Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 7, 1 July 2000 — Mauna Kea update [ARTICLE]

Mauna Kea update

On June 16, the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents accepted the revised Mauna Kea Master Plan, whieh allows for the plannin , but not the construction, of three new telescopes at the summit. Regent Nāinoa Thompson abstained from the vote. The university manages 1 1,288 acres of ceded land at the summit, whose title is held by the State Department of Land and Natural Resources. In a 1998 state auditor's report, the university and DLNR were criticized for mis-

management of cultural and natural resources at the summit. There are presently 13 telescopes at the summit, considered the best plaee in the Northern Hemisphere, and perhaps the world, for astronomers to view the heavens. Many Hawaiians argue that further development on the summit is unnecessary, and that the multi-national usage of the ceded lands has not generated revenue for the state. By a resolution, signed by Board of Regents Chair Donald King, the process to establish the Office of Mauna Kea Management, the Mauna Kea Management Board and the Kahu Kupuna board, will eommenee further recommendations on the disposition of Mauna Kea.