The Office of Maunakea Management (OMKM) combined efforts with Maunakea Support Services in August 2020, creating the Center for Maunakea Stewardship that is responsible for University of Hawaii-managed Maunakea lands.
The merger between the two is expected to be finished by 2022. The OMKM is responsible for the daily management of the Maunakea Science Reserve.
“Achieve harmony, balance and trust in the sustainable management and stewardship of the Maunakea Science Reserve through community involvement and programs that protect, preserve and enhance the natural, cultural and recreational resources of Maunakea while providing a world-class center dedicated to education, research and astronomy," reads the OMKM's mission statement.
Visitors to Maunakea are encouraged to follow all public safety precautions. Visitors are responsible for their own safety and must seek out safety instructions from the Visitor Information Station. Minors, pregnant women, intoxicated individuals and anyone who has been scuba diving in the past 24 hours should not travel to Maunakea alone.
Altitude sickness is also a concern while at Maunakea. Symptoms of altitude sickness include thirst, shortness of breath, nausea, headache, impaired judgement and fatigue. Dirty vehicles, drones, nicotine products, camping, pets aside from service animals, and cell phone or Wi-Fi use in nonemergency situation are all things that are prohibited. The OMKM enforces these rules and also deals with other managerial issues.
The OMKM was established in 2000 as part of the University of Hawaii's Mauna Kea Science Reserve Master Plan. The goal of the Master Plan is to improve local oversight of Mauna Kea. The Master Plan also established committees comprised of Big Island residents to address issues related to Hawaiian culture and the environment as they relate to Hawaii.
In 2001 the Maunakea Ranger Program was created. The rangers work every day and are headquartered at the Visitor Information Station. The role of the rangers is to answer questions from guests relating to scientific, cultural, historical or environmental matters and also to give warnings to visitors on health and safety issues.
An audit in 2005 showed that improvements were achieved relative to 1998 because of the Master Plan being implemented.