A sometimes tedious and confusing contested case hearing that could determine the future of Mauna Kea began Feb. 10 and dragged on until Feb. 25. Hearing officer Michael Gibson, an Honolulu attorney, gave U.H. a setback in its plans to expand the observatory. U.H. applied for a conservation use permit on ceded land which it leases for $1 a year from the state. It wants to add six more telescopes, at a cost of at least $50 million, to the thirteen that it currently manages atop the mountain for NASA, various prestigious universities, and eleven countries.
The application was vigorously opposed by six groups and individuals, mainly Native Hawaiians, supported by the Sierra Club and others, on environmental, cultural, and spiritual grounds. The hearing officer sided with the critics' contention that U.H. must submit a management plan before a permit can legally be considered. This is a victory for the opposition because it means that a separate public hearing on the management plan might occur. U.H. tries to avoid such hearings, because of strong public opposition to their expansionist plans.
The contested case hearing was supposed to end Feb. 25, following which Gibson was to consider extensive written and oral testimony to make his recommendations to the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR). Gibson set April 3 to continue the hearing; a management plan for the summit will be the focus of that hearing. This will delay U.H.'s construction plans and give opponents more time and visibility to press their case.
The application was vigorously opposed by six groups and individuals, mainly Native Hawaiians, supported by the Sierra Club and others, on environmental, cultural, and spiritual grounds. The hearing officer sided with the critics' contention that U.H. must submit a management plan before a permit can legally be considered. This is a victory for the opposition because it means that a separate public hearing on the management plan might occur. U.H. tries to avoid such hearings, because of strong public opposition to their expansionist plans.
The contested case hearing was supposed to end Feb. 25, following which Gibson was to consider extensive written and oral testimony to make his recommendations to the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR). Gibson set April 3 to continue the hearing; a management plan for the summit will be the focus of that hearing. This will delay U.H.'s construction plans and give opponents more time and visibility to press their case.