The “PUBLIC ACCESS, OPEN SPACE AND NATURAL RESOURCES PRESERVATION FUND” each year receives a minimum of one half of one percent (0.5%)of the County's certified real property taxes be deposited into the fund.

Ordinance 812, created in December 2003, as the charter amendment directed, the County Council enacted 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.

Meeting Time/Location:  1:00pm, Meeting Room 2A/2B, 2nd Thursday of each month.  The public may attend the meeting via Zoom using the “Zoom link” that will be provided on the agenda for the meeting.  The Agenda for the meeting will be posted in accordance with HRS 92.

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; and
2. Preservation of historic and culturally important land areas and sites; and
3. Protection of significant habitats or ecosystems, including buffer zones; and
4. Preserving forests, beaches, coastal areas, and agricultural lands; and
5. Protecting watershed lands to preserve water quality and water supply; and
6. Conserving land in order to reduce erosion, floods, landslides and runoff; and
7. Improving public access to, and enjoyment of, public land and open space; and
8. Acquiring public access to public land and open space; and
9. Conserving land for open space and scenic values.

The Commission and Planning Department are charged with the task of developing an biennial 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 biennial 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.

The amendment to the County Charter, along with passage of Ordinance 812, 925, 936 and 986 expresses Kauai residents’ desire that the island’s special heritage sites and experiences will be preserved, the environment protected, and recreation and access opportunities for all of the people will be enhanced and protected for all time.