Hawai'i Sentinel Landscape

  • Hawai'i

  • Established 2024

About

The Hawaiʻi Sentinel Landscape spans over two million acres, featuring priority conservation, agricultural, and Department of Defense (DOD) mission lands on the islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Hawaiʻi Island. Given Hawaiʻi’s land scarcity, these areas offer a chance to promote the conservation of natural and cultural resources, mitigate encroachment threats, and promote land use that complements military activities.

Key military installations within this landscape include: Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hawaiʻi Island; Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauaʻi; and Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and U.S. Army Garrison Hawaiʻi on Oʻahu. These sites support the Military Services in maintaining regional power balances in the Indo-Pacific, enabling forces to coordinate on training that fosters a resilient and rapidly innovating Joint Force to deter aggression.

In Hawaiʻi, rapid urban and residential development threatens agricultural lands, native forests, and critical habitat while also obstructing low elevation flight and drone training, radar, and communication antennas. Environmental threats further challenge military readiness, community resilience, and cultural resources. For example, sea level rise and extreme weather anomalies erode shorelines, increase flooding, and impact underground aquifers. Extended drought periods impact freshwater resources and lead to more frequent wildfires. The Hawaiʻi Sentinel Landscape enables more than 20 federal, state, local, and private organization partners to collaborate on landscape-scale solutions to address these shared challenges.

Map

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Meet the Coordinator

 

Emma Anders SL

Emma Anders

emma@legacyworksgroup.com 

Emma Anders started as the Coordinator of the Hawaiʻi Sentinel Landscape (HSL) in spring of 2025. A graduate of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Emma grew up in Waimea on Hawaiʻi island where she developed a deep appreciation for the wet ʻōhiʻa forests of Kohala and the clear and warm waters of West Hawaiʻi coral ecosystems. Prior to joining the Sentinel Landscape program, Emma was the Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance & Foundation, a HSL partner. With nearly 2 decades of experience working in natural resource stewardship planning, project and program development, and partnership coordination, Emma is looking forward to advancing the HSL priorities through collaborative strategic action of a robust partnership.