HI SR136

A brush fire ignited on the western end of Kahoolawe Island on February 22, 2020, and burned approximately 9,000 acres, or about one-third of the island.

Firefighting efforts were hampered by the presence of unexploded ordnance from over 50 years of U.S. Navy bombing practice; approximately 65% of the island's surface has been cleared of ordnance, 10% to a depth of four feet, and 25% (6,690 acres) remains uncleared.

The Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission's upland field storage area suffered complete loss of storage structures, equipment, supplies, materials, motor vehicles, construction equipment, and all-terrain vehicles essential for island infrastructure maintenance and restoration efforts.

The Senate urges all state departments and agencies to cooperate and provide technical, engineering, or logistical support to the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission for recovery and restoration efforts.

Certified copies of the resolution shall be transmitted to the Governor and Executive Director of the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission.