More than 20 years after the last live-fire exercise in 2004, the U.S. Army has permanently closed the Makua Military Reservation on the island of Oahu.
The closure, which took effect on October 1, marks the end of a decades-long legal battle over the cultural preservation of the nearly 5,000-acre valley. The Army began using the area for military training following the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, a move that displaced Native Hawaiian residents from land considered sacred.
According to Earthjustice, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that represented the activist group Malama Makua, years of live-fire exercises destroyed cultural sites and sparked wildfires. The reservation is also home to more than 40 endangered and threatened species.
In 2023, the Pentagon pledged to permanently end live-fire training on the grounds. Activists hailed the decision as a step toward reclaiming the land.
“Cultural access to the area will continue for Malama Makua without interruption. Wildland fire suppression maintenance and security activities will also continue,” the Army said in a November release.
While the ground is closed to live fire, the service stated it will continue to use the airspace above the valley. The closure is part of a broader reduction in the Army’s footprint on Oahu.
The Army pledged in 2025 not to seek new rights on state-leased lands. The service is downsizing its leasehold area on the island by 19,500 acres, which includes 5,900 acres of state-leased land, while shifting training on nearby federally managed property to other parts of Oahu.
Military leases across Hawaii are set to expire in 2029.
Military use of Native Hawaiian lands has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers regarding local community consultation. In May, Dan Driscoll pledged to follow up with Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI, to address concerns surrounding the service’s leasing negotiations.
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