Final chance to submit Green Fee project ideas

The Green Fee Advisory Council is accepting ideas from the public for projects that could receive Green Fee funding to implement. The Project Ideas Portal will close Saturday, Nov. 1 at 11:59 p.m. HST.

The public is asked to recommend projects related to:

• Natural resource enhancement;
• Infrastructure resilience and hazard mitigation;
• Visitor impact mitigation and experience.

To combat misinformation and encourage participation in the Project Ideas Portal, the Care for ʻĀina Now (CAN) coalition created an original YouTube video called “I’m Just a Green Fee”that shows examples of how impactful this first-ever funding can be for the Hawaiian Islands.

CAN also recently released survey results on how the green fee can be used, which can also help the Green Fee Advisory Council make budget recommendations. More than 170 submissions revealed:

• Big and small projects alike are ready – Nearly half (47 percent) request under $500,000, while over a third (36.6 percent) exceed $1 million, reflecting a wide range of community-driven and statewide initiatives.
• Projects are multi-impact – 71 percent align with more than one Green Fee priority, demonstrating holistic approaches to stewardship.
• Communities lead with ʻāina – Over half (54 percent) focus on restoration, recovery, workforce development and nature access.
• Strong partnerships – More than 90 percent have identified government agency partners to help execute their projects.

Care for ʻĀina Now coalition emphasized that the findings should guide implementation of the Green Fee by ensuring:

• Balanced support for both small and large-scale projects,
• Collaboration to avoid duplication and stretch every dollar, and
• Direct funding for grassroots, community-led efforts.

Ideas will help inform recommendations for how Green Fee funds can best support the people and places of Hawaiʻi. Submit ideas at greenfeehawaii.org.