By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Columnist

Voters on Maui and Kaua'i in the general election made clear statements in support of spending tax money to preserve open space.

On Maui, voters backed an amendment to the county charter that calls for 1 percent of real property tax money to be set aside for open space. It should start adding up at a rate of $1 million a year on the Valley Isle.

On Kaua'i, a similar measure sets aside half a percent for open space and public access. About $250,000 a year should be set aside, based on the value of real property collections on the Garden Isle.

The Trust for Public Land, which has been working to protect important lands for the public, lauded the votes, both of which were by overwhelming margins. Maui's vote for an Open Space, Natural Resources, Cultural Resources and Scenic Views Preservation Fund was 25,818 in favor and 9,596 against, with nearly 6,000 voters casting blank ballots. On Kaua'i, the vote for a Public Access, Open Space, Natural Resources Preservation Fund was 14,387 to 5,322, with fewer than 4,000 votes left blank.

Teresa McHugh, project manager for the Hawaiian Islands field office of the Trust for Public Land, said the measures are the first of their kind in the state, but mark part of an initiative that's going on nationwide.

"Maui and Kaua'i County voters are not alone in their overwhelming support of dedicated funding for open space protection. On Nov. 5, voters in 79 communities across 22 states passed ballot measures to create approximately $2.6 billion in dedicated public funding to protect land for parks and open space," McHugh said.

While support for the Hawai'i measures was huge, that wasn't always the case nationwide. While 79 areas supported such measures, another 20 turned them down. Some of the measures called for setting aside tax funds, while others approved the issuance of bonds for the purchase of lands for public purposes.

California voters approved the biggest: a measure to spend $1.5 billion on land acquisition.

A Trust for Public Land Web site said the approvals on general election day were just part of this year's overall approval of such measures.

"Previously in 2002, voters in 14 states, including 47 communities, had already approved ballot measures, creating $2.7 billion for open space. As a result, the total local and state open space funding created at the ballot box in 2002 is now approximately $5.3 billion," the trust said.

"It is one of the most visionary investments we can make in our children's future," said Dale Bonar, executive director of the Maui Coastal Land Trust.

For information on the nationwide voting on the issue, check the Web site.

Jan TenBruggencate is The Advertiser's Kaua'i bureau chief and its science and environment writer. Reach him at (808) 245-3074 or jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.