UH regents approve new Maunakea Master Plan
The University of Hawaii’s Board of Regents has approved a new master plan for the lands it manages on Maunakea.
At a meeting today, the board voted 7-1 to adopt a new Maunakea Master Plan that was drafted last year, despite extensive opposition from Native Hawaiian testifiers.
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The new plan — titled “E O I Na Leo (Listen to the Voices)” — replaces the previous master plan that was adopted in 2000 and determines how UH will make land-use decisions on the mountain. The new plan takes into account new management structures that were not in place when the previous plan was approved.
Greg Chun, UH-Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship executive director, said during the meeting that having a current management plan is necessary for UH to receive an extension for its master lease of the summit lands, which is currently scheduled to expire in 2033.
Chun said the plan, among other things, sets a commitment to have no more than nine astronomy facilities on Maunakea’s summit after 2033, a commitment the previous plan did not make.
The sole negative vote came from regent Diane Paloma, who said she believes there should be more opportunities to discuss the matter.
See Friday’s Tribune-Herald for more.
