{"id":46100,"date":"2016-05-25T09:02:43","date_gmt":"2016-05-25T19:02:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=46100"},"modified":"2026-04-23T15:55:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T01:55:01","slug":"uh-reports-progress-on-governors-10-point-plan-for-maunakea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2016\/05\/25\/uh-reports-progress-on-governors-10-point-plan-for-maunakea\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> reports progress on governor\u2019s 10 point plan for Maunakea"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Maunakea observatories<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On May 26, 2015, Governor David Ige announced a 10 point action plan for the stewardship of Maunakea<\/a>. Here is an update, as of May 2016, on the steps the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> has taken to meet its obligations set by the governor’s plan.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
UH<\/abbr> Action<\/th>\nStatus<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1. Accept its responsibility to do a better job in the future<\/td>\nCOMPLETED— UH<\/abbr> statement June 1, 2015<\/a>: “We accept that the university has not yet met all of our obligations to the mountain or the expectations of the community. For that, we apologize and lay out this outline<\/a> of an action plan for improving our stewardship.” <\/p>\n
2. Formally and legally bind itself to the commitment that this is the last area on the mountain where a telescope project will be completed or sought<\/td>\nCOMPLETED—A letter dated November 17, 2015<\/a> (PDF<\/abbr><\/small>) was signed by UH<\/abbr> President David Lassner and State Board of Land and Natural Resources<\/a> (BLNR) Chair Suzanne Case. This confirmed the commitment in the UH<\/abbr> Comprehensive Management Plan<\/a> (CMP) for Maunakea approved by the UH<\/abbr> Board of Regents<\/a> (BOR) and BLNR<\/abbr>. <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3. Decommission—beginning this year—as many telescopes as possible with at least 25 percent of all telescopes gone by the time the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is ready for operation<\/td>\nThree decommissionings (25 percent of summit observatories) have been announced: Caltech Submillimeter Observatory<\/a> (CSO), UH<\/abbr> Hilo Hoku Kea<\/a> and UKIRT<\/abbr><\/a>, accelerating the commitments in the CMP<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n
4. Restart the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process for the university’s lease extension and conduct a full cultural impact assessment as part of that process\n <\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • UH<\/abbr> has done initial work on updating the EIS<\/abbr> preparation notice, including revised alternatives, but has paused the process to address the return of 10,000 acres to DLNR<\/abbr> jurisdiction (#8 below).<\/li>\n
  • UH<\/abbr> is currently assessing how the EIS<\/abbr> can best proceed concurrently with the land return process.<\/li>\n
  • A cultural impact assessment will be incorporated into the EIS<\/abbr> as it is a requirement of State of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> EIS<\/abbr> process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5. Move expeditiously the access rules that significantly limit and put conditions on noncultural access to the mountain<\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • UH<\/abbr> has completed an internal draft of rules, which includes addressing access and is preparing for consultation with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, DLNR<\/abbr>, Kahu Kū Mauna Council and MKMB<\/abbr>.<\/li>\n
  • After consultation is completed and any revisions made, approval will be requested from the BOR and governor to proceed to public hearing. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6. Require training in the cultural aspects of the mountain and how to be respectful of the cultural areas for anyone going on the mountain<\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • All workers are required to undergo an orientation on the cultural aspects and natural resources of Maunakea.<\/li>\n
  • Orientation for visitors may be required as called for in the CMP<\/abbr> and will be set forth in the rules (#5 above).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7. Substantially reduce the length of its request for a lease extension from the Board of Land and Natural Resources<\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Will be addressed in the EIS<\/abbr> preparation notice (#4 above).<\/li>\n
  • The term will run from when new master lease is executed and not from the expiration date of the current lease.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8. Voluntarily return to full DLNR<\/abbr> jurisdiction all lands (over 10,000 acres) not specifically needed for astronomy<\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • UH<\/abbr> and DLNR<\/abbr> have agreed to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to return lands not needed for astronomy to DLNR<\/abbr> jurisdiction.<\/li>\n
  • UH<\/abbr> and DLNR<\/abbr> have outlined a proposed map for consideration indicating the 10,000 acres to be returned. <\/li>\n
  • DLNR<\/abbr> has agreed to work on the first draft of the MOU to implement the return.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9. Ensure full use of its scheduled telescope time<\/td>\nCOMPLETED—UH<\/abbr> time has consistently been oversubscribed on all observatories.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10. Make a good faith effort to revisit the issue of payments by the existing telescope(s) now as well as requiring it in the new lease<\/td>\nEfforts are underway through ongoing discussions with observatories. <\/p>\n