Gov. Josh Green is proposing a $10 billion deal for future use of state land by the Army for training if the federal government pursues condemnation for such use.
Green outlined his offer in an Oct. 29 letter to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, characterizing the proposed investment from the federal government as compensation for the “true environmental and cultural costs” for continued use of certain lands by the Army beyond the life of current leases.
Some of the proposed terms include giving the state an underused federal detention center in Honolulu, helping expand Hawaii’s housing stock by 6,500 new units, increasing Medicare reimbursements, accelerating cesspool conversions and groundwater protection, and investing in geothermal and liquefied natural gas projects that reduce the cost of electricity in Hawaii.
Several investments in transportation infrastructure also are proposed, including helping to expand Honolulu’s Skyline rail system, extending Daniel K. Inouye Highway on Hawaii island and improving Kolekole Pass in the Waianae Mountain Range.
The proposal also calls for the return of high-value lands unilaterally taken by the federal government, including most of Makua Valley, and seeding a $500 million endowment to pay for remediating and managing returned lands.
All the state benefits proposed by Green are being offered as compensation if the federal government decides to use condemnation power to extend use of state land for military readiness and national security, instead of seeking new leases through the state Board of Land and Natural Resources under a process requiring an environmental review, public input and state approval.
“Hawai‘i’s people have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Nation’s armed forces for generations,” Green said in his letter. “Our shared duty now is to ensure that this partnership evolves with integrity, balancing readiness with respect for our land, our culture, and our future. A negotiated settlement, rather than a protracted contested condemnation, offers the clearest, most efficient path to achieving these goals. It will secure the Army legal and mission certainty and deliver justice for Hawai‘i.”
Green recommended that next steps include convening a joint negotiation team by Saturday to define settlement parameters, creating a technical working group to develop detailed scopes for all agreed upon community benefits, and securing funding.
The governor has not yet received a reply to his letter, according to his office.
A spokesperson for Driscoll did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the proposal Wednesday.
Col. Isaac Taylor, a spokesperson for the Army’s Indo-Pacific region, said in a statement, “The U.S. Army is aware of the statement issued by Governor Green. We remain committed to working collaboratively with his office toward finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by the end of this year. Our goal is to outline clear parameters for a suitable land arrangement and address the most important issues and national security concerns. We value our partnership with the State of Hawai‘i and look forward to continuing discussions to ensure mutual understanding and progress.”
The Army obtained leases on state-owned lands on Oahu, including in Kahuku, Kawailoa-Poamoho and Makua Valley, and on Hawaii island in 1964 for $1. Those leases are set to expire in 2029.
Army officials have been working to facilitate extended use through BLNR, but have encountered challenges that include board rejections of environmental impact statements over sufficiency issues.
Driscoll desires to expedite the process and reach an agreement by the end of the year.
On Sept. 29, Green and Driscoll announced that they had signed a nonbinding framework, or statement of principles, to help produce a MOU by year’s end.
Now Green has proposed terms for future Army use of state-owned lands if the federal government decides to use condemnation as a way to achieve its goals.
Green’s proposal is receiving a mix of support and opposition from people and organizations that have been against continued Army use of state-owned land.
William Aila Jr., a former BLNR chair who represents Hui Malama ‘O Makua, a nonprofit seeking the return of land in Makua Valley owned by the federal government, said he supports Green’s push to not only take back the Makua land but obtain federal funding to clean it up and manage it.
“We don’t want to make the same mistake as was made on Kahoolawe,” Aila said, referring to the Navy returning that island to the state after spending a limited amount of money to remove some but not all unexploded ordnance from the island after decades of using it for target practice.
Aila also said he supports Green’s proposal with regard to Makua out of concern that President Donald Trump will issue executive orders commandeering state land for national security purposes.
Others view Green’s offer as a sellout allowing the Army to continue using state land for sometimes harmful use, including land at Pohakuloa Training Area on Hawaii island.
The family of Hawaiian cultural practitioner Clarence “Ku” Ching, who died in September and was a plaintiff in a 2014 lawsuit against the state over insufficient monitoring of the Army’s use of state land at PTA, said Green shouldn’t try to accommodate any Army attempt to bypass the state’s normal regulatory process for extending use of state land.
“The Army had their opportunity and they consistently showed that they cannot meet the requirements put into place,” the family said in a statement, adding that they do not support “putting a price tag for the U.S. military to continue desecrating this aina (land).”
Wayne Tanaka, executive director of the Sierra Club of Hawai‘i, criticized Green’s proposal in part for not seeking the remediation of other military damage to Hawaii resources, including pollution of drinking water wells, and noted that the deal is largely contingent on congressional action.
“Governor Green could be explaining to the military that condemnation would be a strategic and PR disaster, and that there is good reason to follow our established laws and processes,” Tanaka said in a statement. “Instead, his uninformed attempt to appease the Army only threatens long-term harm to our economy, aina, democracy, and dignity.”
Green has previously acknowledged that some people may view his approach as too accommodating to the Army. But he has maintained that the current path working with Driscoll ensures that Hawaii’s people and values come first while avoiding contested condemnation in court that could allow the Army to use state land without giving Hawaii much or anything in return.
Source: The Garden Island
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