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Plotting the future
of Mauna Kea
Now that the first series of public meetings is over, a draft management plan for Mauna Kea is expected to become available as early as October.
In May, Ku'iwalu, a consulting firm contracted by the Office of Mauna Kea Management (OMKM), an arm of the University of Hawai'i, conducted a series of public meetings to gather input on a proposed master plan for the summit of Mauna Kea
Ku'iwalu principal Dawn Chang told about 50 attendees of a May 13 meeting at the Hilo High School cafeteria that the contents of a draft plan would be “dictated by the community” and that the final plan would have to be “supported and comfortable” to the community. A draft of the plan will be written only after the community has had full opportunity to comment, she said. As stated on its web site, www.kuiwalu.com, “Ku'iwalu is a consulting company that specializes in building community support for economic development projects.”
About 20 of the Hilo attendees gave comment or testimony, many taking several turns at the microphone. Attendees were asked to comment on four prevalent areas of public concern for the summit, including, “Do you believe that anyone who accesses the mountain should receive cultural and environmental orientation?”
Reynolds Nāhokualaka'i Kamakawiwo'ole, a kahuna, talked about the spirituality and sacredness of the summit. He suggested that a new visitor center be built at the junction of Saddle and Telescope roads, far below the current center at Hale Pōhaku. He agreed that cultural and environmental training should be mandatory for anyone going up to the summit.
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Meeting organizers and some attendees suggested incorporating an orientation similar to that held at the Arizona Memorial Center at Pearl Harbor.
Two other meetings were also held May 6 in Waimea and May 7 in Kona. Besides gathering input, the meetings also sought to describe the aim of the Comprehensive Management Plan. The plan comes as a result of a ruling by Third Circuit Judge Glenn Hara in Hilo, who reversed a state Board of Land and Natural Resources decision to grant a permit allowing the construction and operation of the Outrigger Telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea. The CMP 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.
Currently, 11,000 acres of ceded land around the summit are leased to the Mauna Kea observatories for $1.
Moanike'ala Akaka, a former Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee, railed about the $1 rent. “Forty-seven million Americans have no health insurance. UH should provide millions to the poor for health insurance.” She asserted that if UH can afford hundreds of millions of dollars for a telescope, UH could afford to pay fair market value for the land.
Sanford Kahaia agreed, saying that fair compensation should be paid to beneficiaries of the ceded lands atop the mountain. He also said that unfettered access to the mountain needs to be discouraged.
Peter Mills, chair of the anthropology department at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo worked at the adze quarries near the summit. He was appalled at finding the historic sites disturbed by visitors “piling up ko'i, taking pictures and desecrating the sites.” He said he had found ko'i blanks piled up near the road, apparently abandoned by would-be thieves.
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Akaka asked why Ku'iwalu held this workshop while the issue was in court. On the question of cultural training for summit visitors, she said: “Isn't this a little 'ōkole-backwards? I think you're asking 30 years too late.” Akaka complained that scientists and the DLNR had been damaging the mountain for decades, and asked, “When is enough, enough?”
Kahalelaukoa Rice, a Gemini Telescope outreach assistant with 10 years' experience at the summit said that she cherished the mountain, “not only scientifically, but culturally.” She said that all scientists receive training and regard the mountain as sacred. Rice also pointed out that “King David Kalākaua in 1874 brought the first telescopes to Hawai'i.” Kalākaua placed them on the lawn of 'Iolani Palace so that the citizens could observe the stars and planets. “I am a Hawaiian first, but Hawaiians were always scientists.”
Big Island Press Club president John Burnett charged the OMKM with attempting to restrict news coverage on the mountain. He presented a letter of complaint detailing five apparent attempts to curtail news-gathering efforts by members of the press on or around Mauna Kea by the OMKM. “I originally sent this letter to Bill Stormont (of OMKM) in January. I still haven't received a reply.” OMKM representatives did not provide an explanation at the meeting.
Mark McNutt called for OMKM to prepare an “exit plan” for the telescopes to be removed from Mauna Kea.
Hank Hanalei Fergerstrom, from the Temple of Lono, wearing a “Pop the Pimples” T-shirt (alluding to the telescopes as pimples atop Mauna Kea), called for no further development of the summit of Mauna Kea. Fergerstrom, who is a second cousin to this reporter, said that there was no need for a comprehensive plan. He said he deferred to a greater power, citing the U.S. Constitution, Hawai'i Constitution and Public Law 103-50, claiming his freedom of religion was being infringed by the further development of the summit. He asked, “Does it have to be western science?”
Joey Watts, a Mauna Kea tour guide and teacher at Waiākea High School, advocated immediate action to protect the māmane trees and other endemic flora and fauna on the mountain. “They should put a fence around all those trees and clean the ground underneath” to remove invasive species. He suggested reforestation of māmane and koa forests on lands stripped by grazing animals.
OHA Trustee Walter Heen attended the Hilo meeting and was recognized as the first Interim Director of the OMKM.
Ku'iwalu has also conducted several months of “talk story” sessions with multiple groups and has gathered a wide range of input for possible inclusion in a draft plan, which they project will be available for review in October or November. They plan to present the draft plan for consideration to the Board of Land and Natural Resources in December. Comment can be submitted at any time and the draft progress can be monitored at the Mauna Kea Comprehensive Master Plan web site, www.maunakeacmp.com.
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