PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, Hawaiʻi – The U.S. Navy, in cooperation with the Missile Defense Agency, prepared a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for land-based training and testing at Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF). The Navy evaluated the potential environmental impacts of the Proposed Action to continue conducting land-based, multi-domain (air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace) training and testing, including an increase in activities among the military services on lands under federal jurisdiction at PMRF and Ka‘ula Island. No new types of training or testing activities are proposed at PMRF or Ka‘ula Island; the activities proposed are currently being or have previously been conducted at these locations and are similar to those previously analyzed.
The Navy sincerely thanks all who participated in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for this important project. Members of the public, Native Hawaiian Organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and State of Hawaiʻi agencies provided valuable input and shared their cultural, ecological, and traditional knowledge of Kauaʻi and Kaʻula Island to improve and strengthen the environmental impact analysis. Public involvement is an integral part of the NEPA and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106 processes.
The Final EA contains changes, such as the consideration of eliminating training on Ka‘ula Island, the incorporation of additional bird survey information, a thorough explanation of the cultural understanding of Ka‘ula Island, how the Navy addressed other applicable laws and consultations, and inclusion of the Navy’s responses to comments submitted on the Draft EA by the public and local, state, and federal stakeholders.
Based on the analysis presented in the Final EA, consideration of public comments received on the Draft EA, and potential effects on historic properties, the Navy determined that implementation of its Proposed Action would not have reasonably foreseeable significant effects on the quality of the human or natural environment. As a result, an Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared. A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) has been signed and is available at www.nepa.navy.mil/pmrflbttea.
Final EA and FONSI Availability The public can download the Final EA and FONSI at www.nepa.navy.mil/pmrflbttea or view a printed copy at the Waimea or Līhuʻe public libraries.
Ongoing Memorandum of Agreement In accordance with the NHPA, the Navy is consulting with Native Hawaiian Organizations and the Hawaiʻi State Historic Preservation Officer to develop a memorandum of agreement that will minimize or mitigate adverse effects on Kaʻula Island, a recently identified traditional cultural place. While this consultation is pending, no training will occur on the island unless the Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet authorizes it for national defense or national security purposes.
Information regarding this ongoing process will be available on the PMRF Land-Based Training and Testing EA website at www.nepa.navy.mil/pmrflbttea.
For media inquiries, please contact PMRF Public Affairs by telephone at 808-335-4740 or email at PMRFPublicAffairs@us.navy.mil.
| Date Taken: | 09.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.22.2025 19:45 |
| Story ID: | 549008 |
| Location: | KEKAHA, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 53 |
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