HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0208.032 2004-2006 IN SUPPORT OF BILLS 78 AND 79 County Planning Committee 4-19-05 9:30 AM
RE. PUBLIC ACCESS, OPEN SPACE, AND NATURAL RESOURCES PRESERVATION FUND
Cory Harden, Box 10265, Hilo 96721 mh(~irtterpac.net 968-8965
Land preservation is moving on county and state levels
2% -percent of property taxes needed for a land preservation fund. With less, you can't a'~ord
to buy enough land. -
2 number of land preservation bills now being considered-this one, and the State Legacy
Lands Bill to set aside a portion of conveyance taxes to preserve lands. These bills would create
astrong state and county partnership to protect our land. -
Land preservation leveraues Qther funding
7~ number of coastal acres at Mu'olea Point given to Maui County after being held by The
Trust for Public Land until money was raised from many sources--county, state, and federal
governments, and private and corporate foundations. State Rep. Mele Carroll said °this success
illustrates the importance of having dedicated funding for land protection at both the County and
State level"
million --amount paid by Maui County for the land
$4 million -value of the land
$4.6 million -federal funding secured to add 238 acres to Pu'uhonua o Honaunau after the
land was held by The Trust for Public Land for several years
Land preservation increases tau revenue by increasing propertv value
$43 million -amount added to value of property surrounding a 3-mile greenbelt in California.
$~2~0 per acre--increased value of land next to a greenbelt compared to land only 1000 feet
away in Oregon
s% increased value of homes bordering a trail in Washington state
Land preservation attracts business
ranking for recreation! parks/ open space as priority in choosing a new location by owners of
small companies
Land preservation prevents flooding disasters
$2~3 million: amount spent to buy, elevate, or remove damaged properties from floodplains in
Missouri
$304 million: estimated reduction in future disaster damages. And there was no need for
drainage improvements, flood control projects, or flood insurance.
Voters support land preservation
7~%--percent of Hawaii Island voters who want to see mandated County spending on land and
water protection to protect watershed health, coastal and beach areas, flooding and hazard
areas, and Native Hawaiian cultural sites, according to a 2004 telephone survey by The Trust for
Public Land. Large percentages of many groups-Democrat, Republican, Hawaiians, new and
long-time residents in all districts-- were supportive.
Comm. Na 2" ' 3 Z
Ref. To: ~r°~
Ref. Date
83% --percent of people nationally who favored establishing zones to protect green space,
farming, and forests outside of existing cities and suburbs. In both good and bad economic
times, American voters have strongly supported conservation finance measures that preserve
natural lands, create parks, and protect farmland, according to the Trust For Public Land.
~ X96-- number of conservation ballot measures approved nationwide in the past 9 years
$3~ billion-amount of funding raised by the measures
Please support bills 78 and 79 with the full 2% funding.
~
April 18, 2005
Dear County Council members,
Please support Bill SO so the public has a say when non-agricultural projects are
proposed for on agricultural land. Bill 80 means developers could no longer get subdivisions
approved quietly, but would have to go undergo public scrutiny through rezoning.
ti~
Urban type residential subdivisions on agricultural land push up land prices to where
farming does not pay. They increase demand for costly infrastructure. They weaken the county
and state's ability to protect natural beauty and resources and native Hawaiian rights.
Thank you,
Cory Harden
PO Box 10265
Hilo, Hawaii 96721