{"id":158547,"date":"2022-05-05T08:03:59","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T18:03:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=158547"},"modified":"2022-05-05T09:22:24","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T19:22:24","slug":"president-statement-on-maunakea-bill-hb-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2022\/05\/05\/president-statement-on-maunakea-bill-hb-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"President statement on Maunakea bill, HB<\/abbr> 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 6<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"snow<\/p>\n

Both of Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s legislative chambers have now passed HB2024 CD1<\/abbr>, which would terminate 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr>\u2019s responsibility for decision-making and stewardship relating to Maunakea.<\/p>\n

The University has been clear in our priorities: we want to ensure that the mauna is cared for and stands as an environmentally responsible and culturally resonant model of world-class astronomy. At the same time, we believe Hawaiʻi<\/span> deserves a world class program of astronomy research and education based at 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> that is deeply connected to Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s communities, history and culture. It has been 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr>\u2019s position that these synergistic purposes can and do go hand-in-hand.<\/p>\n

CD1<\/abbr>\u2019s stated purpose is to foster “a mutual stewardship paradigm in which ecology, the environment, natural resources, cultural practices, education, and science are in balance and synergy.” CD1<\/abbr> statutorily enshrines astronomy on Maunakea as a matter of state policy and it includes statutory language that locks in a minimum percentage of viewing time for 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> in all future subleases, which will ensure that Hawaiʻi<\/span> will not become a mere landlord of observatories on Maunakea. That minimum is substantially less than what we currently receive, so 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr>\u2019s capacity for supporting world-class research and education will likely be diminished over time. But CD1<\/abbr> does address our highest priorities and supports our vision for Maunakea.<\/p>\n

So there is much for 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> to appreciate in CD1<\/abbr>. For that we thank those who worked so hard to come to consensus. We are grateful to Senator Kim for her work on behalf of astronomy in Hawaiʻi<\/span>. We also appreciate Speaker Saiki and the House conferees coming to agreement on something substantially different than their original House Bill, which we opposed.<\/p>\n

That said, we had limited time to fully digest the details of the final version passed by the Conference Committee Friday afternoon before it was passed by the full Legislature. We shared with the conferees that we see legal, land and constitutional issues with the bill. But those will be for the Governor to deliberate over as he determines whether to consider the bill for potential veto.<\/p>\n

Now that we have had time to complete our review, we have identified technical and operational concerns and questions with the final language. One issue is the lack of clear authority for stewardship responsibilities during the lengthy transition period. This creates substantial uncertainty for our amazing team of people who care for the mauna. We also have questions about the financial implementation, including the sunsetting of the current 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> special fund before the Authority is in operation. We would also like to see clarification of matters regarding current 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> obligations that cannot be fulfilled once 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> is no longer the steward as well as 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> vested property and other rights. We hope these matters can be addressed before enactment but we do not believe these are a basis for 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> to request a veto of the bill.<\/p>\n

The CD1<\/abbr> paradigm of establishing a standalone authority for Maunakea was the first of the models 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> considered and publicly discussed with our Board of Regents in April 2020 when we reviewed alternative governance models as requested in their November 2019 resolution. While the model had significant appeal, as we publicly shared on multiple occasions, we noted that implementing a new standalone authority could not be done without new legislation. We also identified specific issues with that model, some but not all of which are addressed by CD1<\/abbr>. Notably our approach to this paradigm would have provided greater accountability for the authority since it would still have maintained BLNR<\/abbr> oversight of the authority’s stewardship and management. This accountability apparently falls to the Legislature alone under CD1<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

What saddens me most is not the creation of a new Authority but that a completely false narrative that 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> is mismanaging Maunakea drove this legislation. I have personally acknowledged and apologized publicly on multiple occasions for 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> mismanagement of Maunakea in the previous century. Since then, 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> has been on a trajectory of continuous improvement for over 20 years including: the 2000 Master Plan; the creation of the Maunakea Ranger program to protect public safety; establishment of the Office of Maunakea Management under 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> Hilo; creation of the community-based Maunakea Management Board and Kahu K\u016b Mauna Native Hawaiian Advisory Council; adoption of Administrative Rules in the face of extraordinary challenges; the support and resourcing of the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center; regular monitoring of over 260 historic, archaeological and cultural sites identified by extensive 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> surveys; and removal of invasive species. Compelling indicators of our success include removal of the endemic w\u0113kiu bug from candidacy as an endangered species thanks to 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> research and discovery of a previously unknown population of petrels on Maunakea through 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr>-sponsored field studies.<\/p>\n

