A series of public hearings on the Army's draft supplemental environmental impact statement for live-fire training in Makua Valley begins tonight at the Nanakuli High School cafeteria.

The meetings are designed to give Hawai'i residents the chance to voice their opinions on the use of Makua Military Reservation.

William Aila, spokesman for the community group Hui Malama O Makua, urged the public to show up at the meetings to voice their concerns about the supplemental environmental study, which describes the Army's plan to conduct up to 50 company-level combined arms live-fire exercises in the valley each year.

Hui Malama believes there are sacred Hawaiian sites in the valley that could be irreparably harmed.

"The action proposed and the alternative proposals do not meet the community's needs," Aila said. "The most reasonable alternative, which is to train elsewhere, is not analyzed objectively because the criteria used to rate the alternatives are heavily weighted in favor of training continuing at Makua."

The Army views Makua as critical because it is one of the few Hawai'i locations where an entire company of soldiers could use live ammunition in exercises. The last live-fire exercises at Makua were in 2004.

The original draft environmental impact statement was issued by the Army in 2005 but had to be revised following Hui Malama's lawsuit against the Army.

A final EIS is expected in spring 2009.

Each of the four meetings begins at 5:30 p.m. with an open house of the supplemental study. Public comment sessions run from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

The other meetings are: