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Maui studies
fund for land
conservation

Maui voters support property
tax hikes to protect natural
areas, a poll shows

By Gary T. Kubota
Star-Bulletin

WAILUKU -- Maui County Council Chairman Patrick Kawano plans to hold a meeting to discuss a survey supporting creation of a county fund to buy land to protect natural areas.

Some 66 percent of Maui County voters support a County Charter amendment to increase property taxes 2.5 percent to buy land for open space preservation, according to the survey sponsored by the nonprofit group, Trust for Public Land.

About $2 million would be set aside annually, if a conservation fund were established under current tax revenues.

The group said the survey, conducted in April by two different polling firms, was based on random telephone interviews with 403 registered voters in Maui County. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

Trust for Public Land helps in the purchase of conservation land nationally. The group assisted in Haleakala National Park's acquisition last year of some 1,500 acres of native rain forest at Kipahulu.

Kawano said he spoke with trust officials about the survey for about 20 minutes earlier this week. He said he asked them to provide more details about the survey and planned to meet with them to review it.

Kawano said he wants to have more discussion with Council members and the public, especially in light of the Council's decision not to raise property tax rates this year.

"We need to have the public come and talk about it," he said.

No date has been set for a meeting.

Councilwoman Charmaine Tavares said she would like to see some money set aside in a permanent fund for the purchase of land for conservation, open space and access.

Tavares said such a fund would enable the county to plan in a way similar to the fund for highways.

"This is an important issue," she said. "It has far-reaching effects."

Teresa McHugh, Trust for Public Land's project manager for the Hawaiian Islands, said the survey showed high levels of support across demographic groups, including men and women and various ethnic groups.

"We're very impressed with the intensity of the support," she said.

McHugh said the group decided to conduct the survey because of people's interest in conservation and the acceleration of urban development in Maui County.

The Council has the power to put a charter amendment on the ballot but needs to do it by its Sept. 1 meeting for it to be put before voters in the November general election.