17,000 acres controlled by the Army at Schofield Barracks in Central Oʻahu.
Members of Hawaiʻi’s congressional delegation issued a joint statement emphasizing the need for a compromise that balances national security requirements and the preservation of the state’s natural resources.
Despite these considerations, the public testimony at the hearing was overwhelmingly in favor of rejecting the Army’s environmental assessment.
Maxx Phillips from the Center for Biological Diversity asserted that the rejection signifies that these lands hold value beyond military use, showcasing their connection to cultural heritage and ecological significance.
He remarked that the Army’s disregard for its legal obligations under Hawaiʻi law warranted the board’s decision to reject the assessment.
The Army now faces a critical decision regarding which lands it intends to keep, plans for which will be outlined in its forthcoming record of decision.
The process of retention—whether through purchase or leasing of state land—will be subject to negotiation with state officials, according to a U.S. Army Garrison press release.
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