Conservation and Mauna Kea

Author:

Mull, Mae

Title:

Conservation and Mauna Kea

Periodical:

Elepaio

Year:

1980

Volume:

40

Pages:

156

Subject:

Astronomical observatories environmental aspects Mauna Kea Mauna Kea environmental aspects

Summary:

The question of this issue was to determine whether it would be right or wrong to have more construction projects on the summit of Mauna Kea that is located on the island of Hawaii. This was in reference to whether or not the construction of more than six telescopes should have been allowed on Mauna Kea in that limiting construction would have preserved the remaining natural features and beauty of the summit and would have protected the newly-discovered high-altitude native ecosystems that had scarcely been studied. Other questions regarding the use of the summit were whether or not the summit road should have remained unpaved in an effort to control public use, if power sources should have been restricted to generator use with emission-control devices in an effort to limit the expansion on the summit, if Hale Pohaku should have remained as a primitive State Park and if the mid-level facility should have been kept at a minimum for the specific purpose of serving as an acclimatization facility for astronomers. Another question was whether or not the Hawaiian Homes ranching land should have been kept at the 8,000-foot elevation of Mauna Kea in an effort to prevent further destruction of the mamane forest that was an important habitat for the palila bird as this area was located below the mamane forest where native plants and animals had already been destroyed.

Label:

Ecology - Conservation

Date:

1980

Collection:

Periodicals