Input sought on Mauna Kea plans

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents plans to receive a “Pre-Final Master Plan” for UH-managed lands on Mauna Kea on Thursday, followed by six weeks of public review and input.

The public can then submit testimony before the regents take action on the Mauna Kea Master Plan at the regents’ meeting on Jan. 20.

In a news release, UH said “The Master Plan serves as a framework for aligning land-use decisions in a manner that is consistent with UH’s mission and purpose. The master plan requires board approval to take effect and would replace the Master Plan the BOR adopted in 2000.

“Following years of work by the university gathering input and in consultation with stakeholders, such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), the Maunakea Management Board and Kahu Ku Mauna, the regents want to offer this opportunity to hear from the community before making a final decision.”

Testimony can be submitted for the Thursday and Jan. 20 meetings by emailing bor.testimony@hawaii.edu or via an online form, and people can register to provide oral testimony through a link on the meeting agenda, which is available at bit.ly/3DQybB9.

Thursday’s meeting, scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m., is virtual, and will be livestreamed on the BOR meeting livestream page.

The university already has received more than 1,450 comments following a monthlong public comment period that ended in mid- October.