Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) at Mauna Kea
Has Been Nearly a Decade‐Long Process
Mauna Kea, kuahiwi ku ha‘o i ka mālie
Mauna Kea, mountain standing alone in the calm.
(ʻŌlelo No’eau #2147, Pukui)
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea started to form over a million years ago, in stages typical of all Hawaiian volcanoes. Magma
rising through fissures in the ocean crust hot spot slowly built a volcanic cone of pillow lava and glassy
fragments, rock formations created by underwater eruptions. About 800,000‐years ago Mauna Kea rose
above sea level, and intensive mountain building began.
Mauna Kea’s shield‐building phase ended about 130,000‐years ago. Cinder cones at the summit mark
the location of subsequent eruptions, which buried a larger central caldera. Eruptions flared even when
Ice Age glaciers gripped the summit. (National Geographic)
Since 150,000 to 200,000‐years ago, there have been three glacial episodes. Glacial debris on the
volcano formed about 70,000‐years ago and from approximately 40,000 to 13,000‐years ago. Mauna
Kea is presently a dormant volcano, having last erupted about 4,500‐years ago. (USGS)
No point on the planet reaches higher into the atmosphere than Mount Everest: 29,035‐feet (unlike the
hot spot that formed Mauna Kea, Mount Everest formed as the result of a convergent tectonic
boundary.)
But as a geologic formation, Everest is substantially smaller than Mauna Kea. Everest begins its rise in
the Himalaya at an average elevation of 19,160‐feet above sea level. Its height from base to summit
averages 10,000‐feet. The base of Mauna Kea starts about 45‐miles out from shore at a depth of some
18,900‐feet, giving it a total rise of 32,696‐feet. (National Geographic)
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Settlement of the Islands
Using stratigraphic archaeology and refinements in radiocarbon dating, recent studies suggest it was
about the eleventh century that “Polynesian explorers first made their remarkable voyage from central
Eastern Polynesia Islands, across the doldrums and into the North Pacific, to discover Hawai‘i.” (Kirch)
“Most important from the perspective of Hawaiian settlement are the colonization dates for the Society
Islands and the Marquesas, as these two archipelagoes have long been considered to be the immediate
source regions for the first Polynesian voyagers to Hawai‘i.”
“In sum, the southeastern archipelagoes and islands of Eastern Polynesia have a set of radiocarbon
chronologies now converging on the period from AD 900–1000.” (Kirch)
New research indicates human colonization of Eastern Polynesia took place much faster and more
recently than previously thought. Polynesian ancestors settled in Samoa around 800 BC, colonized the
central Society Islands between AD 1025 and 1120 and dispersed to New Zealand, Hawaiʻi and Rapa Nui
and other locations between AD 1190 and 1290. (Hunt; PVS)
With improved radiocarbon dating techniques and equipment to more than 1,400‐radiocarbon dated
materials from 47‐islands, the model considers factors such as when a tree died rather than just when
the wood was burned and whether seeds were gnawed by rats, which were introduced by humans.
(PVS) “There is also no question that at least O‘ahu and Kaua‘i islands were already well settled, with
local populations established in several localities, by AD 1200.” (Kirch)
Mauna A Wākea
“Mauna Kea is the first‐born to us, like the taro was for food, like coral polyps were for food in the
ocean. We have many first‐borns. Mauna Kea is the first‐born. And so, because Mauna Kea is the first‐
born, we need to malama (care for) Mauna Kea.”
“That's where our roots start, that's where our island begins, that's where the first rain from Wākea hits,
is our mountain. That's where the first sunlight that rises every morning hits. That mountain is the first
for everything we have.” (Pua Kanahele)
In a traditional Hawaiian context, nature and culture are one and the same, there is no division between
the two. The wealth and limitations of the land and ocean resources gave birth to, and shaped the
Hawaiian world view. The ‘āina (land,) wai (water,) kai (ocean) and lewa (sky) were the foundation of
life and the source of the spiritual relationship between people and their environs. Hawaiian moʻolelo,
or traditions express the attachment felt between the Hawaiian people and the earth around them.
