Archive for December, 2017

Nov. 30, 2017 Hilo community meeting on military impact to cultural resources at Pohakuloa

Monday, December 11th, 2017

Nov. 30, 2017 Hilo community meeting on military impact to cultural resources at Pohakuloa

VIDEO: People’s Hearing On Pohakuloa In Hilo

Pohakuloa lands

Monday, December 11th, 2017

The military Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) 132,000-acres located in the center of Hawaii island.

Approximately 84,000 areas seized thru 1964 Presidential executive order; approximately 23,000 acres leased from the State; approximately 23,000 purchased from Parker Ranch. Total 132,000 acres.  Some sources say 133,000-acres

Pohakuloa leased lands in purple, Presidential executive order seized lands in orange, bought lands from Parker ranch in yellow

Army Adds Insult to Injury

Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

Dear Ms. Graham

(National Environmental Policy Act )NEPA Program Manager
U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii ,

As you must know as someone involved in an Environmental Assessment of a “Cultural Resource Management Plan,” Hawaii is predominantly an oral culture, over a written word.  I therefore respectfully request that if you truly value culture and public input, review the oral testimonies, not only mine, but all the others that took the time to come out to community meetings under very serious weather conditions to testify.  It is added insult to injury to ask the injured parties to transcribe their oral comments. The Army, not the community, should have sponsored those community meetings and you should have had a stenographer there to transcribe the oral comments if that ‘s what you prefer.  The Army was invited to the meetings and didn’t have the courtesy to attend.  I personally talked with PTA Public Affairs Officer, Eric Hamilton, and requested the Army have such community meetings for public comment.  His response was “The Army is not required by law to have community meetings for public comment and therefore we are not going to do so.”

Again, I request you make this email and my email below a part of the written record  and also include not only my oral comments at the Nov. 30, 2017  Hilo Community meeting but the links I provided below of all the people’s oral testimony at that Nov. 30, 2018 Community meeting in Hilo and the Dec. 1 community meeting in Kona which I understand submitted a DVD of oral testimonies of the PTA Cultural resource management plan.  Given the amount of money the Army spends bombing Hawaii, surely you can afford a stenographer to transcribe the oral comments if necessary of peoples opposition to that bombing. The meaning of Pohakuloa is “The Land of the Night of Long Prayer.  Desecration, by bombing such an area is NOT an Hawaiian tradition.

With gratitude and aloha,

Jim Albertini

On 12/6/2017 4:10 PM, Graham, Lisa M CIV USARMY IMCOM PACIFIC (US) wrote:

Mr. Albertini,

This email confirms receipt of your comments on the proposed implementation of the Integrated Cultural Resources Management Plans. We greatly appreciate you taking time to review the documents and provide your feedback. We value the community’s input and will not make a final decision on the implementation of the plans until after reviewing public comments.

As a reminder, we are accepting written comments via email or mail during this public comment period.  If you need additional time to transcribe the content of your video so that it may be submitted as written comment, please email it by close of business Monday, December 11, 2017  to usarmy.wheeler.id-pacific.list.community-relations@mail.mil.

Mahalo,

Lisa Graham
NEPA Program Manager
U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii

—–Original Message—–
From: Jim Albertini [mailto:ja@malu-aina.org]
Sent: Tuesday, December 5, 2017 8:48 PM
To: USARMY Wheeler AAF ID-Pacific List Community Relations <usarmy.wheeler.id-pacific.list.community-relations@mail.mil>
Subject: [Non-DoD Source] U.S. Army Garrison-Pohakuloa 2017 Draft Integrated Cultural Resource Management Plan /Comment

All active links contained in this email were disabled. Please verify the identity of the sender, and confirm the authenticity of all links contained within the message prior to copying and pasting the address to a Web browser.

________________________________

Please include this for the record —– testimony calling for a full EIS, not simply an EA on U.S. Army Garrison-Pohakuloa 2017 Draft Integrated Cultural Resource Management Plan.

Please initiate a Full Environmental Impact Statement on military impacts to Hawaiian Cultural resources at Pohakuloa.

Please include this video of my testimony at a People’s hearing on the issues.

Caution-http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2017/12/01/video-jim-albertini-testifies-about-pohakuloa-ea/ < Caution-http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2017/12/01/video-jim-albertini-testifies-about-pohakuloa-ea/ > Also include for the record the complete testimony of the people’s hearing on the issues.Testimony and Comments on The Integrated Cultural Resource Management Plan for Pohakuloa Training Ar < Caution-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmEBdtyYchg&feature=youtu.be > In short you need to disclose how many and what kinds of live-rounds are fired annually at PTA, including if B-1, B-2, and B-52 bombers still fly from Guam, Louisiana, and Missouri to bomb at Pohakuloa.  List all the other kind of firing systems and the number and kinds of weapons used at PTA.  Answer questions submitted in writing to LT Col. Marquez on Sept. 30, 2016 which to date I have not received any answers. Cover letter 9/30/16 of packet handed to Lt.Col. Marquez is below.

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

Christopher M. Marquez

LTC, FA

Commanding Officer

U.S. Army Garrison

Pohakuloa Training Area

P.O. Box 4607

Hilo, Hawaii 96720-0607                                                                                                                                                                                                         September 30, 2016

Aloha LTC Marquez,

       Attached is a (26 page) packet of background material and questions presented to several former commanding officers of this command, some dating back to 2007 that have yet to be answered. I hope that finally you will provide answers. As citizens, we deserve answers.

