FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Senator J. Kalani English
Chair, Committee on Energy and the Environment
State Capitol, Room 205
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: (808) 587-7225

CONTACT: J. Kalani English (808) 280-0626

PRESS RELEASE
November 10, 2003

KAHO`OLAWE STATE SENATOR MARKS HISTORIC OCCASION

Senator J. Kalani English, (District 6, Hana, East Maui, Upcountry, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Kaho`olawe) announced today that John and Tweety Lind will represent him at the formal ceremony that marks the official transfer of control of the Island of Kaho`olawe from the US Navy to the state's Kaho`olawe Island Reserve Commission. John and Tweety Lind who manage the Living Farm in Kipahulu, Maui represent the spirit of renewal that is the key to Kaho`olawe's future.

Senator English representing the Island of Kaho`olawe and the only member of the Hawaii Senate of Hawaiian ancestry remarked, "I look forward to this historic event and participating in the healing and revitalization of the island. I am truly grateful that the Island of Kaho`olawe is finally being returned to state stewardship on behalf of the Hawaiian Nation."

The formal ceremony will occur on November 12th at noon on the `Iolani Palace grounds.

Governor Linda Lingle and other dignitaries are scheduled to attend the observance, which will follow a Hawaiian cultural ceremony of chants at the `ahu on the palace grounds. Invitations have gone out to members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, Navy officials, state lawmakers, trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Maui County officials, members of the Protect Kaho`olawe Ohana, and native Hawaiian groups.

"While the federal government still has the responsibility to clean up ordnance on the island," said Senator English, "an important step has occurred by returning the planning, administration, and restoration of Kaho`olawe to the people of Hawai`i." He added, "Transition of the island is particularly powerful and meaningful for Hawaiians, as it is intrinsically tied to the issue of federal recognition for Native Hawaiians. The cultural significance of the island and its return to Hawaii cannot be overestimated."

Although the official hand-over date is November 11th, Veterans Day, the formal ceremonies were delayed until November 12th so key government officials could attend.

In 1993, Congress approved spending up to $400 million through November 2003 to clear the ordnance and required Kaho`olawe's return to state control. Also in 1993, the Legislature established the Kaho`olawe Island Reserve and the Kaho`olawe Island Reserve Commission to manage it, directing that the island and its surrounding waters can be used only for native Hawaiian cultural, spiritual and subsistence purposes and prohibiting commercial uses.

The Navy reports ordnance has been cleared from the surface of 19,709 acres out of 28,000 acres of the island including acreage cleared to a subsurface area of 2,522 acres, exceeding the goals the Navy set when the cleanup contract was awarded in 1997. However, money for continuing the restoration and cultural activities on the island along with the state's liability remains a concern for the state. The Kaho`olawe Island Reserve Commission has reported that Congress has approved another $18 million for the Navy to finalize its clearance operations. The Navy is expected to leave the island by March 12, 2004.

END