In Hawaiian culture, natural and cultural resources are one and the same. Native traditions describe the
formation (literally the birth) of the Hawaiian Islands and the presence of life on, and around them, in
the context of genealogical accounts. All forms of the natural environment ‐ from the skies and
mountain peaks, to the watered valleys and plains, to the shore line and ocean depths ‐ were the
embodiments of Hawaiian gods and deities.
Mauna Kea is known in native traditions and prayers as Mauna a Wākea (Kea,) “The Mountain of
Wākea.” It is the first‐born mountain son of Wākea and Papa, who were also progenitors of the
Hawaiian race. Mauna Kea is symbolic of the piko (umbilical cord) of the island‐child, Hawai‘i, and that
which connects the land to the heavens. (Maly)
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One Hawaiian genealogical account, records that Wākea (the expanse of the sky) and Papa‐hānaumoku
(Papa ‐ the strata who gave birth to the islands) ‐ also called Haumea‐nuihānau‐wā‐wā (Great Haumea ‐
Woman‐earth born time and time again) ‐ and various gods and creative forces of nature, gave birth to
the islands. Hawai‘i, the largest of the islands, was the first‐born of these island children. (Maly)
Respect and care for nature, in turn meant that nature would care for the people. Thus, Hawaiian
culture, for the most part, evolved in a healthy relationship with the nature around it, and until the
arrival of foreigners on Hawaiian shores, the health and well‐being of the people was reflected in the
health of nature around them. (Maly)
“Ka piko kaulana o ka ‘āina” (The famous summit ‐ mountain top ‐ of the land,) and “‘āina mauna”
(mountain lands) are terms of endearment used in historical accounts and interviews by elder
kamaʻāina, in speaking of Mauna Kea and the lands which rest upon its’ slopes. (Maly)
It is important to note that in the summit region of Mauna Kea (from approximately 11,000‐feet and
above) and on the lower mountain slopes are found several features named for, or associated with
Hawaiian gods and deity. These associations are indicators of Mauna Kea’s place in the culture and
history of Hawai‘i as a scared landscape. (Maly)
A significant pattern archaeologists note in their investigations is the virtual absence of archaeological
sites at the very top of the mountain. McCoy states that the “top of the mountain was clearly a sacred
precinct that must, moreover, have been under a kapu and accessible to only the highest chiefs or
priests.” (Maly)
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Mountain Zones
Here are some names for (the zones of) the mountains ‐ the mauna or kuahiwi. A mountain is called a
kuahiwi, but mauna is the overall term for the whole mountain, and there are many names applied to
one, according to its delineations (‘ano).
The part directly in back and in front of the summit proper is called the kuamauna, mountaintop; below
the kuamauna is the kuahea, and makai of the kuahea is the kuahiwi proper. This is where small trees
begin to grow; it is the wao nahele.
Makai of this region the trees are tall, and this is the wao lipo. Makai of the wao lipo is the wao ‘eiwa,
and makai of that the wao ma‘ukele.
Makai of the wao ma‘ukele is the wao akua, and makai of there the wao kanaka, the area that people
cultivate. Makai of the wao kanaka is the ‘ama‘u, fern belt, and makai of the ‘ama‘u the ‘apa‘a,
grasslands.
The kuahiwi, kualono, kuamauna, kuahea, kaolo, kawao, wao ma‘ukele, waokele, wao akua, wao lā‘au,
and wao kānaka, are all considered part of Mauna Kea. These wao extend from the mountain peaks,
down slope through the wao akua (the region were the clouds settle upon the mountain lands,
concealing the presence of the gods) to the lower region frequented by mankind, and from where
resources were regularly collected and tended. (Kamakau)
Early Astronomy in Hawaiʻi
“The ancient Hawaiians were astronomers, and the terms used appertained to the heavens, the stars,
terrestrial science, and the gods. Curious students will notice in this chant (Kumulipo) analogies between
its accounts of the creation and that given by modern science or Sacred Scripture.” (Liliʻuokalani)
“In ancient times, the class of people studying the positions of the moon, the rising and setting of certain
fixed stars and constellations, and also of the sun, are called the kilo‐hōkū or astrologers. Their
observations of these heavenly bodies might well be called the study of astronomy.”
