OHA urges inclusion in decisions regarding military leases on public land

Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Board of Trustees Chairperson Kaialiʻi Kahele is urging national leaders of the U.S. Senate and House Armed Services Committees to include Native Hawaiian voices in upcoming long-term military lease negotiations.

On Monday, Kahele sent a letter requesting the inclusion of Section 2831, which is the authorization to acquire land used by the armed forces in Hawaiʻi through exchange or lease, in the final version of the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

According to the letter sent by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Section 2831 establishes a clear, structured framework that allows for a thoughtful lawful process and transparency across all military services with expiring leases. It also ensures that affected communities, including Native Hawaiians, are meaningfully included in discussions that will shape the future use of public trust lands.

“Section 2831 represents a balanced, measured, and responsible approach to addressing a complex set of issues that affect the state of Hawaiʻi, the Department of Defense, local communities, and the Native Hawaiian people,” Kahele said in the letter.

Between 1964 and 1965, the state of Hawaiʻi executed multiple 65-year leases to the U.S. military for long-term use of public trust lands across Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Niʻihau. Most leases were issued for nominal consideration and without comprehensive cultural or environmental review by today’s standards.

Section 2831 provides the state of Hawaiʻi and the Department of Defense with the necessary time and structure to negotiate responsibly regarding long-term military leases expiring between 2028 and 2031. These include:

• Pōhakuloa Training Area (Hawaiʻi Island);
• Mākua Military Reservation, Kahuku Training Area, and Kawailoa–Poamoho (Oʻahu);
• Pacific Missile Range Facility and the Kōkeʻe Park Geophysical Observatory (Kauaʻi); and
• Kaʻena Point Space Force Station and Kaʻala Air Force Station (Oʻahu).

The letter also includes the request of a targeted amendment to Section 2831 that would require a formal consultation with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Native Hawaiian organizations before any lease renewal, extension, or land exchange is authorized under this section.

“This request is grounded in decades of federal practice and reflects over 250 federal statutes reaffirming the political and trust relationship between the United States and Native Hawaiians,” Kahele said in the letter.

With these considerations in mind, Section 2831—appropriately amended—would:

• Ensure transparent and lawful negotiation of military leases across all affected lands and military services;
• Reaffirm the United States’ political and trust relationship with Native Hawaiians;
• Promote decision-making that strengthens public trust; and
• Support a long-term, sustainable partnership between the United States military and the people of Hawaiʻi.

The section’s sunset clause—“lease or acquisition…authority shall expire on December 31, 2031”—ensures that negotiations occur within a defined window, encouraging timely decision-making while preventing delay. It also promotes a coordinated federal-state process.

The Hawaiʻi State Legislature retains the authority to enact a short-term extension to allow Section 2831’s process to function as intended, which would ensure that these negotiations occur transparently to help maintain public confidence.