[March 30, 2015]

Monsanto Donates Land to Preserve Honouliuli Internment Camp Site as Part of National Park Service

Monsanto Company recently donated land, used by the government for the Honouliuli Internment Camp Site during World War II, to the National Park Service for a National Monument. Tomorrow Monsanto officials will attend a private ceremony with local community leaders, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Deputy Director of the National Park Service Peggy O'Dell (News - Alert), to dedicate the new Honouliuli National Monument. The designation was announced by President Obama on Feb. 19.

"We're honored to participate in the celebration of the new Honouliuli National Monument and reach this historic milestone in the community's efforts to preserve the Honouliuli Internment Camp as part of the U.S. National Park System," said Alan Takemoto, Monsanto's Community Affairs Manager for Hawaii. "Transferring ownership of this land to the Federal Government is the result of years of planning and coordination. We're very proud to be part of this collaboration, from donating 123 acres for establishment of the National Monument, to working on site preparations with distinctive organizations like the National Park Service, the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, and the University of Hawaii."

In 2007, Monsanto acquired farmland in Kunia that included the site of the former Honouliuli Internment Camp. At that time, the company pledged to work with the community to preserve the camp site for its historic value. Since then, Monsanto has been collaborating closely with local organizations in the hopes of establishing the Honouliuli Internment Camp as a National Historic Site. Monsanto donated the land n late 2014 to help achieve that goal, and is presently working to donate an additional 22 acres, which will bring Monsanto's total land donation to 143 acres. Over the years, Monsanto has welcomed more than 1,000 people to the Kunia farm and the Honouliuli site for various educational activities and observances.

"There's still a lot of work ahead, and Monsanto will continue to support the vision for Honouliuli," added Takemoto. "This site is an important part of Hawaii's history and should be preserved for future generations, which is why Monsanto is very passionate about this effort. We look forward to seeing the Honouliuli National Monument come to full fruition."

A new video features the story of Honouliuli: http://www.monsantohawaii.com/video/honouliuli-preserving-history-for-future-generations/. For more information on Monsanto's participation in preserving the Honouliuli Internment Camp, visit: http://www.monsantohawaii.com/community/giving/honouliuli-internment-camp/.

About Monsanto Company

Monsanto is committed to bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We produce seeds for fruits, vegetables and key crops - such as corn, soybeans and cotton - that help farmers have better harvests while using water and other important resources more efficiently. We work to find sustainable solutions for soil health, help farmers use data to improve farming practices and conserve natural resources, and provide crop protection products to minimize damage from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities and others to help tackle some of the world's biggest challenges. To learn more about Monsanto, our commitments and our more than 20,000 dedicated employees, please visit: discover.monsanto.com and monsanto.com. Follow our business on Twitter (News - Alert)® at twitter.com/MonsantoCo, on the company blog, Beyond the Rows® at monsantoblog.com or subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed.

Editor's Note: For high resolution photos of the site, please email the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii at [email protected].

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]