“The use of astrology anciently, was to predict certain events of fortunes and misfortunes, victory or
defeat of a battle, death of king or queen, or any high chief; it also foretells of pestilence, famine, fine or
stormy weather and so forth.” (Nupepa Hawaiʻi, April 2, 1909)
Hawaiʻi’s last King, Kalākaua, has been referred to as a Renaissance man. While seeking to revive many
elements of Hawaiian culture that were slipping away, the King also promoted the advancement of
modern sciences, art and literature … and astronomy.
Kalākaua’s interest in modern astronomy is evidenced by his support for an astronomical expedition to
Hawaiʻi in 1874 that came from England to observe a transit of Venus (a passage of Venus in front of the
Sun – used to measure an ‘astronomical unit,’ the distance between the Earth and Sun.)
The King allowed the British Royal Society’s expedition a suitable piece of open land for their viewing
area; it was not far from Honolulu’s waterfront in a district called Apua (mauka of today’s Waterfront
Plaza.)
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Kalākaua addressed those astronomers in 1874 stating, “It will afford me unfeigned satisfaction if my
kingdom can add its quota toward the successful accomplishment of the most important astronomical
observation of the present century and assist, however humbly, the enlightened nations of the earth in
these costly enterprises to establish the basis of astronomical distance.” (Pacific Commercial Advertiser,
September 19, 1874)
Kalākaua later helped astronomy with the Transit of Mercury (November 7, 1881.) “The king, Kalākaua,
offered me the free occupancy of the site from which the observations of the Transit of Venus were
made in December 1874 …” (Rockwell, Royal Astronomical Society)
Kalākaua reinforced his positive feelings toward modern astronomy – and noted the importance of
scientific learning versus the financial aspect of it.
On November 22, 1880, King Kalākaua wrote to Capt. RS Floyd noting his interest in telescopes and
astronomy:
“I must thank you sincerely for the pamphlet you sent me of the ‘Lick Observatory Trust.’ Something of
this kind is needed here very much but we have so few people who take interest in scientific matters.
Everybody is bent upon making money on sugar and the all might dollar.” (King Kalākaua)
The King then took his trip around the world, “Among our passengers on the voyage to San Francisco
was a well‐known Englishman, a lecturer on astronomy, returning from Australia.”
“He discussed with the King the astral theories of the Polynesians, which were, it must be confessed, not
as advanced as those held by the present generation of Europeans, but quite as valuable as those of
learned men two centuries before, who believed that comets were sent by the Almighty to frighten men
into obedience.”
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“The King became much interested in these semi‐scientific conversations, and at the end of the voyage
their effect upon him was shown after a not altogether unexpected fashion.” (Judd; Around the World
with the King)
Later, in 1881, during his travels to the US, King Kalākaua visited the Lick Observatory in California and
was the first to view through its new 12” telescope (which was temporarily set up for that purpose in
the unfinished dome.)
“Then that magnificent type of a man, stalwart fellow with black hair, splendid features and bronzed
complexion stood before Mr Lick, and said that he had heard what Mr Lick had done, and that he
proposed to do for the state, that he thanked him on behalf of humanity.” (Wright)
“Kalākaua arrived … at a crucial time, as the first important astronomical venture on Mount Hamilton
was about to be launched. The 12‐inch dome was not yet finished.”
They improvised “by mounting the telescope temporarily on the pier in the open air. The next morning
… he again went up the ‘hill.’ He told (Thomas Edward) Fraser (builder of the Lick Observatory) he was
delighted with what he saw and wanted a transit at his place.” (Wright)
Hawaiʻi had an opportunity for a Hale Kilo Hōkū (observatory or astronomy building (Pukui)) in 1887.
