The island of Kahoolawe is the smallest Hawaiian island among the eight main Hawaiian Islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, the Big Island, Lanai, Niihau and Kahoolawe. It is only 12 miles long, 45 square miles in size and uninhabited.
Similar to Alcatraz Island near San Francisco, the island of Kahoolawe was once used for prisoners. Later, the U.S. military took control of Kahoolawe and used it for training purposes. In 1994, the federal government returned Kahoolawe to the state of Hawaii, but access to it was limited until 2003 because the U.S. Navy had to clean up the island first. Unexploded ordnance remained a major safety concern.
Today, the island is controlled and managed by the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission. The Navy's clearance project removed some unexploded ordnance, but the work was incomplete. About 75 percent of the island was surface-cleared, about 10 percent was additionally cleared to a depth of four feet, and the remaining 25 percent was not cleared and remains unsafe for unescorted access.
In the far past, Kahoolawe was a green island with plants and flowers. But then goats were brought to the island and they ate and damaged the vegetation. Also, the strong ocean winds contributed to the erosion of the island and it became dry and rocky. This happened long before the military took control over Kahoolawe.
The state of Hawaii has already begun the restoration of Kahoolawe by removing the grazing animals and planting vegetation. It will be a long process and it will take many years until Kahoolawe is more fully restored. Until then, visits to the island will be highly limited. Anyone who wants to go to Kahoolawe needs authorization from the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission.
