HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

174

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE APPROPRIATE LEASE RENT FOR THE MAUNA KEA SUMMIT LANDS.

 

WHEREAS, the Mauna Kea summit land is the home to advanced technology telescopes owned by world's leading astronomy institutions and universities, with at least thirteen observatories, some of which are multi-million dollar projects, making it the top spot for land-based star-gazing; and

WHEREAS, the Mauna Kea summit land is ceded land and part of the public land trust; and

WHEREAS, a lease agreement dated June 21, 1968, for a term of sixty-five years, between the Department of Land and Natural Resources as lessor, and the University of Hawaii as lessee, for the lease of the Mauna Kea forest reserve does not provide for any lease rent amount; and

WHEREAS, instead of charging lease rent, the university reportedly requires each facility to provide a percentage of its observatory time to the UH Astronomy Institute; and

WHEREAS, a long-standing and genuine issue has arose as to the amount of lease rent that should be paid for use of the Mauna Kea Summit land; and

WHEREAS, there are conflicting interests in this matter which involve the State, the University of Hawaii (via the Institute for Astronomy), and Native Hawaiian stakeholders; and

WHEREAS, a task force is necessary to bring parties together to confer and cooperate to reach a mutually agreeable solution to the issue; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is requested to convene a task force to study the leasing of public lands comprising the Mauna Kea Summit; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force consist of representatives of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Department of Land and Natural Resources, University of Hawaii by its Institute for Astronomy, and any other interested parties approved by any of these three entities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is requested to report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007, with findings and recommendations as follows:

(1) The appropriate amount of lease rent that should that the University of Hawaii should pay to the State for rent of the Mauna Kea Summit land, and the method of calculation of this lease rent;

(2) The appropriate amount of lease rent or other remuneration for use that the University of Hawaii should charge to entities operating telescopes on the Mauna Kea Summit, and the method of calculation of such charges;

(3) The application of the funds that would be derived from paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively;

(4) Any other relevant matters affecting paragraphs (1), (2), and (3); and

(5) Proposed legislation;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, President of the University of Hawaii, University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Mauna Kea Summit; Task Force