HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.384 2024-2026From: Gail Silva
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2025 6:19 AM
To: Council Testimony
Cc: Kimball, Heather, Kagiwada, Jennifer; Onishi, Dennis; Kierkiewicz, Ashley; Kanealii-
Kleinfelder, Matt; Hustace, James; Galimba, Michelle M.; Villegas, Rebecca; Inaba,
Holeka
Subject: Testimony in Strong Support of Resolution 234-25
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Aloha Chair Villegas and members of the Policy Committee bn
Environmental and Natural Resource Management, CO
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Mahalo for the opportunity to testify in strong support of
Resolution 234-25, which urges the state to ensure the health and
safety of Hawaii Island residents by requesting that the military
cease all bombing and desecration activities at P6hakuloa
Training Area (PTA), reject land swaps and lease renewals without
strict stipulations, and conduct a full Ka Pa`akai Analysis of the
area.
In May 2025, the state's Board of Land and Natural Resources
(BLNR) did not accept PTA's Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS), citing incomplete archaeology inventory, lack of
endangered species data and analyses and an inadequate Cultural
Impact Assessment, which is used to address Ka Pa'akai factors.
Sustained bombing and training activities have damaged pristine
lands, the Saddle Region aquifer system, and cultural sites for over
60 years. The resolution aligns with long-standing community
concerns that military activity continues to pose real threats to
,public health, cultural integrity, and environmental stability.
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This resolution is not about questioning the Army's contributions in
regard to disaster response, emergency services or providing a
training venue for the county's first responders. Rather, it is about
establishing limits, demanding accountability, and ensuring
oversight and respect by urging the cessation of unwarranted
bombing and live -fire training and the cleanup of PTA as required
by their lease.
Approving Resolution 234-25 sends a powerful message that
Hawaii County stands with its people —families, communities,
cultural practitioners, and environmental stewards who have long
raised concerns about PTA's short- and long-term impacts.
It signals that Hawaii County will no longer accept unilateral
military decisions that compromise our land, culture, and health
without meaningful engagement, cleanup commitments, and legal
compliance with public trust obligations.
Mahalo Nui for your time,
Gail D. Silva
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