HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.616 2024-2026From: nawahine kahoopii
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2025 9:54 AM
To: Council Testimony, Kimball, Heather, Hustace, James; Kagiwada, Jennifer; Inaba,
Holeka; Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt; Onishi, Dennis; Kierkiewicz, Ashley; Villegas,
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Rebecca; Galimba, Michelle M. U
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Subject: strong support for resolution 234-25
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Aloha Council Members, my name is Nawahine Kahoopii. Yes to Resolution 234-25 co
Mahalo for the opportunity to testify in strong support of Resolution 234-25, which urges the state to
ensure the health and safety of Hawai'i Island residents by requesting that the military cease all
bombing and desecration activities at Pohakuloa 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.
This resolution is not about questioning the Army's contributions regarding 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.
Aloha e, Nawahine-Kahoopii Ohana
Comm. WE-
Ref. To:
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From: nawahine kahoopii
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2025 9:58 AM
To: Council Testimony, Kimball, Heather, Hustace, James; Inaba, Holeka; Kanealii-
Kleinfelder, Matt; Onishi, Dennis; Kierkiewicz, Ashley, Kagiwada, Jennifer, Villegas,
Rebecca; Galimba, Michelle M.
Subject: strong support for resolution 234-25
Nawahine Ohana
Enough already!!!! The US military does not need to retain Pohakuloa, as you can see, the USA has
hundreds of military bases in the region. They can live without this one.
Military bases in the South Pacific Region
400 bases ----- — 300,000 troops
Hawaii 14
South Korea 73
Okinawa 32
Marshall Islands 1
Australia 2
Papua 6, while the Indonesian army trains at PTA to slaughter Papua's indigenous people
Fiji naval base
Samoa 1
New Zealand 1
Singapore Navy presence
Philippines 9
Japan 120
Taiwan Air Force base
Guam 3
i
Hawaii 14
California 30
China 1 base in Djibouti, Africa
America also has a base in Djibouti, along with Japan and France
Russia has 20 bases in the former soviet countries, which remained after the collapse of the USSR.
It's time to end the unnecessary bombing and desecration of, our aina and urge Hawai'i County to demand
accountability, clean up, and transparency'.
Mahalo