On November 5, 2002, Kauai voters approved an amendment to the County Charter that established the “Public Access, Open Space, Natural Resources Preservation Fund” and stipulated that each year a minimum of one half of one percent of the County’s certified real property taxes would be deposited into the fund.

The charter amendment further specified that the fund would be used to acquire lands or property entitlements for the following purposes:

1. public outdoor recreation and education, including access to beaches and mountains;
2. preservation of historic or culturally important land areas and sites;
3. protection of significant habitats or ecosystems, including buffer zones;
4. preserving forests, beaches, coastal areas, and agricultural lands;
5. protecting watershed lands to preserve water quality and water supply;
6. conserving land in order to reduce erosion, floods, landslides, and runoff;
7. improving disabled and public access to, and enjoyment of, public land and open space; and
8. acquiring disabled and public access to public land and open space.

On December 15, 2003, as the charter amendment directed, the County Council enacted Ordinance 812 to establish procedures for the administration and priorities for the expenditure of the fund.  The ordinance also established a nine-member advisory commission, the “Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund Commission,” and attached it administratively to the Planning Department.

 
The Commission and Planning Department are charged with the task of developing an annual list of recommended priorities of lands or property entitlements to be acquired or for the funding of projects directly related to the act, and to incorporate a countywide community input process into development of this annual list.

Open Space Commission reports submitted to the County Council include recommendations for improving public access, open space, and natural resources preservation on Kauai.  These reports are available for download in the "Documents" panel below.