Mauna Kea

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Livestream available at www.oiwitv/live "The Natives are coming... #wearemaunakea #protectmaunakea #alohaaina #tmtshutdown #kuleana #kukiaimauna @protectmaunakea ™@hawaiisfinestclothing" #alohaainawarriors

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Mahalo and praises to all families, hālau, kula and the many more who have arrived or shown solidarity from abroad. These demonstrations of aloha fuels our Ambassadors of Aloha ʻĀina and kapu aloha. The energy is high today as we continue to gather in song, pule, ʻoli and support. "another day on the mauna. #idlenomore #maunakea #wearemaunakea #TMTshutdown #aoleTMT #sacredsites #sacredactivism #malamamaunakea #punanaleo #hula #unukupukupu ™@kristasteinfeld"

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Mahalo nui i na keiki a me na makua ʻo Manokalanipo!!! Moku ʻo Keawe heard your calls of support! "Kākoʻo!!! Kauaʻi o Manokalanipō. #kawaikini #kaiapuni @protectmaunakea @oiwitv ™@wailuakaipuhaa" #protectmaunakea #aoleTMT #TMTshutdown #alohaainawarriors

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Protect Mauna Kea

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This petition has been reopened. If you have not yet signed, please do!

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Governor David Y. Ige: Stop TMT Construction and Arrests of Mauna…

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Nine Things You Need to Know about the Unist’ot’en Blockade | The Tyee

The RCMP moved Monday to break up a First Nations protest. Here’s how we got to this point.

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Kotahitanga o na Kanaka Motu 'atoa o Le Moana Nui project

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#WeWearMaunaKea

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Maria Taylor and 115 other friends have joined

Your friend Shalee Kuuiponohealani Kekawa posted:

Prayers up and said wherever you are for Maunaawakea, sacred spaces, saceed mountains, sacred waters and more.

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Your friend Ehu Kekahu Cardwell posted:

LIKE THE NEW MAUNA KEA FACEBOOK PAGE - http://FreeHawaii.Info #ProtectMaunaKea #WeAreMaunaKea #SeeYouOnTheMauna #AoleTMT #TMTShutdown #FreeHawaii #HawaiianKIngdom

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Piikea Keawekane-Stafford shared a post to the group: Nā Hanana Aloha ʻĀina - Events for Lāhui Hawaiʻi.

January 7 at 9:45 PM

Honolulu

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Image may contain: 6 people, people smiling

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Sparky Rodrigues

January 6 at 7:10 PM

Just because the court said it’s ok to build TMT DOES NOT MAKE RIGHT.
Just because governor and legislators pass a law paving the way DOES NOT MAKE TMT PONO
Ju...st because law enforcement will Be their in force does NOT mean TMT will be built.
Just because misguided UH and leaders, governor, legislators and enforcment wants to build TMT.
Having ALL of US ARRESTED does not mean we will not show up.
KU KIAI MAUNA on Jan 16, 2019 state capitol. Face to face with ALL your elected officials.

Keep message short.
No TMT.
NO TREATY of ANNEXATION.

Protect Mauna Kea shared a post.

January 7 at 7:20 PM

Healani Sonoda-Pale

January 7 at 5:47 PM

TMT has a signed 75 year agreement in place for the Canary Islands site and have been moving ahead with the proper government approvals to build in Spain since March of 2017.

Star Advertiser
Thirty Meter Telescope signs deal for backup site
By Timothy Hurley
March 30, 2017

The developer of the Thirty Meter Telescope signed a 75-year agreement with officials in the Canary Islands Wednesday giving the international consortium the right to construct and operate the giant telescope on the island of La Palma if Mauna Kea doesn’t work out.

The hosting agreement between the TMT International Observatory and Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias clears a “major milestone” in securing the alternative site near the summit of La Palma’s highest mountain, according to a news release.

“This is an important step for TMT,” TMT Executive Director Ed Stone said. “We want to ensure we have by April 2018 a site suitable to start construction should Mauna Kea not be feasible. We now have a signed agreement and are moving ahead with the appropriate government approvals so that everything will be in place if needed.”

In addition to the April 2018 construction target date, TMT officials say they need “reasonably assured access” to Hawaii’s tallest mountain by the fall of this year.

But the $1.4 billion project, originally set to start construction on Mauna Kea two years ago, remains in limbo as the contested case hearing replay ordered by the Hawaii Supreme Court has yet to wrap up.

The testimony phase of the hearing is over, but the parties are still working to finalize the record before the hearing officer makes a final recommendation to the state Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Whether the board ultimately awards a construction permit, an appeal to the state’s highest court is highly likely.

Further complicating matters is the fact that another contested case hearing was ordered by a circuit judge to address a due-process issue in regard to the TMT’s sublease with the University of Hawaii. The state is appealing the ruling.

