Board of Regents to consider proposed Maunakea administrative rules at August meeting

The University of Hawaiʻi administration is asking the UH Board of Regents (BOR) to consider approving the latest draft of the proposed administrative rules that will govern public and commercial activities on UH-managed lands on Maunakea [Chapter 20-26, Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules]. The measure will be taken up at the BOR’s August 22 meeting on the UH Mānoa campus. It was initially scheduled for the July 18 BOR meeting but has been rescheduled a month so the university can fully consider all written and oral submissions submitted during the June 2019 public hearings process.

The latest draft of the rules will be publicly posted at least six days prior to the August meeting, and members of the public will have the opportunity to provide written and in-person testimony.

The regents could approve the rules provided there are no substantial changes, request a third round of formal public hearings on new draft rules that are substantially different from the current draft or defer decision-making. If approved by the regents, the rules will proceed through the remainder of the administrative rules process to Gov. David Ige for final review and approval.

This is the latest step in the development of the Maunakea administrative rules. Following initial public outreach and consultations, the first round of four public hearings was held in September 2018 on Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Oʻahu. A revised draft was prepared based on the comments and concerns received during those public hearings. That revised draft was then shared with stakeholder groups and the public during a three-month, informal outreach process that started in January 2019.

A second round of four public hearings was held in June 2019 on Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Oʻahu. The latest draft will include revisions based on comments received during the second round of hearings.

The Office of Maunakea Management is charged with day-to-day management of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve as prescribed in the Master Plan. The adoption of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve Master Plan by the University of Hawaii Board of Regents in June 2000 marked a critical milestone in the management of Maunakea.

Meetings and public hearings spanning a period of nearly two years went into the formulation of the Master Plan, which established management guidelines for the next 20 years. The Master Plan reflected the community’s deeply rooted concerns over the use of Maunakea, including respect for Hawaiian cultural beliefs, protection of environmentally sensitive habitat, recreational use of the mountain, and astronomy research.

It places the focus of responsibility with the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UHH). The UH-Hilo Chancellor established the Office of Maunakea Management and the Board of Regents established the Maunakea Management Board in the fall of 2000. The Maunakea Management Board in turn formed Kahu Ku Mauna, a council comprised of Hawaiian cultural resource persons to serve as advisors.

To achieve harmony, balance and trust in the sustainable management and stewardship of Mauna Kea Science Reserve through community involvement and programs that protect, preserve and enhance the natural, cultural and recreational resources of Maunakea while providing a world-class center dedicated to education, research and astronomy.