1991 Defense Appropriation Act Case Study

On March 18, 1981, the entire island was listed on the National Register for Historical Places and designated the Kaho`olawe Archaeological District. At the request of then representative/senate candidate Patricia Saiki, President Bush, two weeks before the 90s election, told the Secretary of Defense to immediately cease the use of Kaho 'olawe as a weapons range. During the same period of time, Senator Akaka, was competeing with Mrs. Saiki for the senate seat, introduced legislation to create a Kaho 'olawe conveyance commission. This proposal became part of the 1991 Defense Appropriations Act [PL 101-511, Sec. 8118]. Section 8118 established the Kaho`olawe Island Conveyance Commission to recommend terms and conditions for the conveyance of

Pres. William J. Clinton signed a fiscal year 1993 appropriations act that conveyed title of the island back to the state and entered into a memorandum of understanding with the state about cleaning up and controlling the land.
In 1993, Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii sponsored Title X of the Fiscal Year 1994 Department of Defense Appropriation Act (PL 103-139, 107 Stat. 1418. 1479-1484). Title X authorized conveyance of Kaho`olawe and its surrounding waters to Hawaii nei. It also provided for the clearance or discharge of unexploded ordnance and environmental restoration of the island, to provide meaningful safe use of the island for appropriate cultural, historical, archaeological, and educational purposes, as determined by Hawaii.
In May of 1993, the Navy concluded the eradication of feral goats from the island allowing grass to return to the island 's surface. While the grass holds soil and prevents further erosion its return makes the task of finding and removing unexploded bombs all the more difficult. Kiawe a tree not native to Hawaii, was introduced to Kahoolawe during attempts starting in the 1920 's to use the island for sheep and cattle ranching. (it was brought to hawaii so the kiawe would poke the hawaiians feet when they walk

The state of Hawaii accepted responsibility for access to Kaho 'olawe and thanked the Navy for cleaning up the island at a ceremony 12 November 2003, at the Queen Iolani palace in downtown Honolulu. Rear Adm. Barry McCullough, commander, Navy Region Hawaii and commander, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, was on hand as a Navy representative at the ceremony. Hawaii had title to Kaho 'olawe since May 1994. The Navy confined the right to control access to the island during cleanup. The right to access control expired on Veterans ' Day. The cleanup had taken the Navy almost a decade. In that time, workers have disposed of ordnance from more than 20,000 acres of land of the 26,000 accessible acres on the island. The only evidence of "military presence" remain on Kaho 'olawe was that which the state allowed. For example, spotting towers and concrete protective towers remain on the island, as does an old Seabee camp. A 9.5-mile cross-island road known as as K-1 will