Urging The United States Air Force To Cease Plans Related To The Construction Of The Maui Optical And Supercomputing Site Small Telescope Advanced Research Facility Atop Haleakal.
SCR152 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution urging the United States Air Force to stop planning and developing the proposed Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site Small Telescope Advanced Research Facility, known as AMOS STAR, atop Haleakalā on Maui. The resolution describes the project as a military space-tracking and research installation that would add telescopes and related infrastructure to the summit area.
The measure frames Haleakalā as a sacred and culturally significant site and argues that additional development would further alter a landscape already affected by telescopes, domes, and federal facilities. It emphasizes concerns that the project would support defense-related missions, increase militarization, and occupy land within a State Conservation District where natural, cultural, and ecological preservation should take priority. The resolution also states that culturally and environmentally appropriate alternatives may exist elsewhere.
SCR152 does not change Hawaii statutes or create new regulatory requirements. Instead, it is a formal expression of the Legislature’s position directed to the U.S. Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration, seeking to influence federal decision-making on the AMOS STAR project. Its practical effect would be political and advisory rather than legally binding.
The general sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly opposed to the project. The resolution cites community concerns about transparency, oversight, environmental impacts, public access, and interference with traditional cultural practices. It also criticizes the environmental review process as insufficiently protective of cultural and environmental resources and suggests that federal officials have not adequately incorporated local feedback.
The main point of contention is whether the proposed facility should be built on Haleakalā at all, with supporters of the project emphasizing satellite tracking, communications, and defense-related research, while opponents focus on sacred-site protection, conservation values, and community consent. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so the available record shows the bill’s position and objections but not any formal legislative debate or vote outcome.
SCR152 has no direct effect on Hawaii state law, because it is a concurrent resolution rather than a bill amending statutes. Its impact is to formally communicate the Legislature’s opposition to the proposed AMOS STAR facility and to urge federal agencies to abandon the project. The resolution may influence federal permitting, public comment, and intergovernmental relations, but it does not itself regulate land use, environmental review, or military construction.
The sentiment in the resolution is clearly negative toward the proposed Air Force facility. The bill presents the project as inconsistent with cultural preservation, conservation priorities, and community concerns, and it urges the Air Force to cease development altogether. Because no committee discussion or vote history was provided, there is no evidence in the record of organized support or a recorded legislative split; the text itself reflects a strongly oppositional stance.
The central contention is the proposed siting of a military/space-surveillance facility on Haleakalā’s summit. Opponents argue the site is sacred, environmentally sensitive, and already overburdened by existing federal and telescope infrastructure, and they object to possible restrictions on access and cultural practice. The Air Force’s rationale is that the facility would improve satellite tracking, communications, and research capabilities, but the resolution challenges whether those benefits justify further development on conservation and culturally significant land. Additional concerns raised include transparency, oversight, the adequacy of the environmental impact statement, and whether local community input has been meaningfully incorporated.