Office of Hawaiian Affairs board of trustees chair Kai Kahele is appealing to Congress to press the military to engage with Native Hawaiian groups in negotiations for leases on state-owned training lands.

In a letter dated Monday to the leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, Kahele expressed support for a section in Congress’s annual defense funding bill — which is expected to be finalized this week — that authorizes the military to seek new leases or land exchanges with the state for ongoing training.

But he also called for lawmakers to amend the section to require that military officials consult with OHA and Native Hawaiian organizations as they press forward with land negotiations.

Kahele’s expressed “strong personal support” for the section and said he wants to “

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