Harvard College Observatory issued a circular, “looking about for a suitable site for a station.”
“It appears that by the will of the late Uriah A Boyden, property the present value of which exceeds
$230,000 was left in trust for the purpose of astronomical research, ‘at such an elevation as to be free,
so far as practicable from the impediments to accurate observations now existing owing to atmospheric
influences.’”
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“A location in the southern hemisphere will be preferable for various reasons one of which is that ‘the
southern stars invisible in Europe and the United States have been less observed than the northern stars
and by the aid of a southern station the investigations undertaken at Cambridge can be extended upon a
uniform system to all parts of the sky.” (Daily Herald, April 13, 1887) (Harvard chose ‘Mount Harvard’ in
Lima Peru for The Boyden Station of Harvard Observatory.)
The summit of Mauna Kea, situated in the ahupua‘a of Kaʻohe, was noted as a site of importance for
modern astronomical observations by the Pendulum Party of 1892. (Maly)
It wasn’t until nearly a century after Hawaiʻi’s par cipa on in the first Transit of Venus that a high
elevation observatory was constructed in Hawaiʻi – in 1964, a NASA‐funded 12.5‐inch telescope was
installed on Puʻu Poliahu to see if Mauna Kea provided the right observation conditions.
Institute for Astronomy
The Institute for Astronomy (IfA) was founded at the University of Hawaii (UH) in 1967 to manage the
Haleakala Observatory on Maui and to guide the development of the Mauna Kea Observatories on
Hawaiʻi Island, as well as to carry out its own program of fundamental research.
Mauna Kea Astronomy Planning and Management
In 1968 Governor John A. Burns established the Mauna Kea Science Reserve, and through a lease with
the Department of Land & Natural Resources, the University of Hawaiʻi was granted the authority to
operate the Science Reserve as a scientific complex.
The University of Hawaiʻi's Board of Regents adopted its first master plan for the Science Reserve
(Mauna Kea Science Reserve Complex Development Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement) in
1983.
The 2000 Mauna Kea Master Plan updated the 1983 Complex Development Plan for the Mauna Kea
Science Reserve. There are four major aspects of the plan:
1) on‐island dedicated management under the auspices of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo;
2) new management structure including the Office of Mauna Kea Management, the Mauna Kea
Management Board, and a native Hawaiian Kahu Ku Mauna Council;
3) restrictions on development within the astronomy precinct; and
4) a project review process.
Office of Mauna Kea Management (OMKM) was established in 2000 as part of a master plan to provide
responsible stewardship of Mauna Kea, including protecting cultural, natural and scientific resources,
monitoring public access, and decommissioning astronomical facilities.
Kahu Kū Mauna (Guardians of the Mountain) is a volunteer community‐based council whose members
are from the native Hawaiian community. Kahu Kū Mauna advises the Mauna Kea Management Board,
OMKM, and the UH Hilo Chancellor on Hawaiian cultural matters affecting the UH Management Areas.
They review proposed projects and give their input to the Mauna Kea Management Board.
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Next Generation Large Telescope (NGLT)
The 2000 Master Plan anticipated that someday a Next Generation Large Telescope (NGLT) would be
considered for Mauna Kea and included in the Mauna Kea Master Plan a general location for such a
facility.
“Next Generation Large Telescope Site. A single large optical/IR telescope may be proposed for Mauna
Kea in the 20‐year life of this plan. A ground‐based telescope with a mirror of 25 to 50 m. in diameter is
being considered by the astronomy community, which would complement the planned Next Generation
Space Telescope. This facility would be the largest telescope in the world, and is currently called the
Next Generation Large Telescope (NGLT.)”
“The large scale of this instrument makes the visual impact considerations very important in the facility
siting and design. The NGLT would not be appropriately located at Mauna Kea’s summit ridge, due to
the major earthwork requirements that would disturb Wëkiu bug habitat and the visibility of a large
telescope placed atop the ridge.”
