Kahoolawe Essay

Kahoolawe went through a lot. Today there are many volunteers trying to restore the island back to life. It was first discovered by the early Hawaiians who later settled there. Years later the Hawaiian government released ranch leases to the Americans. When the America took over Hawaii, the navy used it as a bombing range during World War 2. Years later President George W. Bush Sr. stopped the bombing, as of now the island is under restoration. Kahoolawe has been through a lot from being ranch land, to being a bombing range during World War 2, to becoming a place of restoration projects. The earliest settlement on Kahoolawe was around 1000 A.D.. Due to the small amount of water, researchers believed that the population never went over a few hundred people. Kahoolawe was mostly used as an outdoor classroom for navigation and learning how to read the stars. (Kaho’olawe: Sacred Hawaiian Island) Around 1853 the Hawaiian Government began to lease land to ranchers. Though this started the overgrazing of livestock, the island lost most of its vegetation. With the unrelenting winds most of the topsoil was blown away, leaving Kahoolawe a wasteland. (Kaho’olawe Island) December 7, 1941 Japanese bombers bombed the warships that were stationed in

orders a stop to the bombings. In 1993 Senator Daniel K. Inouye authorizes $400 million for ordnance removal on the island and in the water. In 2004 the US Navy ends the Kahoolawe UXO project. They had only completed 75% of the island surface and only 10% of that area had been cleared to the depth of 4 feet. 25% of the island has not been cleared and unescorted access to these parts are unsafe. (Kaho’olawe History) Today the island in undergoing constant removal of unexploded ordnance and the restoration of native plants. Though much of the island is still to be said unsafe for human access PKO and KIRK’s goal is to restore the whole island. (Kaho’olawe