Gov. Josh Green and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced Monday, Sept. 29, 2025 that they had signed a nonbinding “statement of principles on land use and areas of mutual benefit to the people of Hawai‘i” as they move forward on land negotiations.
In a media release, Green said that the agreement “is not a contract. It is a framework. It gives us a way to keep the conversation going and to show respect for both sides. Most importantly, it gives the people of Hawai‘i a voice in shaping what this process delivers for our communities.”
According to the release, the statement said that the Army and the state would work together to consider options to return some land to the state of Hawaii, explore ways to clean up unexploded ordnance, improve environmental stewardship and discuss potential federal support for housing, infrastructure and energy in the islands.
The news release stated that Green and Driscoll “anticipate working toward a Memorandum of Understanding by the end of this year, with the goal of outlining clear parameters for a suitable land arrangement and addressing the issues most important for Hawai‘i’s communities.”
The news release was posted to engage.hawaii.gov, a new website launched by Green’s office. The site was launched to host information and key documents relating to issues across the state, including negotiations on Army training land, and allow residents to submit comments. Though the news release was posted on the site, at press time an actual copy of the document itself was not.
“The military and our country needs Hawai‘i. Hawai‘i must also protect its land and culture. This Statement of Principles shows we can and will do both,” said Green. “It opens the door for meaningful discussions about returning some areas for community use, clearing unexploded ordnance, as well as federal support for infrastructure, housing and the environment. It also recognizes that Hawai‘i is central to security in the Pacific and for our nation.”
The Army obtained leases on state owned lands on Oahu and Hawaii island in 1964 for a mere $1. Those leases are set to expire in 2029.
State officials have been in talks with the Pentagon about how much the military would have to pay to keep using the lands, as well as potential other investments in the islands. Military officials see Hawaii as increasingly critical amid tensions with China, while activists and some elected officials around the state have increasingly called on the Army to pack up and leave those lands.
The Army has faced a series of lawsuits regarding the impact its operations have on the environment and ancient Hawaiian cultural sites in places like the Makua Valley and its Pohakuloa Training Area.
Over the summer the state Board of Land and Natural Resources voted to reject the Army’s environmental impact statements on plans to continue using some state lands to train. The board cited data gaps, including the fact the Army has an unfinished biological study due to be finished later this year.
Not long after, Driscoll said that he wanted to expedite the process well ahead of the 2029 deadline and craft a working agreement by the end of the year.
Army leaders are working to quickly overhaul their forces as they watch how conflicts around the globe are unfolding, and want to train and test new tactics and weapons in Hawaii. They argue that they need to quickly ready their forces for potential conflict in the Pacific.
In August, Driscoll told the Star-Advertiser “it’s hard to overstate how important Hawaii and that training area are for us. … What we are seeing from the threats in the Indo-Pacific, and what we are seeing with how and where we need our soldiers to be positioned for that threat, has made the United States Army absolutely convinced that this is one of our very top priorities.”
But the Army’s push to expedite negotiations to get an agreement well ahead of the 2029 deadline has made some state lawmakers and community leaders suspicious. The Navy’s handling of the Red Hill Water Crisis in particular has put the military’s presence in Hawaii under increasing scrutiny.
Driscoll told the Star-Advertiser that “we realize that we can have a disproportionate toll on that community if we’re not thoughtful. And so what we are trying to do, and what we’re trying to work with the governor on, is a holistic solution.”
The Army has said that on Oahu, it prefers to renew only 450 acres at the Kahuku Training Area and not pursue lease renewals on any state land in Makua Valley or the Kawailoa-Poamoho Training Area — a roughly 93% reduction of its presence on state land.
But the Army also maintains large swaths of federal land on Oahu and also seeks to continue using a state-owned parcel on Hawaii island that connects the federal lands make up the Pohakuloa Training Area.
The state and the Army have discussed the possibility of land swaps, with Green suggesting the return of federally owned portions of Makua Valley to the state could be on the table. But ultimately, any deal would need the approval of the land board.
Green has caught heat from critics who charge he’s giving the Army too much latitude at a time when many in the islands have questions about the military’s plans. The governor made a round of media appearances defending his approach and in a statement released last month, Green said that “federal leaders have stated there are national security considerations at stake and they’ve made clear they could act through eminent domain, which would take the land without giving Hawai‘i anything in return.”
Green argued that “while some may say we are being too accommodating, the truth is this path ensures that Hawai‘i’s people and values come first. By negotiating firmly and fairly, we can secure real benefits for our future while maintaining national security.”
Source: The Garden Island
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