“In addition, telescope engineers have indicated that wind forces acting on the structure are expected to
be severe and problematic. To minimize potential obscuration of existing observatories, the potential
site for this facility must also be located in an area that is distant from the prominent topography at the
summit ridge and nearby puʻu.”
“A location that would minimize its visibility and reduce wind shear forces, and minimize potential
obscuration impacts, would be on the slope to the northwest of the summit ridge. The proposed
location of the telescope will take advantage of a northerly extension of the summit ridge to entirely
block views of the new facility from Hilo, and partially block views from Honokaʻa.” (Master Plan, 2000)
Astronomy Precinct
The University’s 2000 Master Plan for the UH Management Area designated 525 acres of the UH leased
land as an Astronomy Precinct within the 11,288‐acre Mauna Kea Science Reserve.
The 1983 plan included seven areas in the Science Reserve that were designated as Analysis Areas. The
2000 update of the Master Plan enables the refinement of the Telescope Siting Areas within the
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Astronomy Precinct, to include all existing observatories, proposed redeveloped facilities and new
facility sites.
The 13‐telescopes with the Mauna Kea Astronomy Precinct include:
Uh‐Hilo 0.6‐meter (24‐inch) (1968)
UH IfA 2.2‐meter (88‐inch) (1970)
NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, 3.0‐m, (1979)
Canada‐France‐Hawaii Telescope, 3.6‐m, (1979)
United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, 3.8‐m, (1979)
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, 10.4‐m (1987)
James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, 15‐m, (1987)
Very Long Baseline Array, 25‐m (1992)
Keck I 10‐m, (1992)
Keck II 10‐m, (1996)
Subaru Telescope, 8.3‐m, (1999)
Gemini Northern Telescope, 8.1‐m, (1999)
Submillimeter Array. 8x6m (2002)
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(The Hubble Space Telescope's mirror is similar in size to that of the UH 2.2 meter telescope ‐‐ the
second smallest telescope on the mountain.)
The areas which are anticipated to provide suitable observation conditions with minimum impact on
existing facilities, wekiu bug habitat, archaeological sites and minimal visual were selected.
The astronomy precinct, where 13‐existing telescopes are located, delineates the area of development
of astronomy facilities, roads, and support infrastructure. (The remaining 10,763 acres are designated a
Natural/Cultural Preservation Area in order to protect natural and cultural resources within the UH
Management Areas.)
Hale Pōhaku Mid‐Elevation Facilities
In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) undertook fencing, road building and visitor facilities
on Mauna Kea. The CCC built a stone cabin at Hale Pōhaku, which gained its name (house of stone)
from that structure. The cabin at Hale Pōhaku provided a shelter for overnight hikers, hunters and snow
players.
In 1943, construction of a road from Hilo to what would become the Pōhakuloa Training Area began.
After the end of World War II, the Saddle Road, as it was called, was extended to Waimea, greatly
improving access to the south side of Mauna Kea.
In 1964, the first road to the summit, a “jeep road” was completed, and in July of that year, the Lunar
and Planetary Station, located on the summit of Pu‘u Poli‘ahu was opened (Group 70 International
2000.) The jeep road was improved in 1970, allowing much easier access to the summit.
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The mid‐elevation facilities at Hale Pōhaku have typically been associated with support of astronomers,
dating back to times when all facilities were operated by on‐mountain astronomers and technicians.
Today, the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy located at Hale Pōhaku has living facilities for up
to 72 people working at the summit. Also located at the center are the Visitor Information Station and
other support buildings. The station is managed by the Institute for Astronomy’s Mauna Kea Support
Services.
With today’s technology and the fiber optic communications system, many of the studies occurring at
these observatories can be operated remotely either from Hale Pōhaku, off‐mountain Hawaiʻi loca ons
(Waimea, Hilo), or via the Internet.
ʻImiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaiʻi
In 2006, ʻImiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaiʻi was completed. The 42,000‐square‐foot exhibition and
planetarium complex is located in the University of Hawaiʻi's Science and Technology Park. It was
designed specifically to promote the integration of modern astronomical science and the Hawaiian
culture. Since opening, ‘Imiloa has served thousands of students in a number of educational programs.
Senator Dan Inouye had stated previously, “I am writing to express my strong support for the selection
of Mauna Kea as the location of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT.) It is in our nation’s scientific,
educational and economic best interest. Let us move forward and do right by our nation and the future
of astronomy by placing TMT on American soil.”
“I have been involved with many initiatives related to Mauna Kea over the years. I encouraged the
formation of Kahu Ku Mauna, a group of Native Hawaiian leaders who continue to this day to provide
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cultural guidance to the Office of Mauna Kea Management. I also worked with NASA to build the Imiloa
Astronomy Center‐a visible, educational demonstration of the positive intersection of culture and
science for students and life‐long learners.”
“While there was ‘scar tissue’ from the past, there were also many positive lessons learned upon which
to move forward. A strong coalition of community members, educators, businesses, unions and political
leaders stepped forward to support the location of the TMT on Mauna Kea. I am very proud of the
efforts to date …”
Mauna Kea CMP
BLNR approved 04/09/09
UH Board of Regents (BOR) approved 04/16/09
Opponents filed for a contested case hearing; BLNR denied; they appealed to the Court; Judge
Hara denied the appeal (12/29/09)
Mauna Kea CMP Sub‐plans
UH BOR approved Natural Resource Management Sub‐Plan & Cultural Resource Management
Sub‐Plan 11/19/09
UH BOR approved Decommissioning Sub‐Plan & Public Access Sub‐Plan 01/28/10
BLNR approved all four Sub‐Plans 03/25/10
“With its 30‐m‐diameter mirror, TMT will be the largest telescope in the world. It will be able to detect
the most distant galaxies in the universe, seeing them in a stage when the universe was still very young,
just after the Big Bang. Mauna Kea is being considered as a candidate site for the TMT, along with
locations in Mexico and Chile.”
“The proposed site for this observatory will be on the northern plateau below the summit ridge. The
TMT is a one billion dollar project – the most ambitious project in modern astronomy – and will have an
enormous scientific, educational and economic impact. If Hawai‘i is chosen as the location, the TMT will
secure leadership of Hawai‘i in astronomical science for the next few decades.” (CMP)
Legal Challenge to CMP (2009)
BLNR approved the CMP on April 9, 2009. The matter of whether a contested case hearing was available
was brought before the Third Circuit Court. On December 29, 2009, in a memorandum decision, the
circuit court granted University's Motion to Dismiss. The circuit court filed its Order Granting Motion to
Dismiss on January 27, 2010 and the Final Judgment on February 17, 2010.
That decision was appealed to the Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA.) On January 25, 2012, the ICA
found that the Final Judgment filed on February 17, 2010 in the Circuit Court of the Third Circuit is
affirmed.
TMT Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Timeline
EIS Preparation Public Scoping Meetings
Kohala High School 08/06/08
Waimea Town Hall 08/08/08
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Kealakehe Elem School 08/09/08
Kau High/Pahala Elem 08/13/08
Keaukaha Elementary School 08/14/08
Pahoa High/Int. School 08/15/08
Blaisdell 08/16/08
Draft EIS Notice published in OEQC Bulletin 05/28/09
Draft EIS – Review/Comment – Public Meetings
Waimea Elem School 06/16/09
Hilo High School 06/17/09
Pahoa High/Int. School 06/18/09
Kau High/Pahala Elem 06/22/09
Kohala High School 06/23/09
Kealakehe Elem School 06/24/09
Farrington High School 06/25/09
Final EIS ‐ Governor Approved TMT EIS ‐ May 2010
Final EIS Notice published in OEQC Bulletin 05/08/10
The Final EIS for TMT was not challenged by anyone.
