![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bigislandthieves.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/TMT1.jpg?resize=300%2C212&ssl=1\")
Artists\u2019 rendering of TMT PC: NAOJ<\/p><\/div>\n
The University of Hawaii is fighting to keep TMT Alive. On April 28, 2021, Bonnie <\/span>D.<\/span> Irwin, <\/span>Chancellor of the <\/span>University <\/span>of <\/span>Hawai\u2019i <\/span>at <\/span>Hilo submitted a letter to Samuel Lemmo in the Administrator\u02bbs Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands at the Department of Land and Natural Resources. <\/span><\/p>\n Following a review of project activities shared by <\/span>Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory<\/span><\/a> (TIO) with the <\/span>University of Hawai\u02bbi<\/span><\/a>, Bonnie<\/span> notified the <\/span>Department of Land and Natural Resources<\/span><\/a> (DLNR), that work\/construction on the TMT project was initiated in 2019 based on project activities in June and July of that year. The letter was sparked in compliance with General <\/span>Condition <\/span>No. <\/span>4 <\/span>of <\/span>Conservation <\/span>District <\/span>Use <\/span>Permit <\/span>(\u201cCDUP\u201d) <\/span>HA-3568. According to the terms of the State Board of Land and Natural Resources\u2019 conservation district use permit issued to the Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory in 2017, the construction of TMT was required to begin within two years of the issuance of the permit.<\/span><\/p>\n General <\/span>Condition <\/span>No. <\/span>4 <\/span>of <\/span>CDUP<\/span>HA-3568 <\/span>provides:<\/span><\/p>\n Any <\/span>work <\/span>done <\/span>or <\/span>construction <\/span>to <\/span>be <\/span>done <\/span>on <\/span>the <\/span>land <\/span>shall <\/span>be <\/span>initiated <\/span>within <\/span>two <\/span>(2) <\/span>years <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>approval <\/span>of <\/span>such <\/span>use, <\/span>in <\/span>accordance <\/span>with <\/span>construction <\/span>plans <\/span>that <\/span>have <\/span>been <\/span>signed <\/span>by <\/span>the <\/span>Chairperson, <\/span>and, <\/span>unless <\/span>otherwise <\/span>authorized, <\/span>shall <\/span>be <\/span>completed <\/span>within <\/span>twelve <\/span>(12) <\/span>years <\/span>of <\/span>the<\/span> approval. <\/span>The <\/span>UH <\/span>Hilo <\/span>shall <\/span>notify <\/span>the <\/span>Department <\/span>in <\/span>writing <\/span>when <\/span>construction <\/span>activity <\/span>is <\/span>initiated <\/span>and <\/span>when <\/span>it <\/span>is <\/span>completed.<\/span><\/p>\n Subsequent <\/span>to <\/span>the <\/span>issuance <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Notice <\/span>to <\/span>Proceed, <\/span>and <\/span>before <\/span>the <\/span>September <\/span>28, <\/span>2019 <\/span>initiation <\/span>deadline, Bonnie stated <\/span>the <\/span>following <\/span>Project <\/span>Activity <\/span>was <\/span>initiated <\/span>at <\/span>the <\/span>TMT <\/span>Project <\/span>site <\/span>or <\/span>in <\/span>preparation <\/span>for <\/span>Project <\/span>Activity <\/span>to <\/span>be <\/span>performed <\/span>at <\/span>the <\/span>TMT <\/span>Project <\/span>site:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n\n