It started in the House as a bill to remove the University of Hawaii from its role as manager of Mauna Kea and replace it with an independent stewardship authority.

It emerged from the Senate with a joint oversight model, with UH continuing to manage the mountain’s astronomy facilities while the new authority controls the rest of the state land.

The latest version, presented Tuesday by House members in conference committee, leaves UH on the outside — again — following a five-year transition period.

A proposed draft compromise creates an 11-member Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority with responsibility over the entire mountain, including the astronomy precinct.

That would happen fully following a five-year transition period during which the new authority would establish rules and regulations and plan for the future while UH handles day-to-day management as it does now.

Following the transition, the authority would take over from UH and assume the powers and responsibilities of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Land Use Commission in a way similar to the authority granted to the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission.

Astronomy would remain “the policy of the state,” according to the proposal, but it must be consistent with the law’s “mutual stewardship paradigm” in which “ecology, the environment, natural resources, cultural practices, education, and science are in balance and synergy.”

“In other words, we are not putting astronomy above all other uses,” said Rep. David Tarnas (D, Kaupulehu-Waimea-Halaula), chairman of the House Committee on Water and Land. “But it shows that this bill is not about killing astronomy. We want to support and provide a sustainable future for astronomy.”

Under the proposal, UH would get at least 7% of the observatory viewing time on any new leases negotiated following the transition.

Members of the authority would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. Members would represent DLNR, the UH Board of Regents, Hawaii island mayor, Mauna Kea observatories and five citizens with expertise in land management, education, business and finance, plus a lineal descendant practitioner and cultural practitioner. Two others would be appointed from a list submitted by the Senate president and speaker of the House.

A spokesman for the university said UH officials are still reviewing the latest draft, but concern remains that the proposal doesn’t allow enough time to renew the observatory subleases and secure a new land authorization for the summit before the telescopes are forced into a lengthy decommissioning process prior to the expiration of the master lease in 2033.

“Everything is in jeopardy,” Dan Meisenzahl said.

Mauna Kea astronomer Thayne Currie agreed.

“This bill still seems to effectively spell the end of astronomy on Mauna Kea,” Currie said.

On the other hand, five Mauna Kea Observatory directors urged lawmakers this week to create a “community-based mutual stewardship model which will allow astronomy to thrive alongside other interests, sensitive to the needs of the local community.”

“We feel a mutual stewardship model reflects and is strongly aligned with the astronomy profession’s broader aspirations,” the directors said in a letter, adding that the recently published Astro2020 Decadal Survey suggests the same.

The letter was signed by Hilton Lewis of the W.M. Keck Observatory, Satoshi Miyazaki of Subaru Telescope, Jennifer Lotz of Gemini Observatory, Paul Ho of East Asian Observatory and Patricia Henning of VLBA (Very Long Baseline Array). There are 13 telescopes atop Mauna Kea.

The conference committee will reconvene to discuss the proposal Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in state Capitol Room 16.

A copy of the draft is available to the public at hawaiihousedemocrats.com.

Committee member Sen. Donna Mercado Kim said she was keeping an open mind regarding the latest version.

“At the end of the day, a mutual stewardship is something we want to strive to do,” said Kim (D, Kalihi Valley-Moanalua-Halawa).