TMT Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP)
The TMT project is an ‘identified land use’ pursuant to HAR §13‐5‐24, Identified Land Uses permitted in
the Resource Subzone include, R‐3 ASTRONOMY FACILITIES, (D‐1) Astronomy facilities under an
approved management plan.
Conservation District Use Permit Application (CDUA) submitted to DLNR ‐ 09/02/10
Notification of TMT CDUA published in The Environmental Notice 10/23/10
Hilo Public Hearing (Hawaii County Council Room) on CDUA 12/02/10
Kona Public Hearing (Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii) on CDUA 12/03/10
BLNR Addressed Application 02/25/11
On March 7, 2011, Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, Kealoha Pisciotta Clarence Kukauakahi Ching, Flores‐
Case Ohana, Deborah J. Ward, Paul K. Neves, and KAHEA: The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance,
filed a contested case proceeding against the BLNR, DLNR, Director of the DLNR, and the
University of Hawaii at Hilo (“UHH.)
The contested case hearing started on August 15, 2011. Testimony was taken and evidence
submitted during the following seven hearing days: August 15, 16, 17, 18 and 25, 2011, and
September 26 and 30, 2011. (Contested Case hearing sessions were open to the public.)
Hearing Officer in Contested Case issues his FOF‐COL‐D&O 11/30/12
On April 12, 2013, after the contested case hearing and briefing by the parties, the BLNR
entered the Findings of Fact (“FOF”), Conclusions of Law (“COL”) and Decision and Order
(“Decision and Order”) granting the Conservation District Use Permit (the “CDUP”) for the TMT
Project.
Ka Wai Ola (OHA) published ‘Room for Debate’ Point/Counterpoint on TMT July 2013
DLNR Interim Director Issued the Construction Notice to Proceed 03/06/15
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Legal Challenge to CDUP (2014)
On May 5, 2014, Judge Greg Nakamura of the Third Circuit Court filed the (1) Decision and Order
Affirming BLNR’s FOF, COL, and Decision and Order Granting the CDUP for the TMT Project dated April
12, 2013 and Final Judgment in favor of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT:)
upholding approval by the Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) of TMT’s
Conservation District Use Permit
affirmed that the BLNR approval of the Conservation District Use Application (CDUA) prior to
what is known as a Contested Case did not warrant a reversal of the Decision and Order
affirmed that astronomy facilities under an approved management plan are an appropriate use
in the astronomy precinct on Mauna Kea
Native Hawaiian cultural practices and resources were properly and adequately considered
The TMT CDUA includes a project site plan to protect and conserve natural resources. It also
incorporates the Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan and its four subplans.
On June 3, 2014, Mauna Kea Anaina Hou, Kealoha Pisciotta, Clarence Kukauakahi Ching, Flores‐Case
Ohana, Deborah J. Ward, Paul K. Neves and KAHEA filed their Notice of Appeal with the Intermediate
Court of Appeals (ICA.) Briefing in this appeal has been completed. ICA’s decision is pending.
TMT in the News (Sampling of Some of the Early Local Stories)
‘Mauna Kea one of the contenders in competition for super scope’ Associated Press 11/03/05
Posted: Thursday, November 3rd, 2005 8:08 AM HST
Mauna Kea one of the contenders in competition for super scope
HONOLULU (AP) _ Mauna Kea on the Big Island is one of three sites in the
running for a 750 (m) million dollar telescope still under development by a Canadian
engineering firm.
Once completed, the Thirty‐Meter Telescope will be three times bigger than the
world's current largest optical and infrared telescopes, both on Mauna Kea. But that day
is still a long way off.
Construction of the massive telescope isn't expected to begin until 2008 in Port
Coquitlam, British Columbia. And it likely won't be operational until 2015 or later.
That's according to Rolf‐Peter Kudritzki ‐‐ the director of the University of
Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy.
Mexico and Chile are the world's other contenders in the drive to be home to
the telescope being designed by international engineering firm Amec Dynamic
Structures.
