Applicants sought for Maunakea management authority

Gov. David Ige and leadership from both the state Senate and House today announced that applicants are now being sought to serve on the Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority.

Applicants are asked to apply by July 28.

Established by statute via Act 255 (House Bill 2024), the authority, whose members will each be appointed to three-year terms, will be tasked with managing Maunakea lands.

The authority will consist of eleven voting members, which include:

— The chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, or the chairperson’s designee;

— The Hawaii County mayor, or the mayor’s designee;

— The chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, or the chairperson’s designee (needs Senate confirmation);

— An individual with ʻaina (land) resource management expertise and specific experience with Hawaii island‑based management (must be confirmed by the Senate);

— An individual who is recognized as possessing expertise in the fields of p-12 public education or post-secondary education (must be confirmed by the Senate);

— A representative who shall be appointed by the governor from a list of three names submitted by Maunakea Observatories (must be confirmed by the Senate);

— An individual with business and finance experience who has previous administrative experience in managing a large private-sector business (must be confirmed by the Senate);

— An individual who is a lineal descendent of a practitioner of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices associated with Maunakea (must be confirmed by the Senate);

— An individual who is a recognized practitioner of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices (must be confirmed by the Senate);

— Two individuals appointed by the governor from a list of three names submitted for each appointment by the president of the Senate and speaker of the House (must be confirmed by the Senate).

To apply click on the “Department of Land & Natural Resources” tab on the board and commissions website: https://forms.ehawaii.gov/pages/board-survey/.

A drop-down menu will appear. Select the appropriate box next to the Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority. Hit SUBMIT at the bottom of the page. An application form then appears; fill it out in its entirety. Finally, sign and submit.

“I encourage people who have the expertise and commitment needed to shift to a community-based governance model for one of the state’s great natural resources to apply as quickly as possible. Together, we can continue Hawaii’s momentum toward a strong and sustainable future,” said Ige.

“This new authority has the enormous task of laying the groundwork for a new management structure atop Maunakea, and we need dedicated, passionate individuals applying to sit in these critical positions,” said Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, chair of the Senate Committee on Education.