Legislator's proposals 'proactive' in protecting state's bases
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
State Rep. Cynthia Thielen plans to introduce five bills in January aimed at helping protect Hawai'i military bases from any closures in 2005, in part by addressing the issue of "encroachment" — development and environmental laws impacting bases.
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"We need to be proactive, because if we don't protect military installations from civilian encroachment, all of a sudden, we're going to be faced with, 'These bases should be shut,' " said Thielen, R-50th (Kailua, Mokapu).
The military has a huge influence on Hawai'i's economy, said Rep. Cynthia Thielen.
Among the requirements would be the notification of military commanders of proposed land-use changes within 3,000 feet of military land, the need for an environmental assessment to see if the changes would affect training, and proceedings before the Land Use Commission to determine potential effects on bases.
Other states have hired lobbyists and are creating task forces to keep Pentagon cost-cutters at bay. Hawai'i instead is relying largely on its Washington delegation.
Four rounds of base closures between 1988 and 1995 saved $16 billion through fiscal 2001, according to the Pentagon. Estimates are that the Defense Department has 20 percent to 25 percent excess capacity.
Encroachment, which has become a bugaboo for the military, is expected to be one factor in determining which bases should be shut down in 2005.
Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, who commands the Atlantic Fleet, told the Senate Armed Services Committee in March that encroachment has increased significantly over the past three decades.
"Training areas that were originally located in isolated areas are today surrounded by recreational facilities, urban and suburban sprawl, and constrained by state and federal environmental laws and regulations and cumbersome permitting processes which negatively impact our ability to train," Fallon said.
Thielen, who also is proposing a bill that would recognize military bases as areas of "critical state concern," said the military has a huge influence on Hawai'i's economy. According to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, defense spending totaled $3.47 billion in 2000.
The military traditionally hasn't weighed in on proposed land uses, Thielen said. That changed somewhat with the Navy recently asking to be included in the decision-making process on the use of 6,000 acres of state-owned land next to the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kaua'i if the property is to be used for anything other than agriculture.
The Navy said it benefits from the undeveloped neighboring land because there is little light to obscure the night sky, and no electrical equipment that could degrade electronic sensors.
Thielen also wants military bases that generate power to be able to feed excess energy into utility companies' grids without having to go through lengthy Public Utilities Commission proceedings.
Fort Shafter, meanwhile, is one of the few Hawai'i bases mentioned as a possible candidate for closure.
"I would hope that Fort Shafter would not be on the chopping block, or, were it to be, I would hope that all of the functions of that installation could be transferred to another place in Hawai'i on O'ahu," Thielen said.
Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.
