Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan

Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan
Name	Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan
Caption	Mauna Kea summit with observatories and cinder cones
Location	Hawaii (island)
Established	2000
Managing authority	Department of Land and Natural Resources
Area	11,228 acres

Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan The Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan is a regulatory and planning document developed to guide stewardship of Mauna Kea, balancing cultural preservation, natural resource protection, and astronomical research on the summit lands of Hawaii (island). The plan was prepared through processes involving the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, University of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, and federal entities, and frames management actions, permitting, and ongoing stakeholder engagement among Native Hawaiian organizations, scientific institutions, and state agencies.

Overview and Purpose

The plan articulates objectives for protection of cultural sites on Mauna Kea including ahu and wahi kapu, conservation of endemic flora and fauna such as silversword and nēnē, regulation of existing facilities including observatories operated by institutions like NASA, NSF, University of California, California Institute of Technology, James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, and Subaru Telescope, and sets criteria for new developments under statutes including the Hawaii Revised Statutes and permitting frameworks of the Board of Land and Natural Resources. It defines zones, access, restoration, and monitoring to implement policies consistent with federal laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act where applicable.

Historical and Cultural Context

The plan situates Mauna Kea within the genealogy of Native Hawaiian cultural practice, referencing ancestral narratives connected to deities like Pele and Wākea, and traditional protocols observed by practitioners associated with cultural organizations including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and ʻohana groups. It acknowledges archaeological records documented by researchers affiliated with Bishop Museum and scholars such as Noenoe K. Silva and Herbert͏ W. Wilson, and responds to historical land tenure systems transformed by acts including the Great Māhele and administrative shifts involving the Territory of Hawaii and State of Hawaii.

Governance and Stakeholder Roles

Management responsibilities described in the plan involve the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Department of Land and Natural Resources native resources division, the University of Hawaiʻi system as lessee for summit lands, and cooperating agencies such as Hawaiian Homes Commission and federal partners like the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The plan establishes roles for Native Hawaiian organizations including the Kahu Kū Mauna advisory group, community-based groups such as Mauna Kea Hui and Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, scientific consortia like the International Astronomical Union affiliates, private operators including Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope partners, and emergency responders like Hawaii County services.

Natural and Environmental Management

Environmental measures specify protection for ecosystems hosting species listed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and state lists, habitat restoration for species such as Palila-associated plants, invasive species control for taxa like mouflon sheep and feral pig, watershed protection tied to aquifer recharge for Hāmākua and Kohala regions, and cultural landscape preservation practices informed by archaeologists from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and environmental consultants. The plan includes baseline surveys, long-term monitoring protocols, best management practices referencing standards from Society for Ecological Restoration and mitigation measures to reduce impacts identified under environmental assessments overseen by State Historic Preservation Division.

Scientific and Observatory Management

The document addresses siting, decommissioning, and operation of astronomical facilities including legacy installations like W. M. Keck Observatory collaborators and instruments from institutions such as National Optical Astronomy Observatory affiliates, coordination with funding agencies like the National Science Foundation, and partnerships with international entities including Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency-supported projects. It outlines technical standards for light pollution control, radio frequency coordination involving agencies like the Federal Communications Commission, infrastructure maintenance, visitor services, and science-community outreach coordinated with organizations such as the Institute for Astronomy (University of Hawaiʻi).

Implementation, Monitoring, and Compliance

Implementation mechanisms include permit conditions, adaptive management strategies, restoration milestones, a compliance framework administered by the Board of Land and Natural Resources, and reporting requirements to stakeholders including the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and federal partners like the Environmental Protection Agency where relevant. The plan prescribes monitoring metrics for cultural site integrity, species population trends tracked by biologists from Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources divisions, and scientific facility compliance audits in consultation with legal counsel drawing on precedents from cases involving the Hawaii Supreme Court.

Controversies and Legal Challenges

The plan has been central in disputes involving Native Hawaiian sovereignty advocates, cultural practitioners including leaders associated with ʻohana and organizations like Kahea: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, and proponents of scientific development including consortia represented by universities such as University of California, Cornell University, and University of Hawaiʻi. Contentious issues include proposed projects such as the Thirty Meter Telescope and related administrative actions by the Board of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Land and Natural Resources, protests involving groups like Protect Mauna Kea Coalition and legal actions adjudicated in courts including the Hawaii State Judiciary and federal district courts. Litigation has invoked statutes and doctrines tied to historic land dispositions, trust responsibilities of State of Hawaii agencies, and environmental review obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act and state equivalents.

Category:Mauna Kea Category:Native Hawaiian culture Category:Astronomical observatories in Hawaii