A gate to limit vehicular access and restrictions on snow play are among the proposals found in a set of rules being offered up for the summit of Mauna Kea.
The University of Hawaii next month will hold a series of public hearings on draft administrative rules governing public and commercial activities on UH-managed lands on the mountain.
The first of the four hearings will be held on Oahu from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Sullivan Conference Center, UH Cancer Center, 701 Ilalo St. in Honolulu.
As proposed, the gate would be used to control vehicles and restrict access to portions of the Mauna Kea area.
Regarding snow play, skiing, snowboarding, sledding and other winter sports may be restricted to maintain public safety and welfare, to prevent damage to resources and to minimize conflicts among visitors, according to a proposal.
University spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said the rules are preliminary.
“They’re just a starting point,” he said. “They are definitely not where we are going to end up.”
Other draft rules would put restrictions on commercial tours, require permits for public assemblies and make camping off-limits.
As proposed, the rules would allow the university to collect more fees that would go toward increased management of the mountain, Meisenzahl said.
The community-based Envision Maunakea project indicated that a community consensus favors improved management of the mountain with controls on traffic and visitors.
The draft rules also acknowledge the right of Native Hawaiians to exercise protected customary and traditional rights as called for by the Hawaii Constitution and state laws.
“Where such customary and traditional rights have minimal or no impact on existing cultural, natural, or scientific resources, no permit or approval is required under this chapter,” a proposed rule says.
Other rules propose restrictions on any activity that interferes with the operations of the telescopes and related facilities, including the use of any radio transmitters, cellphones and artificial illumination with the exception of vehicle headlights.
Other hearings will be held in Hilo on Sept. 25, Waikoloa on Sept. 26 and on Maui on Sept. 28.
The rules are found online at bit.ly/2Lefdcq.
Testimony also may be submitted until Sept. 28 online at bit.ly/2PpxAhG, via email at uhhar@hawaii.edu or in writing to the UH Government Relations Office, 2442 Campus Road, Administrative Services Building 1-101, Honolulu, HI 96822.
