Regents to discuss Maunakea rules Aug. 30

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents on Aug. 30 will take up the latest draft of the proposed Maunakea administrative rules.

The administrative rules were previously scheduled to be heard during a Board of Regents meeting July 18 but the discussion was rescheduled to Aug. 22.

The Aug. 22 meeting was then rescheduled in an effort to accommodate increased public interest about the proposed rules, which govern public and commercial activities on UH-managed lands on the mountain.

The latest draft of the rules will be publicly posted at least six days prior to the Aug. 30 meeting, and members of the public will have the opportunity to provide written and oral in-person testimony.

The agenda also will be posted at that time, which will include the time and location of the meeting.

The regents could approve the proposed rules provided there are no substantial changes, request a third round of formal public hearings on new draft rules that are substantially different from the current draft, or defer making a decision.

If approved, the rules will proceed to Gov. David Ige for final review and approval.

Following initial public outreach and consultations, a first round of four public hearings was hosted in September 2018 on Hawaii Island, Maui and Oahu.

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.

A second round of four public hearings was hosted in June 2019 on Hawaii Island, Maui, and Oahu. The latest draft will include revisions based on comments received during those hearings.