Live Fire And Living Treasures
Hawaiian environmental experts and the Army work together in Makua Valley to protect 45 native species on the threatened/endangered lists and 119 archaeological sites. While live training is a threat, those experts worry what happens to the valley when the Army leaves
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we don’t understand, but that issue is hard to get beyond because it’s a very personal issue. But at the end of the day I have to be able to train the forces for the current mission.”
Kaleo Wong, an environmental team worker in the valley, seems to be caught between both sides of the argument.
“I don’t see how both could coexist here,” says Wong, who double-majored in Hawaiian studies and Hawaiian language. “I don’t see why the military has to train here. I guess if you asked me if I’d rather see it returned, the answer is yes.”
At the same time, Wong is concerned about the future:
“I am definitely worried because no one else is really maintaining a lot of the resources. I don’t know who would take care of all these resources. Our program is the biggest program, and we’ve spent millions of dollars in taking care of this place. And if the military leaves it wouldn’t be good for the resources.
“That’s one thing a lot of people don’t realize. The military is training in areas like this and Schofield Barracks, and they have control of lands in the Koolaus, but people don’t realize all the money and effort they spend protecting rare plants and animals. That’s certainly one thing I didn’t know. Before I started this job I was totally against all military training. But after working here I think maybe something could work out where the military could train and still have all this money for managing the resources.”
Rodrigues praises the efforts of the workers and the Army’s cultural specialist Kapua Kawelo, but says much more needs to be done.
“We applaud their work. Without them Makua would be a desert, the species would be decimated.”
The Vietnam vet, who stresses that Malama Makua is neither anti-military nor nonpatriotic, said the main concern is that the area be unharmed once the Army leaves, and finding someone willing to take responsibility for that cleanup. He says the problem is not just local, it’s Army leaders in Washington who have to take action. The current lease expires in 2029.
“We need to develop a long-term plan and program to get the science - and not voodoo science like they use when they do some of the EA (environmental assessment) and EIS (environmental impact statement) processes - but real peer review of cutting edge science that will end up returning and restoring the environment back to the pre-used conditions or better,” he says. “What’s interesting there is always an economic cap put on cleanup, but there is never an economic cap when they are looking to develop weapons. Right now in Pearl Harbor we have the X-band radar. They’ve spent billions on that. If they put the same kind of money in that kind of effort into environmental cleanup I don’t believe Malama Makua would be existing.”
The debate will continue. Mixon acknowledges the EIS, which was to be completed in 2004, has been a long time coming. He says the study was delayed after the EIS for the Stryker brigade was given top priority, but predicts everything will be wrapped up by spring or early summer. In the meantime, he has his work cut out for him.
“I have a moral obligation to ensure that our soldiers, the sons and daughters of America, are trained to participate in fighting the global war on terrorism. I have a legal obligation to ensure that the environment and cultural things are protected in all training areas, not just in Makua Valley. I believe I can balance that. In fact, I know I can balance that because we’ve been doing it in the past and we will do it in the future.”
For Rodrigues and his group, the hope is that the future is now and that the past will be preserved.
“This is a special place, Makua. It’s a place of abundance. It was designated as a resource long ago and people lived there on thousand of sites.”
The questions continue.
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