University of Hawaii group to study Mauna Kea management

HONOLULU — The University of Hawaii’s board is forming a task force to study the school’s management of Mauna Kea’s summit, which is currently at the center of long-running protests against the construction of a new telescope.

Board of Regents member Alapaki Nahale-a told fellow members Friday the board needed to get involved in the conversation on Mauna Kea. He says most of the 12 regents currently on the board have never voted on Mauna Kea issues.

The task force will have six members. Its meetings won’t be public, and a record of its discussions won’t be kept. The group’s members will be asked to report to the full board what they’ve found.

Regent Simeon Acoba Jr. opposed the proposal, saying discussions on Mauna Kea should be held in public.