UH Board of Regents Pushes Rules Decision

Mauna Kea Access Road Closed Overviews, July 18, 2019. PC: DLNR

The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents is rescheduling decision-making on the proposed administrative rules for UH managed lands on Maunakea, according to a UH press release.

The additional time will allow the board to consider the feedback that was received on the proposed rules, while the recently formed regent interaction group reviews the university’s stewardship and governance activities on Maunakea, the release continued.

The board will take up the rules on Nov. 6, 2019, at a special meeting on the UH West Oʻahu campus. It was previously announced that the decision-making would happen at the Aug. 30 regents meeting.

The Maunakea Governance Permitted Interaction Group was approved by the board on Aug. 2 and consists of six regents, the release said.

The latest draft of the rules will be publicly posted at least six days prior to the November meeting and members of the public will have the opportunity to provide written and oral in-person testimony. The meeting agenda will also be posted at that time with the designated meeting time and location.

Section 20-26-1 of the proposed rules states that its purpose is to “provide for the proper use, management, and protection of cultural, natural and scientific resources of the UH management areas; to promote public safety and welfare by regulating public and commercial activity within the UH management areas; to ensure safe and appropriate access to the UH management areas for the public; and to foster co-management with the department of land and natural resources in UH management areas.”

At the November meeting, the regents could adopt the latest draft of the proposed rules, request a third round of formal public hearings on new draft rules that are substantially different from the current draft or defer decision-making, the release continued. If adopted by the regents, the rules will proceed through the remainder of the administrative rules process to Gov. David Ige for final approval.

Following initial public outreach and consultations, the first round of four public hearings was held in September of 2018 on Hawaiʻi Island (two hearings), Maui and Oʻahu. A revised draft was prepared based on the comments and concerns received during those public hearings. That revised draft was then shared with stakeholder groups and the public during a three-month, informal outreach process that started in January 2019, the release said.

A second round of four public hearings was held in June of 2019 on Hawaiʻi Island (two hearings), Maui and Oʻahu. The latest draft may include revisions based on comments received during the second round of hearings.