Maunakea The Heart of Aloha Pamphlet

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Issues of Astronomy on Maunakea POOR MANAGEMENT "Too many telescopes" The cumulative impacts of observatory development on the mountain have been recognized as being "substantial, significant, and adverse" (TMT Environmental Impact Statement). Response: The University of Hawaii has made a legally -binding commitment that the TMT site will be the last new area to be developed for observatories and has committed to the removal of 5 current observatories by the end of 2033 as a condition of the TMT permit. A decommissioning sub -plan, under the Maunakea Comprehensive Management Plan, guides the removal of observatories and site restoration. TMT Conservation District Use Permit • Three of the existing 13 telescopes to be permanently removed as soon as reasonably possible, but no later than the time TMT is complete. o Caltech Submillimeter Observatory began decommissioning process in 2017. A public scoping period ended in 2018. Hoku Kea decommissioning also underway. UKIRT is identified for removal. • Two more by the current end of UH's lease in 2033. • None of these sites will be redeveloped. If TMT is built, there will be no more than nine telescopes beyond 2033. This is a commitment. "Too many visitors" Maunakea remains a popular attraction for tourists and residents, prompting concerns about visitor impacts to the mountain. According to Maunakea Support Services, 35,511 vehicles ascended the mountain in 2016, with observatory crews and permitted tours accounting for about 37 percent of vehicle traffic that year. The rest is attributed to the general public including visitors. Response: UH is developing administrative rules to address access issues. Other steps to address access include: Ranger Program Shortly after its founding in fall 2000, the Office of Maunakea Management created a ranger program to provide daily oversight of activities on UH managed lands. It is the goal of the administration to expand the ranger program. Public Access Sub -Plan • As part of the Maunakea Comprehensive Management Plan, this sub -plan sets principles and policies to guide public and commercial activities. • To be implemented through administrative rules.