Media release | Hawaii State Senate

Ecological, Cultural and Financial Viability of the Mauna Kea State Lands to be Discussed

HONOLULU — The Senate Committees on Water, Land and Housing and Hawaiian Affairs will hold a joint committee hearing on Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 1:15 p.m., in room 225 at the State Capitol. The informational briefing will discuss the ecological, cultural and financial viability of the Mauna Kea Lands, which includes the Mauna Kea State Park and the Mauna Kea Science Reserve.

The briefing is also aimed at discussing updated plans for the integration of the Hawaiian culture into the management and daily operations of Mauna Kea. Presenters include representatives from the University of Hawaii and the Office of Mauna Kea Management.

Organizations that play a key role in addressing challenges associated with the Mauna Kea Lands community are encouraged to participate in the discussion.

Background:

In 1968, the Mauna Kea Science Reserve was established with the purpose of being used as a scientific complex and reserve. That same year, the University of Hawaii was granted a 65-year lease by the Board of Land and Natural Resources. Responsibility for managing the mountain was entrusted to both the DLNR and UH. In 2000, the UH Board of Regents approved a new master plan, which set a policy for UH’s management of its leased areas on Mauna Kea. Along with dividing the science reserve into designated areas, the master plan also included the establishment of a new community based management structure housed within the University of Hawaii –Hilo, which is comprised of the Office of Mauna Kea Management (OMKM), Mauna Kea Management Board (MKMB), and the Kahu Ku Mauna. This new management is dedicated solely to managing UH’s leased lands on Mauna Kea.