The transfer of 300-plus acres of state land on Molokai, formerly held by the Air Force to support Apollo space missions, is unequivocally good news, especially given the housing needs of the landowner, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. This lease dates back to the 1960s, at Apollo’s start.

The question (other than “Why did the transfer take so long?”) is: If the military wants to keep large areas central to its mission, such as Pohakuloa on Hawaii island, could other, more peripheral holdings be released?