HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.492 2024-2026From: Ann Dorsey
Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2025 1:36 PM
o
c
To: Council Testimony
`'
CD�
Subject: Please protect Pohakuloa by passing Resolution 234-25
`yc
N
O C
Hawai'i County Council,
Tl C}
z
�o
D
I urge you to pass Resolution 234-25 to protect Pohakuloa for the following reasons:
The State has a proactive duty to preserve and maintain trust lands. This was reaffirmed by the Hawai'i
Supreme Court in Kahaulelio v. DLNR (2019), which found that the State breached its obligations by failing to
reasonably monitor, enforce, and ensure proper care of the lands at Pohakuloa.
Pohakuloa is within a designated conservation district with some of Hawai'i's most endangered species.
Military training activities have led to the burning of nearly 20,000 acres, including critical habitat for native
flora and fauna. Ongoing live fire and bombing exercises raise serious concerns about contamination, safety,
and long term damage to both land and water sources. These activities are fundamentally incompatible with
the preservation of native species, ecosystems, and undermine the conservation goals of the land.
There is growing concern about the presence and impact of toxic substances, including depleted uranium, in
the soil at Pohakuloa. These contaminants may become airborne and pose serious health risks to island
residents.
Pohakuloa is a storied and sacred place that is home to irreplaceable Native Hawaiian cultural sites. Continued
use and degradation of this land is inconsistent with its cultural and spiritual significance.
Please protect Hawaiian communities, species and culture by passing Resolution 234-25.
Thank you,
Ann Dorsey
Comm. rioaTLP `
Ref. To:
Ref. Date