With astronomy so important to Hawaii, respect is vital

Tuesday, April 28, 2015 With astronomy so important to Hawaii,
respect is vital
By Gunther Hasinger
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 28, 2015
Hawaii is the best place on Earth to observe the heavens. Astronomers are deeply grateful to the Hawaiian
people for allowing access to the precious skies over Mauna Kea. Nearly every astronomical breakthrough
in the last 50 years involved telescopes in Hawaii.
With the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), Hawaii will maintain its leading position creating new knowledge
about the universe.
How does the Hawaiian community benefit from the telescopes? Hawaii has a reputation as a modern place
of discovery. Astronomical objects have Hawaiian names, such as "Haumea," the first dwarf planet
discovered after Pluto, or the recently identified supercluster "Laniakea," our cosmic home. The
International Astronomical Union will bring several thousand astronomers to Honolulu this August.
After the devastating tsunami of 1960, astronomy on Mauna Kea was established as a new economic force
for Hawaii island. Today, astronomy's annual economic impact on Hawaii island exceeds $90 million. Tax
revenue helps fund road improvements, waste management, social services and education. Direct spending
supports local businesses.
The observatories provide more than 500 well-paid, clean, high-tech jobs. Astronomy diversifies the
economy and gives local youth opportunities to realize their potential without leaving family and friends
here. This segment of the Hawaii island economy will grow substantially with TMT.
Arguably the most important aspect is education. UH and the telescopes support a pipeline of STEM
education: "Journey through the Universe" reaches over 7,000 K-12 students annually. HI-STAR mentors
high school students, many of them Native Hawaiian, to participate in science fairs and pursue STEM
careers. The Akamai program provides internships for technical careers. Community efforts by TMT and
private donors generously support this pipeline.
The Hawaii Island New Knowledge fund recently distributed grants for teacher-generated classroom
projects for 3,600 students, and provided $500,000 in education grants to nonprofits and schools.
Each year, TMT will provide $2 million for education and workforce development.
Astronomy undergraduate programs in Hilo and Manoa and the Manoa graduate program are some of the
finest in the country.
Extensive public outreach programs share the voyage of discovery with the entire state. Every night, the
visitor information station at Halepohaku provides free public stargazing and welcomes 300,000 visitors
each year.
The Office of Mauna Kea Management has the full support of the observatories to malama the mountain.
The August 2014 state audit found that "UH and DLNR have addressed many of our recommendations. …
The result is an improved and more comprehensive framework that coordinates the agencies' efforts to
manage and protect Mauna Kea while balancing the competing interests of culture, conservation, scientific
research and recreation."
The Comprehensive Management Plan is the framework for all activities on the mountain.
Observatories and UH perform mandatory cultural and natural resource orientations, inspection of
equipment for invasive species, and enforce safety rules and regulations. All proposed projects on the
mountain complete a public review process involving the Native Hawaiian advisory council Kahu Ku
Mauna and the management board.
Rangers are on duty all year, monitoring activities, responding to emergencies, interacting with visitors,
and addressing cultural, scientific and natural resources. They are guardian angels for those 300,000
visitors each year.
Finally, Mauna Kea Observatories Support Services maintains the road up the mountain — grading the
road and clearing it of snow and ice — so that access is available to all and the community can experience
this amazing site.
Cultural practitioners have absolute priority in accessing the mountain. There are clear signs noting the
cultural importance of Mauna Kea and asking everyone to be respectful.
With its financial contribution to the management of the mountain, TMT enables an even better balance
between culture and science on Mauna Kea.
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