Even after all the regulatory approvals are secured, the issue of access remains thorny due to the protests likely to occur on the mountain. In 2015 a group of mostly Native Hawaiian protesters blocked construction vehicles headed to the summit three times.

Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos is home to 12 telescopes, including the 10.2-meter Gran Telescopio de Canarias, and was recently tabbed as the site of the Cherenkov Telescope Array, which is set to become the largest ground-based gamma-ray detection observatory in the world.

Wednesday’s agreement lays out the terms for hosting TMT at the 7,861-foot observatory site, including its operation and eventual demolition, removal and site restoration.

The pact discusses the use of the land, access to infrastructure and common services. It also calls for headquarters facilities in La Palma and Tenerife, the most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, an autonomous community of Spain.

In return, Spain will receive 10 percent of the telescope’s observation time. By comparison, the agreement for Mauna Kea reserves 7.5 percent of observation time for UH astronomers.

Wednesday’s press release describes the La Palma observatory as offering “exceptional conditions” for TMT’s astronomy and certainly capable of meeting its core science goals.

But Thayne Currie, a Mauna Kea astronomer and member of the group Yes2TMT, said he’s examined various site data for La Palma, and he’s skeptical of TMT’s glowing praise.

“From a purely scientific standpoint, this is bit of like putting lipstick on a pig,” Currie said. “I question whether TMT would truly be able to meet its core science goals at La Palma: Mauna Kea is far, far better suited.”

In the news release, Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) Director Rafael Rebolo said, “We are excited about the possibility of welcoming TMT to the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma. The capacity for outstanding astronomical discoveries is beyond thrilling. This hosting agreement serves well (TMT), Spain and the worldwide astronomy community.”

California Institute of Technology professor and TMT board member Tom Soifer added: “The true spirit of collaboration between (TMT) and Spain has been really uplifting. We thank the IAC and Spain for their tremendous support and for the warm welcome to (the La Palma observatory).”

Thirty Meter Telescope signs deal for backup site

Haleakala’s Science City

Dubbed “Science City,” the Haleakalā High Altitude Observatory was erected in 1958 due to the optimal viewing conditions the shield volcano possesses, where a near-absence of light pollution, as well as the high-altitude air and the mountain’s tremendous height, render it one of the most superb and valuable planetariums in the world.

Comprised of 18 acres near the summit, “Science City” is made up of several facilities, including Pan-STARRS, Faulkes Telescope North, the TLRS-4 Laser Ranging System, the Zodiacal Light Observatory, the Maui Space Surveillance Complex, and the Mees Solar Observatory.

Of Science City’s many accomplishments is the detection of 19 near-Earth asteroids—the highest number of asteroids monitored in a single night—and the tracking of Venus. Most recently, Maui’s loftiest peak saw the unveiling of what’s been called the biggest digital map of the cosmos—an assemblage of data that showcases three billion stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects.

Up next?

The completion of the controversial, $344 million Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, which will become the world’s largest solar telescope, the National Science Foundation reports, and will provide “scientists with new insights into the physics of the sun and a better understanding of how space weather affects satellites, the power grid, and other infrastructure upon which human society has come to rely.”

Unfortunately, the Haleakala observatory is not open to the general public.

Melissa Leina'ala Haa Moniz shared a post.

AdminJanuary 6 at 11:09 AM

Melissa Leina'ala Haa Moniz

January 6 at 11:07 AM

Ianuali 6, 2019

Article:

KAILUA-KONA — Less than two weeks was all it took to transform a tranquil space of refuge in West Hawaii to one characterized by disorder and disrespect.

A partial government shutdown took effect Dec. 21 as Democrats and Republicans spar over the inclusion of $5 billion in a legislative spending package to fund a wall on the country’s border with Mexico. Since that time, thousands of federal employees have been furloughed without pay.

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But stalled services and income insecurity are only where the tumult begins.

At Honaunau Bay in South Kona, consequences of the shutdown have sprawled to include the desecration of sacred lands and structures, inflation of human and vehicle traffic to the point of dangerous conditions both by land and by sea, as well as disruption of the local fishing industry and potentially negative impacts to area corals.

“The land and the ocean get the same problem when we get too many people down there,” said Charles Leslie, 77, who has fished West Hawaii waters for nearly all his life.

Place of Refuge

Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park was an immediate victim of the government shutdown, the first domino in a cascade of subsequent victims to follow.

Employees were removed from the park and access to its ample parking facilities gated off. But all it takes is a few steps to navigate the blockades, allowing anyone on foot free rein in a sacred Hawaiian space — and not everyone has behaved appropriately.

