2nd Round of Hearings on Maunakea Rules Begin

The University of Hawaiʻi begins its next round of hearings today on its latest draft of proposed rules that would govern public and commercial activity at UH-managed lands on Maunakea.

A total of four public hearings will be held, starting with a hearing tonight in Honolulu.  That will be followed by hearings in Hilo on Tuesday, Waikoloa on Wednesday, and Kahului on Friday.  The Maui meeting will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Pōmaikaʻi Elementary School.

• The proposed administrative rules are to govern public and commercial activities on UH -managed lands on Maunakea and will be an essential resource management tool when implemented.
• The current draft was prepared after a first round of public hearings in 2018 and a three-month, informal process that started in January 2019.
• After the public hearings, the rules may be further refined and brought back before the UH regents in a publicly noticed meeting currently anticipated for July 18, 2019. The regents may approve, request a third round of public hearings or defer decision-making.
• If approved by the regents, the rules will proceed through the remainder of the administrative rules process to the governor for final review and approval.

“The public participation in the hearings is really, really important because without that participation we can’t anticipate all the different ways that the rules may impact different groups,” said Greg Chun, Maunakea Special Advisor to the UH President.

“It’s really important as a management tool but it’s also important as a way of demonstrating our stewardship towards addressing these multiple values that people hold towards the mountain,” said Chun.