HONOLULU -- Gov. Linda Lingle's final proposal in her State-of-the-State address on Tuesday included a plan to buy the property of the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu's North Shore.

Lingle said the purchase would be crucial to the future of the community that continually fights to remain free of development.

"I believe this is a once-in-a-generation chance to preserve both a lifestyle for thousands of residents, and a part of Hawai‘i that millions the world over have come to love and identify as the real Hawai‘i," Lingle said.

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Read Lingle's 2008 address.

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She said the resort provides much-needed jobs in the community and the golf courses are used for professional tournaments. Lingle said the resort area could be sold to help fund the purchase of the surrounding land.

The purchase would cost taxpayers millions of dollars during the tight budget times and seems to contradict the governor's earlier comments in her speech about fiscal responsibility.

"I expect there will be more than a few people, including some legislators, who will question my proposal to acquire these lands at the same time we face so many other needs, and at a time of moderating revenue growth," Lingle said. "This is a reasonable question to ask, but Larry (McElheny), Lea (Hong), Denise (Antolini), and thousands of others concerned about what kind of Hawai‘i future generations will enjoy, stand ready to help us."

The governor said she has thought of several ways to try to help fund the purchase including selling the resort area for money to pay off the surrounding lands, "exchanging other state lands, creatively using tax credits spread out over time, a tax check-off on our income tax returns, private grants, allocating Legacy Land Funds, federal conservation dollars, and a worldwide Internet fundraising campaign to "Save Hawai‘i's North Shore."

The resort's owner Oaktree Capital had permission to build more hotels on the property about 20 years ago, according to city officials. The permits allow the owners to build up to five new hotels on the property.

Several groups opposed to North Shore development have protested against the potential construction. Opponents said they are worried about environmental and traffic concerns.

In July, Starwood Hotels pulled out of a deal to buy the resort and property.