The public is invited to give input on a Comprehensive Management Plan for Mauna Kea. - Photo: Elliott Markell

Meetings to discuss
Mauna Kea master plan

By Ka Wai Ola staff

Public meetings are scheduled next month on Hawai'i Island to obtain input on a Comprehensive Management Plan for Mauna Kea.

The University of Hawai'i, through its consultant Ku'iwalu, will be holding the meetings in:

• Waimea on Tuesday, May 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Waimea Community Center.
• Kona on Wednesday, May 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Kealakehe Elementary School.
• Hilo on Tuesday, May 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Hilo High School.

Next month's meetings will be the first of two rounds of public meetings throughout Hawai'i Island. The first round of meetings will provide information on the purpose of the Comprehensive Management Plan, re-affirm key management issues raised over the past few years, and seek the community's recommendation on appropriate cultural and environmental management guidelines pertaining to the Mauna Kea Science Reserve.

The second round of public meetings will be held in the fall when Ku'iwalu intends to present for community review a draft of the CMP. This presentation will give the public another opportunity to provide comments on the proposed CMP.

After the second round of public meetings, the CMP will be presented to the Mauna Kea Management Board for review before going to the Board of Land and Natural Resources for final approval.

The Comprehensive Management Plan comes about as a result of a previous ruling by Third Circuit Judge Glenn Hara in Hilo. The judge reversed the decision by the BLNR to grant a permit allowing the construction and operation of the Outrigger Telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea. In that reversal, Hara ruled that a CMP for Mauna Kea is a precondition to granting a permit for any future development in the Mauna Kea Science Reserve, an area which is leased to the University of Hawai'i.

In addition to holding public meetings, Ku'iwalu is gathering input from the community through a series of small talk-story sessions, group meetings with community organizations, and online through www.MaunaKeaCMP.com. Organizations that would like Ku'iwalu to give a presentation regarding the CMP are encouraged to call 539-3580.

The University of Hawai'i contracted the preparation of the CMP to Ku'iwalu, a consulting firm that specializes in critical land use issues, especially those that relate to Native Hawaiian culture and the environment.