BOARD OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES STATE OF HAWAI`I IN THE MATTER OF CASE NO. BLNR-CC-16-002 Contested Case Hearing Re Conservation District PROPOSED FINDINGS OF FACT, Use Application (CDUA) HA-3568 For the Thirty CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND Meter Telescope at the Mauna Kea Science DECISION AND ORDER Reserve, Ka`ohe Mauka, Hamakua, Hawai‘i TMK (3) 4-4-015:009 Certificate of Service PROPOSED FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND DECISION AND ORDER TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................7 I. THE PARTIES.................................................................................................................... 8 II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY: PRE-HEARING ................................................................ 13 A. PRIOR CONTESTED CASE, REMAND, AND APPOINTMENT OF HEARING OFFICER ........................................................................................... 13 B. FIRST PRE-HEARING CONFERENCE, RECORD ON REMAND, SCHEDULING MOTIONS TO INTERVENE .................................................... 15 C. STANDING .......................................................................................................... 17 D. PRE-HEARING PLEADINGS ............................................................................. 18 E. SETTING THE ISSUES ....................................................................................... 19 F. SITE VISIT ........................................................................................................... 20 G. THE PRIOR CDUP WAS VOIDED BY THE BLNR ......................................... 20 H. SCHEDULING THE EVIDENTIARY HEARING ............................................. 20 III. PROCEDURAL HISTORY: EVIDENTIARY HEARING ............................................ 22 IV. PROCEDURAL HISTORY: POST-HEARING .............................................................. 24 FINDINGS OF FACT....................................................................................................................25 I. THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN ASTRONOMY ON MAUNA KEA ................. 25 A. THE GENERAL LEASE, THE MAUNA KEA SCIENCE RESERVE AND THE UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AREA .......................................... 25 B. DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN ASTRONOMY FACILITIES ON MAUNA KEA PRIOR TO 2000 .......................................................................... 26 C. DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2000 MASTER PLAN AND THE OFFICE OF MAUNA KEA MANAGEMENT...................... 27 D. DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN AND ITS SUB-PLANS ............................................................................. 31 E. CURRENT AND FUTURE DECOMMISSIONING ........................................... 36 F. ASTRONOMY DEVELOPMENT UNDER THE MASTER PLAN .................. 37 G. BLNR ONGOING JURISDICTION .................................................................... 40 H. DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT EFFORTS ......... 40 II. THE PROPOSED PROJECT ........................................................................................... 42 A. HISTORY OF THE TMT PROJECT ................................................................... 42 B. FORMATION OF TIO ......................................................................................... 46 ii C. SUBLEASE BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND TIO ................................... 46 D. CONSULTATION FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT ....................................... 46 E. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ................................................................................... 50 F. THE UNIQUE COMBINATION OF CONDITIONS THAT MAKES MAUNA KEA A PREMIER LOCATION FOR ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES .............................................................................................. 54 G. THE SCIENTIFIC VALUE OF THE TMT OBSERVATORY ........................... 55 H. ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF THE TMT OBSERVATORY ............................... 57 I. TMT PROJECT CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ............................................. 58 J. EDUCATIONAL AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES............................ 59 i. The Need for Educational Opportunities .................................................. 59 ii. Native Hawaiians and Modern Astronomy............................................... 60 iii. Community Benefits Package ................................................................... 63 iv. Workforce Pipeline Program .................................................................... 63 K. TMT PROJECT MITIGATION MEASURES ..................................................... 64 L. TMT PROJECT DECOMMISSIONING ............................................................. 71 M. FUNDING............................................................................................................. 72 N. THE OCCL REPORT RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF CDUA ..................... 73 III. MAUNA KEA IS SACRED ............................................................................................. 75 IV. HAWAI‘I ADMINISTRATIVE RULE § 13-5-30(C): THE EIGHT CRITERIA .......... 83 A. CRITERION ONE, HAR § 13-5-30(C)(1): "THE PROPOSED LAND USE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PURPOSE OF THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT[.] ..........................................................................83 B. CRITERION TWO, HAR § 13-5-30(C)(2): "THE PROPOSED LAND USE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SUBZONE OF THE LAND ON WHICH THE USE WILL OCCUR[.] .................................88 C. CRITERION THREE, HAR § 13-5-30(C)(3): "THE PROPOSED LAND USE COMPLIES WITH PROVISIONS AND GUIDELINES CONTAINED IN CHAPTER 205A, HRS, ENTITLED ‘COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT’, WHERE APPLICABLE[.].........................................92 D. CRITERION FOUR, HAR § 13-5-30(C)(4): "THE PROPOSED LAND USE WILL NOT CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL ADVERSE IMPACT TO EXISTING NATURAL RESOURCES WITHIN THE SURROUNDING AREA, COMMUNITY, OR REGION[.] ..............................................................94 i. Biologic Resources ................................................................................... 97 iii ii. Archaeological and Historic Resources .................................................. 104 iii. Cultural Resources and Practices ............................................................ 122 iv. Visual and Aesthetic Resources .............................................................. 161 v. Hydrology and Water Resources ............................................................ 164 vi. Hazardous Waste, Solid Waste, and Wastewater ................................... 169 E. CRITERION FIVE, HAR § 13-5-30(C)(5): "THE PROPOSED LAND USE, INCLUDING BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES, AND FACILITIES, SHALL BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE LOCALITY AND SURROUNDING AREAS, APPROPRIATE TO THE PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AND CAPABILITIES OF THE SPECIFIC PARCEL OR PARCELS[.] ........................................................................................................172 F. CRITERION SIX, HAR § 13-5-30(C)(6): "THE EXISTING PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE LAND, SUCH AS NATURAL BEAUTY AND OPEN SPACE CHARACTERISTICS, WILL BE PRESERVED OR IMPROVED UPON, WHICHEVER IS APPLICABLE[.] ..................................................................................................175 G. HAR § 13-5-30(C)(7), CRITERION SEVEN: "SUBDIVISION OF LAND WILL NOT BE UTILIZED TO INCREASE THE INTENSITY OF LAND USES IN THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT… ............................180 H. CRITERION EIGHT, HAR § 13-5-30(C)(8): "THE PROPOSED LAND USE WIL NOT BE MATERIALLY DETRIMENTAL TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE ..............................................................181 V. PETITIONERS’ AND OPPOSING INTERVENOR’S ARGUMENTS THAT UHH FAILS TO MEET CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL OF PERMIT ................................... 191 VI. PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE ....................................................................................... 194 CONCLUSIONS OF LAW .........................................................................................................196 I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 196 II. JURISDICTION AND STANDING .............................................................................. 197 A. JURISDICTION ................................................................................................. 197 B. STANDING OF THE PARTIES ........................................................................ 198 C. TIO’S STANDING ............................................................................................. 199 D. HEARING OFFICER WITNESSES .................................................................. 200 III. DENIAL OF OUTSTANDING MOTIONS ................................................................... 201 IV. AUTHORITY OF HEARING OFFICER ....................................................................... 201 V. EVIDENTIARY STANDARDS .................................................................................... 202 iv VI. CROSS EXAMINATION PROCEDURES ................................................................... 205 VII. REBUTTAL WITNESSES ............................................................................................. 205 VII. OFFICIAL NOTICE ....................................................................................................... 206 VIII. LEGAL FRAMEWORK ...............................................................................................