Under the leadership of our Board of Regents we have now consolidated all management and stewardship programs under one Center that is part of 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> Hilo and accelerated our pace of improvement. Not all our changes to improve stewardship were appreciated even by our observatory partners. But we stayed focused on achieving the Board of Regents vision to create a “global model of harmonious and inspirational stewardship that is befitting of Maunakea.” As affirmed by a recent independent review, the claims that 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> is mismanaging Maunakea are more about opposition to TMT<\/abbr> and astronomy on Maunakea than our actual management practices. I am proud of the scores of individuals who have spent decades building a great stewardship program. Maunakea is now considered by many experts to be among the best-managed state lands, notwithstanding that they are also probably the most complex. And our stewardship has been recognized with awards from groups as varied as the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Historic Foundation and the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce. The work of our people at every level has been superlative under extraordinarily challenging conditions. Yet opponents of TMT<\/abbr> and astronomy on Maunakea chose to continue to cite a critical audit from a generation ago and refused to acknowledge current audits, assessments, and the clearly demonstrated accomplishments of 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr>\u2019s stewardship.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the weight of our practices last century and opposition to TMT<\/abbr> on Maunakea were enough to drive the passage of this legislation. Some supporters just wanted a change. Ironically, both supporters of astronomy and TMT<\/abbr> on Maunakea, and opponents of astronomy and TMT<\/abbr> on Maunakea, see this legislation as the solution that will achieve their objectives. We fervently hope that change for change\u2019s sake does not lead to a diminution of either or both of the excellent stewardship of Maunakea or Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s world-class astronomy program that has been achieved under 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> leadership.<\/p>\n

We thank our many, many public and quiet supporters. They appreciated and were willing to acknowledge our success in caring for the mauna and our willingness to absorb criticism as we supported a field of science in which Hawaiʻi<\/span> has unique global advantages and has established international leadership. We appreciate all your support of astronomy, our outstanding stewardship of Maunakea, and our work in cultural and educational integration. We hope you will similarly engage and help the new Authority take on its critical role moving forward.<\/p>\n

For our part, 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> intends to sustain the excellent stewardship program we have put in place under the watchful eyes of our Board of Regents for as long as that is our responsibility. That includes implementing the new educational programs developed by ʻImiloa, completing the decommissioning of the two telescopes now underway, and completing the planned installation of the small 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> Hilo teaching telescope on previously disturbed ground at Hale P\u014dhaku. We will also proceed with the update to our Comprehensive Management Plan, which will help us improve our stewardship in the years we have left managing the lands we lease on Maunakea.<\/p>\n

We do not yet know if HB<\/abbr> 2024 will be enacted exactly as proposed in CD1<\/abbr>. But given the momentum behind the legislation, 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> plans to immediately pause all sublease negotiations with the current observatories and our planning of any additional decommissioning. CD1<\/abbr> makes it clear that the new Authority will be responsible for deciding if there will be more or less astronomy on Maunakea than the nine observatories allowed under the current 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> Master Plan. We will also pause our work toward a new Master Lease and the associated EIS<\/abbr>. And we will undertake internal analyses to understand how we can best unravel the complex long-term obligations we accepted through our master lease, subleases and permits, which would become the responsibility of the Authority.<\/p>\n

Should the new Authority be established, we plan to engage as positively and collaboratively as possible, including through the participation of a Regent and the 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> Hilo Chancellor as members of the Authority Board. We will share our Master Plan, our Management Plans, our Rules, our work on an EIS<\/abbr> and other documents as may be useful to the Authority. And we will seek to build a relationship as the owner\/operator of telescopes on Maunakea.<\/p>\n

Most of all, we will wish the new Authority all the best as they assume an incredibly challenging role in what has been one of the most divisive issues for Hawaiʻi<\/span> in decades.<\/p>\n

Imua!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> wants to ensure that the mauna is cared for and stands as an environmentally responsible and culturally resonant model of world-class astronomy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1193],"tags":[659,1421,14,9,947],"class_list":["post-158547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-administrative","tag-maunakea","tag-maunakea-observatories","tag-uh-hilo","tag-uh-manoa","tag-uh-system","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158547"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158547\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":158575,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158547\/revisions\/158575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=158547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=158547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}