In response to the latest reports of the fire at the Pohakuloa Training Area, Senate Minority Leader Kurt Fevella recently penned a letter to David Ige expressing his opposition to the Army’s request to extend its lease of State-owned lands at the training facility. As of Thursday, August 11, the brush fire that started several weeks ago at the Pohakuloa Training Area, now referred to as the “Leilani” wildfire was reported to be burning over 9,800 acres of land on Hawai‘i Island.
As this wildfire has more recently grown to an estimated 25,000 acres, it is unfortunate that the Pohakuloa Training Area Fire Department was not able to contain the initial brush fire. Senator Fevella stated he was grateful the State’s DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, the National Park Services, the Hawai‘i Fire Department and the Hawai‘i County Department of Public Works were assisting to bring this wildfire under control.
In the letter to David Ige, Senator Fevella stated, “Due to these recent events, I am more resolved and would like to restate my opposition to the Army’s request to extend its lease of State-owned lands at Pohakuloa for continued military training.” He noted that he has also submitted written opposition directly to the U.S. Army Garrison-Hawai‘i and the U.S. Army Installation Management Command during the Environmental Impact Statement comment period earlier this year.
“I will continue to work for the State to redirect our efforts to cultivate and restore these lands by preventing further desecration by military training activity,” concluded Senator Fevella. “A continuation of such activity will have a long-lasting negative effect on the historical value of these lands.”
The current lease between the State of Hawai‘i and the U.S. Government for the 23,000 acres expires on August 16, 2029.