Kauai encroachment

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

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Hawaii Acts to Prevent Encroachment

Navy NewsStand Story Number: NNS040528-19
May 28, 2004 

By Journalist 1st Class Daniel Calderon, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii
Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The Hawaii Land Board decided, at a
meeting held on Kauai May 24, that operations at the Pacific Missile
Range Facility (PMRF) in Kauai won't be impeded by development until at
least 2029. 

After hearing testimony from dozens of Kauai residents, the panel voted
to approve the Navy?s request for an easement and lease that ensures the
state-owned land surrounding the base will continue to be used for
agriculture. The 5,371-acre easement prohibits any development or
activity other than farming in the area, known as the Mana Plain.
Additionally, the state granted the Navy a 270-acre lease to serve as a
security buffer around the base.

The agreement is ?necessary to maintaining our nation?s ability to
conduct military research in an isolated area, unfettered by
development,? said Rear Adm. Barry McCullough, commander, Navy Region
Hawaii. 

The decision followed months of negotiations between the Navy and the
state. 

The Navy became concerned about the possibility for development on the
Mana Plain after Kekaha Sugar closed in 2000. Although the state-owned
land was leased to other farmers, Navy officials said they feared it was
only a matter of time until developers petitioned the Land Board to do otherwise.

?In recent years, military bases around the world have struggled to
continue meaningful training operations and research as areas adjacent
were developed,? said McCullough. ?But PMRF still has the good fortune
of being surrounded by agricultural land, which is an ideal neighbor for
a military installation.?

Although the board did agree to the Navy?s request, it attached several
conditions, including a 25-year time limit and a clause that would
protect Native Hawaiian burial sites.

The agreement ?ensures that farming can continue on the Mana Plain,
without pressure to sell out to developers,? McCullough said. ?And it
ensures that PMRF can continue to perform its mission that is so vital
to our national security.?

For related news, visit the Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Navy NewsStand
page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cnrh. 

###

for the original press release, go to
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=13486

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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