Hawaii lawmakers are on the verge of endorsing a $25 climate tax on tourists visiting the Aloha State, aiming to address what they perceive as a threat to the region’s natural resources.

Having hosted 9.5 million visitors last year, Hawaii is still grappling with the aftermath of destructive wildfires in Lahaina, Maui, resulting in the loss of at least 100 lives and causing approximately $6 billion in damages.

State officials assert that the proposed tax will be earmarked to safeguard beaches and mitigate the risk of wildfires, the New York Post is reporting.

“It’s a very small price to pay to preserve paradise,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, told The Wall Street Journal.

The introduction of a tax by Hawaii, the nation’s 50th state, would mirror similar measures implemented in other popular tourist destinations.

These include locations such as Greece, Venice in Italy, the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, Palau in the Pacific, and New Zealand, where fees ranging from $1 to $100 have been imposed on tourists.

Written by B.C. Begley