Gov. David Ige and leadership from the state Senate and House of Representatives have extended the application deadline for seats on the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority to Aug. 8.

In a news release issued Thursday, which was the original application deadline, Ige said, “We need to stand up the authority as soon as possible with the launch of the National Science Foundation’s full environmental review of the Thirty Meter Telescope Project. However, we have heard from the community and will extend the deadline in the interest of attracting a diverse pool of qualified candidates.”

The National Science Foundation said last week it plans to prepare an environmental impact statement for the $2.65 billion TMT.

Established by the governor’s signing of House Bill 2024 into state law earlier this month, the authority will be tasked with managing Mauna Kea Lands and will consist of 11 voting members appointed to three-year terms. Among them: the state Board of Land and Natural Resources chair, Hawaii County’s mayor and the University of Hawaii’s Board of Regents chair — or representatives for those three positions.

The Senate will confirm the other members of the authority, including a person with land resource management expertise and experience with Hawaii island management; a person with business and finance expertise who has previous administrative experience managing a large private-sector business; a lineal descendent of a practitioner of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices associated with Mauna Kea; a recognized practitioner of Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices; and two governor-appointed members from a list of candidates submitted by the Senate and House.

The new state law allocated $14 million for the independent authority’s startup and planning tied to assuming the powers and responsibilities of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and state Land Use Commission in a way similar to the authority granted to the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission.