Bill > SB769

This bill addresses the management and governance of Mauna Kea, focusing on clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority (the Authority) and the University of Hawaii (UH) in conservation district use permit (CDUP) processes. The bill stipulates that lessees, not the Authority, will be the primary applicants for conservation district use permits for lands subject to their leases, with the Authority becoming the regulatory body for approving and overseeing these permits after a transition period. The Authority may still apply for permits for uses that do not benefit a specific lessee, such as common area improvements. Importantly, the bill specifies that certain existing conservation district use permits held by the University of Hawaii for various astronomical observatories will not be transferred to the Authority as of July 1, 2028, with UH remaining the named permittee while still subject to the Authority's oversight. This legislation is part of an ongoing effort to balance cultural sensitivity, scientific research, and community trust in the management of Mauna Kea, following previous reforms enacted in Act 255 of 2022 that established the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=769&year=2025