The US military has confirmed it will permanently end live fire training in Oahu's Makua Valley
By means ofThe Associated Press
December 2, 2023, 6:15 PM
FILE – An Army Kiowa helicopter flies over a convoy of U.S. soldiers at the Makua Military Reservation in Hawaii, Dec. 8, 2003. In December 2023, the U.S. Army confirmed it will permanently end live-fire training in Oahu's Makua Valley . in a major victory for Native Hawaiian groups and environmentalists after decades of activism. (AP Photo/Carol Cunningham, File)
The Associated Press
HONOLULU– The US military has confirmed it will permanently end live-fire training in Oahu's Makua Valley, a major victory for Native Hawaiian groups and environmentalists after decades of activism.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth filed a declaration in federal court in Hawaii on Friday affirming the military's new position that it “no longer needs to conduct live-fire training in (Makua Military Reservation), now or in the future,” Hawaii News Now reported.
Under the terms of a 2001 settlement, the Army has not conducted live-fire training in Makua Valley since 2004. But the court filing “removed the threat that Makua will ever be subjected to live-fire training again,” according to environmental nonprofit Earthjustice. in a press release.
Earthjustice has represented local activist group Malama Makua in its long-running legal dispute with the military.
Makua Valley was the site of decades of live-fire military training. The training sometimes led to wildfires that destroyed native forest habitat and sacred cultural sites, Earthjustice said.
The Makua Military Reserve covers almost 5,000 hectares. According to Earthjustice, it is home to more than 40 endangered species and dozens of sacred and cultural sites.
The Army seized Makua Valley for training after the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, “and expelled Hawaiians with the promise that their land would be cleared and returned,” said Sparky Rodrigues, a Malama Makua board member. “Almost 80 years later, we are still waiting. Ending live-fire training is an important first step in undoing the mistakes of the past and restoring Makua – which means 'parents' in Hawaiian.”
Friday's lawsuit came 25 years after Malama Makua sued the military to enforce compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The law requires federal agencies to assess the environmental impacts of proposed federal actions.
In 2018, the military agreed to restore access to cultural sites in the valley.
The state's lease to the military for the use of Makua Valley expires in 2029.