At the first Ka Leo O Kaua‘i Kekaha meeting of the year on Jan. 24, Pacific Missile Range Facility Commanding Officer Capt. Robert J. Connelly surprised some Kekaha residents with his discussion of both beach access and the proposed 5,860-acre
At the first Ka Leo O Kaua‘i Kekaha meeting of the year on Jan. 24, Pacific Missile Range Facility Commanding Officer Capt. Robert J. Connelly surprised some Kekaha residents with his discussion of both beach access and the proposed 5,860-acre easement around the base.
“We’re making a renewed effort to get out in the community” to discuss the proposal, said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis, public information officer for the Navy region public affairs on O‘ahu.
The proposal even has a new name. It was called a “passive-encroachment buffer” at the Nov. 13 meeting on the subject with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Now, according to a news release on the Navy Region Hawai‘i’s Web site (www.hawaii.navy.mil), the proposal is called the “PMRF Agriculture Preservation Initiative.”
Its goal has not changed, said Davis. Navy officials want the land surrounding the base to remain the way it is.
“Since Kekaha Sugar’s unfortunate closure, the Navy has become wary of incompatible developments that might occur on this land,” according to the press release at www.hawaii.navy.mil/pmrf/initiative.
“In order to ensure that PMRF can continue to safely conduct important research and training operations in the future, the Navy and many citizens of Kaua‘i are seeking to permanently preserve the land adjacent to PMRF for agricultural purposes,” the release continued.
PMRF officials also want 415 acres of state land added to their existing lease.
The land, the release said, is for two reasons.
First, it allows the Navy to repair and maintain the drainage pumps and ditches that prevent the Mana Plain from flooding.
Federal law forbids using public funds to maintain infrastructure on land that is not owned or leased by the federal government.
In order for Navy funds to be lawfully spent to maintain these pumps and ditches, the Navy must have a lease interest in the land where they sit.
The second part of the lease is for land that extends from the base to Kaumuali‘i Highway.
The land is not for development, the release said, but to fulfill the anti-terrorism/force-protection guidelines set up after Sept. 11, 2001.
The guidelines require that new military buildings are set back a certain distance from public roads.
“Having this small leased buffer around PMRF would allow for new construction within the current confines of the base,” the release stated.
“Contrary to what some may believe, the purpose of this small leased area is not to expand the base.
“The only building the Navy plans to construct in this leased area is a small visitors’ center that will allow visitors to receive passes prior to driving onto the base,” the Web site said.
Many Kekaha residents, however, wanted to get their points clear about the beach fronting the base.
While the issue of access to the beach fronting the base and the proposed easement around the base appear unrelated, many Kaua‘i residents brought access up when discussing what was then called the “passive-encroachment buffer” at the meeting with the DLNR in November.
As Kekaha resident Raymond Mierta said at the November DLNR meeting, the original Executive Order in 1940 guaranteed access to the beach except in times of bombing.
“That’s an (Executive Order) you are already violating,” said Mierta. “What’s to say you won’t violate” the buffer?
At the Kekaha meeting, Connelly discussed the beach-access issue, even though access was taken off the Ka Leo O Kaua‘i Kekaha priority list.
Kaua‘i Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste, who attended the meeting, said there were some people upset that access had been taken off the priority list.
The plan is to go through the prioritization process at this month’s meeting (Tuesday, Feb. 24, Kekaha Neighborhood Center, 7 p.m.), where it could be re-listed, said Cyndi Mei Ozaki, county public information officer.
“Positive discussions took place between some members of the Kekaha community and Captain Connelly,” said Baptiste. “Both sides were appreciative of the ideas and opinions of the other.
“It’s important for people to remember that Captain Connelly does not have the final say in this matter, but he’s being an advocate for people to regain as much access as possible,” he added.
“Captain Connelly understands the importance of access, and is trying to balance military security with providing as much access as possible to the public,” Baptiste said.
According to Bruce Pleas, co-founder of the West Kaua‘i Access Committee, the meeting was a good chance to discuss the problems of beach access on the base, and hear more about the 5,860-acre proposal and the lease.
“We appreciate his presence, and look forward to further meetings,” said Pleas. “This is the way the process works.”
Greg Holzman, another co-founder of the access committee, said it was his first meeting with Connelly.
“I was happy to meet Captain Connelly,” he said. “He was very informative. It was great to meet him eye-to-eye, face-to-face.”
While the meeting was productive, access issues still remain unsolved.
Beach-goers with appropriate passes can go to Major’s Bay seven days a week, but fishermen and gatherers cannot use the areas around Nohili Ditch, a traditional fishing and gathering grounds for generations.
“That, to me, is one of the most important issues that has not been met,” said Holzman. “It is so important to the Hawaiian culture.”
“The Hawaiians use Nohili Point for food, and they have not been able to go out there” since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Holzman added. “They are the silent ones” who have been hurt most by closing access to the base.
“No one has contested publicly the takeover of our beaches,” he continued. “Until we see something in writing, it is a state beach.
“The whole (takeover) was because of security. Yet, their lack of concern about certain security issues is our concern,” Holzman said. “We feel that we can have our security and still have our beach.”
“We are the front edge of their sword,” said Pleas.
“Sometimes I feel that I’m more concerned with their security than they are,” added Holzman.
Holzman and Pleas started the access committee in response to the lack of access at the base, they said. The committee is open to all people who use the Westside, they said.
“Right now, the issue is beach access. If anything comes up” relating to access on the Westside, they will help facilitate discussion.
“We’re asking for help,” said Holzman, to get the committee off the ground.
They circulated two petitions at the Nov. 13 meeting, one asking that any Board of Land and Natural Resources meeting concerning PMRF’s requests be held on Kaua‘i.
The other demands Hawai‘i state beaches be returned to the citizens, and requests the DLNR conduct an investigation into the taking of the state beaches fronting PMRF and the request for control of the ocean fronting PMRF.
They gathered over 200 signatures on the petitions, and sent copies of them to 13 county, state and federal elected officials.
Only U.S. Rep. Ed Case, D-Neighbor Islands-rural O‘ahu, responded. And he sent his response letter to all those who signed the petitions.
The Case letter “is a prime example of the way the democratic process works,” said Pleas. “This is the right way to work with the military — to go through our federal representatives. This is the process.”
“We invite Case to set up a meeting with the community to work out solutions,” said Holzman. The men also invited other community members “to come up with a broad spectrum of ideas.”
As for Case’s letter, they were happy about the reply, but were afraid some signers might have thrown the letters away.
The letter acknowledged receipt of the petition, and added that more discussion is necessary.
“I have spent many months trying to give surfers, fisherman, and others more access to PMRF’s beaches,” said Case, “and I have often told the base commander that we need to do all we can to help restore the lines of communication between the military and the local community.
“I personally believe the military has not clearly explained its wishes for the agricultural land surrounding the base, which only complicates the situation,” said Case.
“I am also hopeful that more public meetings will be held on Kaua‘i, and I am very eager to hear from individuals like you to fully understand how the community feels about this proposal,” he wrote.
“We are happy to begin to understand the base’s issues,” said Holzman. “We look forward to another meeting” with Connelly.
Staff Writer Tom Finnegan may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or mailto:tfinnegan@pulitzer.net.