       The following three points represent a summary of deep concerns not only representing our organization but many others on Hawaii Island: A) We consider the Army’s occupation of PTA illegal and will continue to work toward returning the entire area back to Kanaka Maoli sovereignty; B) We also consider military continuing bombing and live fire at PTA desecration of the land, grotesque destruction of the environment, and violation of the trust agreement implicit in the lease with the DLNR; C) In the meantime, we demand and expect the Army to respect the 2008 County of Hawaii Resolution 639-08, especially the points regarding stopping live fire, setting up a transparent and high-tech permanent monitoring system and thorough cleanup of Depleted Uranium(DU) and other toxic chemicals already present…

       Thank you for your assistance.

With gratitude and aloha,

Jim Albertini

President

P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawaii 96760

Phone 808-966-7622 < tel:808-966-7622 >  Email ja@malu-aina.org < Caution-mailto:ja@malu-aina.org >  Caution-www.malu-aina.org < Caution-http://www.malu-aina.org >

Also on Sept. 30, 2016 I hand delivered to :t. Col. Marquez another letter with 3 requests, one requesting access for Makahiki ceremony to a cultural site –the ahu at Pu’u Kapele that I and others built years back.   See below.  To date that access has been denied.

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

Christopher M. Marquez

LTC, FA

Commanding Officer

U.S. Army Garrison

Pohakuloa Training Area

P.O. Box 4607

Hilo, Hawaii 967200607                                                                                                                                                                                                          September 30, 2016

Aloha LTC Marquez,

I read the Sunday, July 31, 2016 Hawaii Tribune-Herald, Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce (HICC) Activity Special Report, where there was a photo of a military drone and caption “Pohakuloa Advisory Council and MAC (Military Affairs Committee) members tour the Pohakuloa Training Area on page 13. Our organization would like to request a similar briefing and tour to that of the HICC. Among sites we would like to visit besides the drone field, and the launch pads for the Davy Crockett DU spotting rounds, is the ahu at the base of Pu’u Ka Pele to offer ho’okupu during Makahiki that I and many others, including the Kapele family from Kona and members of Royal Order of Kamehameha constructed quite a few years back. We would request a weekend visit during the month of November.

Mahalo for your assistance in this matter.

With gratitude and aloha,

Jim Albertini

President

P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawaii 96760

Phone 808-966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org < Caution-mailto:ja@malu-aina.org >  Caution-www.malu-aina.org < Caution-http://www.malu-aina.org/ >

  

— Jim AlbertiniMalu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & ActionP.O. Box 489Kurtistown, Hawaii 96760Phone 808-966-7622email ja@malu-aina.org < Caution-mailto:ja@malu-aina.org > visit us on the web at Caution-www.malu-aina.org < Caution-http://www.malu-aina.org > sign up on our website to automatically receive our posts

Today is Final Day for Pohakuloa Comments on EA Cultural Resource Management Plan

Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

REMINDER

Today is the final day to make public comment on the Pohakuloa Cultural Resource Management Plan.  Even if you have not read the report, you can make public comment on your knowledge and perceptions of the military impacts on the PTA.  

Send to tousaghi.pao.comrel@us.army.mil
 
The EA can be found at https://www.garrison.hawaii.army.mil/NEPA/Documents/USAG-P_ICRMP%20&%20EA_Draft%20FNSI_revised.pdf and can submit comments.  Comments can be or mailed to: Directorate of Public Works, U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaii Environmental Division (IMHW-PWE) 947 Wright Ave., Wheeler Army Airfield Schofield Barracks, HI 96857-5013.
 
Mahalo

Follow the Money!

Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

Always Money for War!

But NOT for Human Needs – Housing, Health Care, Cleaning up the environment, Education, etc.

      According to a Dec. 1, 2017 Civil Beat article, Congress, by a 356-70 vote in the House and 89-9 in the Senate, agreed to give the military even more money than President Donald Trump had requested. Trump had asked for about $675 billion; they authorized $700 billion instead. In the House, Hawaii Rep. Hanabusa voted for the war funding. Tulsi Gabbard voted against it. In the Senate both Hawaii Senators Schatz and Hirono voted for the war funding. Shame on Hanabusa, Hirono and Schatz. Kudos for Tulsi Gabbard.

      The enormous U.S. military presence in Hawaii makes Hawaii a prime target in any global conflict. Remember Pearl Harbor! Today, nearly 25% of Oahu is controlled by the U.S. military that includes more than 100 military installations. Oahu houses major military commands and weapon systems. Nearly 2 dozen nuclear submarines are home-ported at Pearl Harbor. Camp H.M. Smith in Halawa Heights above Aloha Stadium is the home of the Pacific Command –PACOM that controls half the earth. Hickam is the headquarters of the Pacific Air Force, Schofield   Barracks houses the Army’s 25 Infantry Brigade and Kaneohe stations Marine Corps Aircraft. The center of Hawaii Island has the largest live-fire joint military training area (133,000-acres) outside the continental U.S. – the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA). The U.S. military is the greatest polluter on the planet. It robs and pollutes Hawaii’s precious lands and waters, increases the problems of homelessness for local people, and steals money that should be going to uplift people through health care, education, etc. instead of training to invade other countries and rob them of their resources. It’s time to go in a different direction.

Peace Now!  De-Militarize Hawaii & the world!

  1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties.
    4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
    5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

Contact: Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box 489 Kurtistown, Hawai’i 96760 Phone (808) 966-7622. Email: ja@malu-aina.org

Sign up on our website to receive our posts  http://www.malu-aina.org/

Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet Dec. 8, 2017– 846th week – Fridays 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office