An advisory committee made up of mostly Native Hawaiians has been created to provide guidance on the ongoing discussions over the state’s military leased lands, Gov. Josh Green announced Thursday.
The 10-member panel is tasked with advising Green on cultural, natural and economic impacts regarding lands currently leased by the U.S. Army on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island. The leases are set to expire in 2029.
Committee members include: William “Bill” Ailā Jr. of Hui Mālama ‘O Mākua; Scott Glenn of the governor's office; Ryan Kanaka‘ole of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources; Kūhiō Lewis of the Hawaiian Council; Laurie McAllister Moore of the Military and Community Relations Office; Mahina Paishon-Duarte of Waiwai Collective; Ed Sniffen of the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation; Summer Sylva of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Kali Watson of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; and Noe Noe Wong-Wilson of the Lālākea Foundation.
“Hawaiʻi stands at an important crossroads — between national security and cultural stewardship; between federal authority and our responsibility to care for cultural and natural resources,” Green said in a news release. “We respect the role of the U.S. military in defending our islands and our entire nation, but that role must coexist with our values and our commitment to the people who call these islands home.”
The state Board of Land and Natural Resources rejected the Army’s final environment impact statement earlier this year. The Army wanted to retain the Pōhakuloa Training Area land on Hawaiʻi Island used for live-fire training.
The offices of the U.S. Army Secretary and the U.S. Department of Justice have begun consultations on the Army’s legal right of condemnation for training lands in the state, according to the news release.
The announcement came after OHA approved its 2026 legislative package, which included a measure calling for a constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot to prohibit live-fire military training on the state’s public trust land.
