Despite approval from the state's Board of Land and Natural Resources in 2013, the TMT project has run into opposition since the site was first selected in 2009. Objections come from both native Hawaiians, to whom Mauna Kea is a sacred site, and environmental advocates, as they believe the telescope's construction will interfere with Mauna Kea's glacial ecosystem and perhaps put native species at risk. More recently, peaceful protests against construction have been mounted, including an interruption of the groundbreaking ceremony in October 2014, which prompted temporary hold on construction from Hawaii Governor David Ige earlier this month.