(Copyright 2005 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
‘New vision for Mauna Kea’ Honolulu Advertiser 01/21/07
‘Mauna Kea still in running for TMT’ Hawaii Tribune Herals 02/11/07
‘Too Much Telescope’ Big Island Weekly 11/06/07
‘Environmental statement needed for $1B telescope’ Honolulu Star‐Bulletin 10/09/08
‘First, scope it out’ Hawaii Tribune Herald 10/09/08
‘Mauna Kea is not for sale’ Hawaii Tribune Herald 10/14/08
‘E Aha 'Ia Ana 'O Mauna Kea? What will become of Mauna Kea?’ Ka Wai Ola (OHA) Nov. 2008
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‘Build the TMT on Mauna Kea’ Hawaii Tribune Herald 06/20/09
‘Excitement, disappointment over TMT decision’ Hawaii Tribune Herald 07/21/09
‘Telescope Seeks Builders’ Hawaii Tribune Herald 09/28/09
‘MKMB OK on TMT’ Big Island Video News 05/20/10
‘Hawaii Governor Ends China Mission with TMT Talk’ Big Island Video News 06/16/10
‘University of Hawaii Approves Giant Telescope’ Huffington Post 06/29/10
‘TMT Gets by Hurdle’ Hawaii Tribune Herald 09/02/10
‘Proponents Push TMT Benefits’ West Hawaii Today 09/15/10
‘TMT hearings slated in Hilo, Kona’ Hawaii 24/7 12/01/10
‘Thirty Meter Telescope hearing tonight, tomorrow on Big Island’ BI Video News 12/02/10
‘Mauna Kea Telescope Ok'd’ Honolulu Star Advertiser 02/28/11
‘Report backs TMT Project’ Hawaii Tribune Herald 11/30/12
Thirty Meter Telescope Has Received Permits and Authorizations to Proceed With Construction
“We respect the rights of others to express their heartfelt beliefs. However, the Hawaii Supreme Court
has ruled that the state of Hawaii is the lawful government of these islands, and those claiming to be
citizens of the Kingdom of Hawaii are subject to the state’s laws.
“The TMT project obtained all necessary permits and approvals required by Hawaii’s laws. The TMT
project is neither destroying nor appropriating property … Rather TMT has gone through lengthy and
very public environmental and contested hearing processes to obtain its permits and its right to utilize
state lands.”
“The conditions imposed by the state more than adequately protect Mauna Kea and the rights of others
to utilize and experience the mountain and its many features. In other words, as stated by Gov. Ige, TMT
may resume construction at its discretion.” (Doug Ing)
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Economic Impacts
The $1.4‐billion Thirty Meter Telescope will supply much needed employment opportunities and
possibilities for businesses to assist TMT’s development, operations and maintenance. During the 8‐ to
10‐year construction timeline, TMT will create about 300‐local and specialized construction jobs. Once
the telescope is completed, TMT will generate about $26‐million annually in observatory operations and
employ about 140‐employees. TMT’s commitment is to fill these positions with as many Hawaii
residents as possible.
THINK Fund
TMT created The Hawaii Island New Knowledge (THINK) Fund at Hawai‘i Community Foundation in
October 2014 to provide grants, scholarships and community leadership to improve educational
opportunities for Hawai‘i Island students that serve to prepare them to become the workforce for the
science and technology economy of the 21st century Hawai‘i. “The aspirations of dedicated community
members are being realized with TMT’s first annual $1 million contribution, set in motion by the start of
our construction phase,” said TMT Community Affairs Manager Sandra Dawson.
TMT has also initiated a Workforce Pipeline Program, working with the State Department of Education,
University of Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii Community College, Hawaii County government, and nonprofit
organizations to strengthen STEM skills infrastructure at UH Hilo, HCC and K‐12 education organizations
serving low income and first‐generation college attending populations. TMT is committed to spend
additional funds each year on its Workforce Pipeline Program when fully operational.
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