Hawaii proposes camping ban atop Mauna Kea amidst Thirty Meter Telescope protests

Hawaii state officials are suggesting an emergency rule to prohibit camping and limit night visitations to Mauna Kea on the Big Island in response to a growing encampment of protestors opposed to the Thirty Meter Telescope project. The Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources will consider the proposal at its meeting Friday. The proposed rule recommends that an off-limits area on the mountain be outlined during certain evening hours. Attorney General Doug Chin said Tuesday that campers have…