State extends application deadline for new Mauna Kea management authority

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The state has extended the application deadline for those who are interested in serving on the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority.

Applicants are asked to apply by Aug. 8. The original deadline was July 28.

Officials said that under a new law, the authority will be tasked with managing Mauna Kea lands and each member will be appointed to three-year terms.

The authority will consist of eleven voting members, which include:

• The chairperson of the board of land and natural resources, or the chairperson’s designee;
• The mayor of the County of Hawaii, or the mayor’s designee;
• The chairperson of the board of regents of the University of Hawaii; provided that the chairperson of the University of Hawaii board of regents may designate a:
  • Member of the board of regents; or
  • Past member of the board of regents with experience with Mauna Kea to serve as the chairperson of the University of Hawaii Board of regents’ designee.
• An individual with land resource management expertise and specific experience with Hawaii island‑based management;
• An individual who is recognized as possessing expertise in the fields of p-12 public education or post-secondary education;
• A representative who shall be appointed by the governor from a list of three names submitted by Mauna Kea Observatories;
• An individual with business and finance experience who has previous administrative experience in managing a large private-sector business;
• An individual who is a lineal descendent of a practitioner of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices associated with Mauna Kea;
• An individual who is a recognized practitioner of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices;
• And the governor shall appoint two members from a list of three names submitted for each appointment by the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Members of the authority must be confirmed by the Senate.

To apply, click here.

Instructions to apply:

• Scroll down to and click on “Department of Land and Natural Resources.”
• A drop-down menu appears; select the appropriate box next to the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority; hit SUBMIT at the bottom of the page
• An application form then appears; fill it out in its entirety
• Finally, sign and submit

”This new authority has the enormous task of laying the groundwork for a new management structure atop Mauna Kea,” said Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, chair of the Senate Committee on Education.

“And we need dedicated, passionate individuals applying to sit in these critical positions.”

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