Office of Hawaiian Affairs says governor rushing deal over military training lands

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is demanding a seat at the table as Gov. Josh Green works to negotiate new military training land leases with the federal government.

OHA Chair Kai Kahele said there is time to bring the public and Native Hawaiians into the process, despite the governor’s concerns about federal condemnation of the properties.

The Army secretary said he wanted to settle new training leases in Hawaii by the end of the year. Green has interpreted this as a threat that the federal government might take the properties unilaterally.

OHA calls for meaningful participation

“Native Hawaiians want a seat at the table, and it’s very important that Native Hawaiian voices are part of, not just discussion in an advisory capacity,” Kahele said Tuesday morning on Hawaii News Now Sunrise.

Green returned from meetings with the Trump administration in October with plans to have a negotiating team in place by now. He has already outlined a $10 billion list of demands in return for new leases.

“I don’t want the federal government to act unilaterally and doing a taking,” he said on Oct. 21. “I don’t want them to condemn our lands, I want them to go through the regular process, but I have heard from them directly that they intend to take the opportunity because of national security concerns.”

Timeline concerns

Kahele questioned the short timeline, noting the current leases don’t expire until 2029.

“It seems that this fear and notion that condemnation is not only possible but inevitable is what seems to be the driving all of these decisions, which are rushed,” Kahele said.

In a letter, Kahele said the “compressed timeline sidelines both the OHA and the general public—who have rights to notice and participation … and the Legislature.”

Kahele pointed out the U.S. Senate has already drafted a negotiating process in the in National Defense Authorization Act that would last until 2031. Congressman Ed Case is involved in drafting that legislation in the U.S. House.

“I’ve been involved in this myself in terms of trying to fund out of appropriations, a process by which people would at least discuss it with each other,” Case said. “But it’s absolutely critical that everybody feel that they had a say in it.”

Governor’s response

The governor’s office issued a statement saying “The Governor will be convening an advisory group made up of key community members and Native Hawaiian leaders, including OHA, over the next two weeks.”

Kahele said OHA wants more than an advisory role.

“We do not want to be a token advisory group that does not have a seat at the table and is not taken seriously and does not have a vote,” Kahele said.

Native Hawaiians and OHA have leverage in the situation because the state constitution requires they be considered, consulted and compensated for any use of lands that were part of the overthrown kingdom.

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