The Maui News
June 2, 2000

By TIMOTHY HURLEY
Staff Writer

WAILUKU -- Maui County voters are concerned about the loss and deterioration of Maui's natural landscape and are willing to increase their taxes to help protect it, according to a poll released Thursday.

The telephone survey, funded by the Trust for Public Land, found that 66 percent of the voters would support a charter amendment raising property taxes 2.5 percent to pay for land and open space preservation, with 26 percent opposed.

In addition, 79 percent of the respondents want more county spending on land, air and water protection, with most of those wanting it increased ``a lot.''

Those are among the findings in the public opinion survey taken in April by QMark Research and Polling of Honolulu, and Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates, an Oakland firm.

The firms talked to 403 Maui County voters who indicated they were likely to vote in the November 2000 election. The margin of error for the full sample is plus or minus 4.9 percent.

``These survey findings demonstrate deeply held concerns by Maui voters for their environment,'' said QMark President Barbara Ankersmit. ``By strong margins, voters are willing to pay higher taxes to safeguard the land and water for current and future generations.''

Scott Parker, director of the Hawaiian Islands Program for the Trust for Public Land, said he wasn't surprised that many Maui County residents recognize the importance of protecting special places and are willing to act now to preserve them.

The surprise, he said was that so many voters expressed support for land preservation.

``It's amazing,'' Parker said. ``The people of Maui have clearly spoken.''

Presented with a list of potential projects in the survey, more than 75 percent of those polled cited as ``very important'' a number of concerns, including protection of beaches and coastal areas, saving wildlife habitat and preserving Native Hawaiian historic and cultural sites.

Other concerns supported by more than three-quarters of the poll's participants were: buying land by streams to protect water quality, protecting agricultural land from development, improving access for the disabled to parks and recreational activities, protecting native forests and preserving key watershed areas.

Support for the charter amendment, which would allow the public to vote on raising funds for protection of land and water, cuts across demographic groups and political party lines, according to the survey.

In addition, Maui County voters also strongly support the creation of a ``land acquisition fund'' that would accept public and private donations. More than four out of five voters supported the fund, which would be used to buy land threatened by development and keep it available to the public.

Maui County Council Chairman Patrick Kawano said he wasn't ready to declare the survey results a mandate. He said he'd like to know more about how the poll was conducted and would probably want to discuss the issue in committee before considering any charter amendment.

Kawano said council members just made a promise that taxes would not be raised.

``We know how hard it is (to raise taxes),'' he said.

Council Member J. Kalani English said the survey provides clear guidance to local officials as to the wishes of the people.

``I have always believed that Maui County's people place a high value on our natural resources for sustaining life, for recreation and for tourism,'' English said. ``This survey shows that the environment is not only a priority, but it's a high priority that a significant majority of the people are willing to spend more tax dollars on.''

Hugh Starr, president of the Maui Open Space Trust, said he was excited by the poll.

``It's a strong expression of community concern for the preservation of the environment,'' he said. ``I just hope we can translate that into some sort of effort to create a fund to preserve open space for Maui County.''

Mark Sheehan, president of Maui Tomorrow, was also gratified by the results.

``It should be an eye-opener for anyone concerned about the future viability of our economy,'' Sheehan said. ``I hope it will wake some people up.''

Parker said the Trust for Open Space started planning for the $20,000 survey a year ago with the idea of assessing support for a potential charter amendment to protect open space, wildlife habitats, recreational areas and land around streams.

Issues such as the preservation of Palauea Beach and other coastal areas were at the top of the news in Maui County and have remained high-profile topics of discussion.

Similar surveys conducted in other parts of the country have led to greater protections for threatened lands, Parker said.

The Trust for Public Land is a national, nonprofit land conservation organization that has helped to protect more than 1 million acres over its 26-year history. In Hawaii, the trust has worked to protect more than 2,000 acres on Maui, Molokai, Oahu and Kauai.

Recently, the trust acquired nearly 1,500 acres of East Maui rain forest at Kaapahu that has been transferred to Haleakala National Park.

Friday, June 2, 2000

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.

© 2000 Honolulu Star-Bulletin
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COMMENTARY

Hugh Y. Starr
President
Maui Open Space Trust

For nearly a decade Maui Open Space Trust (MOST) has been working toward the protection of  lands with important community values to all Mauians.  And while we have always known that our mission was supported by our community we have never had any objective data to prove that claim.

Now, thanks to the Trust For Public Land, MOST’s long-time partner and mentor, we have that data.  Their recently released survey, as reported, and editorialized on, in the Maui News on Sunday June 4, clearly proves that Mauians are ready and willing to support and pay for a comprehensive land conservation program for our community.  The report is based on a scientific public opinion poll, conducted by two outstanding professional polling organizations, and has the same validity as any major public opinion poll conducted in the United States.

In our opinion the most significant finding of this poll is that fully two-thirds of the registered voters polled favor a Charter Amendment which would establish a fund dedicated solely to acquisition of lands important to us all.  As we recently learned in the Palauea Beach situation, we are in constant peril of losing our valuable open spaces, our undeveloped beaches, our agricultural lands and areas with Native Hawaiian cultural resources.  We also learned, despite the limited success at Palauea, that government alone does not have the resources necessary to undertake this important task.

Another significant element of this poll is the support for a non-political, non-governmental funding source.  Rather than depend on government to allocate funds from the County’s general budget the people want to control this themselves.  Rather than politicize the process and  thus hold land conservation programs hostage to changes in administrations and incumbents, the people clearly want the capability to assure themselves, and future generations, that their wishes will be carried out.

The people of Maui are clearly ready to “put their money where their mouth is.”  With this in mind we ask that the members of the Maui County Council act now to begin the process of placing a Charter Amendment to establish an open space acquisition fund on the November ballot.  There is time, just barely, but this process must be initiated immediately.  Such a  Charter Amendment would require action by the County Council, and we urge them to act now.  However, the ultimate decision would be put before the voters, not the Council.

We know that all of the organizations and individuals who have labored long and hard to conserve and preserve the very essence of our island home join us in this request.  The time to act is now.

Hugh Starr

Hugh Starr is President of the  Maui Open Space Trust (MOST), a tax-exempt (IRS 501[c] [3]) community land trust.  MOST has for several years worked closely with the Trust For Public Land on land conservation issues throughout Maui County.  To find out more about MOST please visit http://www.bestofmaui.com/most.html