People have been witnessed walking their dogs and picnicking on the Royal Grounds, where such behavior is forbidden. An observer who asked to remain anonymous witnessed earlier in the week four people enter Hale O Keawe, a former burial ground and active temple of worship, and start “climbing around.”

As to whether everyone violating the rules of the sanctum are aware what they’re doing qualifies as desecration is impossible to say. But with less ambiguous improprieties, namely littering and theft, pleading ignorance isn’t an adequate defense.

Trash was overflowing in bins situated near the entrance to the park and how frequently they’re emptied, or who would even empty them, remains unclear as the grounds crew responsible for upkeep of the park is on furlough and no one in management could be reached at their offices for comment.

However, plastic items and glass bottles have been reported in small numbers on the park’s sands a reasonable distance from any trash or recycling receptacles.

And there has been at least one confirmed theft. An unknown person or persons stole a red blindfold off of a statue in the Royal Grounds. The blindfold was draped over the eyes of a statue representing Ku, a Hawaiian god of war, as is tradition during Makahiki season, a period of rest and peace.

Beyond actions ranging from acts of disrespect to outright desecration, respectful tourists like the Lam family, visiting Thursday from California, roll in every day to find disappointment in the park’s closure.

“We’re kind of bummed the gift store is closed,” said Keith Lam, who instead briefly strolled the park with his wife Michelle and two young sons Christopher and Nicholas. “We usually get stamps from each national park and we can’t get them today.”

The park’s Visitors Center is shuttered and informational brochures are unavailable. Orientation talks and ranger presentations are also on ice until the government opens the gates and allows employees back to work.

“We usually talk to the park rangers and guides, and there’s usually junior ranger program where they learn a lot about the history of the place and do activities,” Lam said. “That would have been great. We did the recordings, which was good, but not like talking to a ranger.”

Most of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is also inaccessible, either due to the shutdown or because of remaining impacts from Kilauea’s most recent volcanic activity. It serves as the state’s premier tourist destination.

Spilling over

For as long as it’s been around, some folks come for the park and naturally happen upon Two Step Beach, which provides rock access to a brilliant section of coral reef at one of Hawaii Island’s top snorkeling spots.

Matt Voss and his wife, visiting from the Seattle area, weren’t even aware of Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park but simply noticed the sign while exploring the island Wednesday and decided to turn in. They liked what they saw so much, they came back again the following day.

But even to the eye of a man making his first visit to the island, the well over 100 oceangoers spread across the water and a small swath of rock at its edge seemed precarious.

“I don’t know if this is the best spot in the first place for a lot of people to hang out on,” Voss said. “It’s probably on the crowded side for what’s here. It’s not a place that lends itself to a lot of (people).”

Local residents and fishermen confirmed Voss’s intuition as accurate, lamenting the problems of traffic and human overflow resulting from the closure of the park.

“The people who are coming, bless their hearts, they’re ignorant and they don’t know how much damage they’re causing,” said Kiwina Desoto, who works a farm in the area.

Vehicles line the narrow streets leading into and out of the Two Step area, spilling out in a row along the side of the main thoroughfare that crawls up the side of the mountain.

Desoto said he’s observed fishermen struggling to navigate the traffic, particularly when trying to pull their boats out of the water between late morning and early afternoon hours.

He also said he’s seen cars blocking the pathway to the Hale-O-Keoua Canoe Club, impeding paddlers trying to launch or store canoes there.

He also speculated that such a vast increase in human presence on the reef and on the rocks could potentially cause damage in several ways, such as physical damage to the reef and more sunscreen pollution impacting food sources for the honu that like to rest and eat there.

By sea

Charles Leslie, a 77-year-old Big Island native who’s been fishing for more than seven decades and launches his boat from the ramp at Honaunau Bay, said the traffic in the water isn’t any better.

But it is far more dangerous.

That’s because the number of people swimming and snorkeling through a narrow channel serving as the only pathway for boats in and out of the bay has skyrocketed and there’s no efficient form of communication.

“Since the park closed, it’s 100 times worse,” Leslie said.

“Before, we’d see two or three people in the channel, it was easy to clear them. Now with so many, one’s looking at you, the other puts their head in the water. There’s no control there.”

Leslie added it now frequently takes fishermen between 30-90 minutes to make their way into the shallow waters of Honaunau Bay. They have to wait until it’s entirely clear and even then, because of the number of people and the surge created by the heavy surf, significant risk remains.

Essentially, once a boat hits the channel, it’s passed the point of no return.

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“We don’t have much room because when you come in there you have to tilt your motor so high. If (swimmers) get in front of your boat, you can’t stop even if you throw it in reverse,” Leslie said.

“It’s really dangerous for people to be in the channel,” he added. “With the surge, we can not stop our boat. Once we enter the channel, we have to come all the way into the ramp.”