US EditionHawaii land board vote deals setback to Army at key combat training ground in Pacific theater
- On May 9, 2025, Hawaii’s state land management authority voted against approving the Army’s final environmental impact statement concerning the continued use of state-owned training grounds at Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island.
- This decision follows extensive public opposition and concerns over environmental, cultural, and legal deficiencies in the Army's environmental review of the land, which the state now designates a conservation district incompatible with military use.
- Pohakuloa, a rare sub-alpine tropical dryland forest housing endangered species and Native Hawaiian cultural sites, has seen military use since World War II, with the Army seeking to retain 19,700 acres and return 3,300 acres of the 23,000-acre parcel leased for $1 per year since 1964.
- The board cited significant data gaps in the impact statement regarding endangered species, burial sites, and groundwater, while activists and officials stressed past harm and called for honoring Hawaii’s land and cultural heritage over military convenience.
- The Army is observing a 30-day waiting period to decide on land retention and remains committed to environmental stewardship, with stakeholders seeking a balanced path that respects Hawaii’s security role and cultural and environmental priorities.
23 Articles
23 Articles
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Hawaii land board vote rejecting environmental study deals setback to Army combat training
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s land board rejected the Army’s environmental impact statement to retain land on the Big Island used for live-fire training, a vote some Native Hawaiian leaders say reflects a growing distrust of the U.S. military in the…
Land Board rejects Pohakuloa EIS but lease negotiations to move ahead | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The U.S. Army hit a speed bump in its effort to retain training land in Hawaii with the state Board of Land and Natural Resources voting to reject its final environmental impact statement on its proposal to keep a state-owned parcel at the Pohakuloa Training Area on Hawaii island.
Hawai‘i Rejects Army’s Proposal to Continue Bombing Sacred Pōhakuloa
In a powerful defense of Hawai‘i’s environment, cultural heritage, Hawaiian rights and public lands, the state’s Board of Land and Natural Resources voted to reject the U.S. Army’s final environmental impact statement for its proposed “retention” of up to 22,750 acres of state-owned land it currently leases at Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hawai‘i Island. The […] The post Hawai‘i Rejects Army’s Proposal to Continue Bombing Sacred Pōhakuloa appeared…
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