Number: 1994-08
WHEREAS, the land and waters of the United States Virgin Islands contain some of the few tropical ecosystems found in the United States, including coral reefs, mangrove areas, moist tropical forest, and tropical rainforest; and
WHEREAS, these ecosystems and habitats, some having the highest degree of biodiversity found anywhere on the planet, are home to numerous species of plants and animals that are either threatened or endangered locally (49 plants and 28 animals) and/or federally (2 plants and 8 animals), as well as a stopping site for numerous species of migratory birds and animals; and
WHEREAS, the island of St. John and its natural resources are largely protected as part of the National Park Service as the Virgin Islands National Park, the biological, cultural, and historical heritage of St. Croix and St. Thomas are not adequately protected; and
WHEREAS, the Salt River National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve at St. Croix USVI (Salt River Park), which was dedicated by the National Park Service on November 14, 1993 is one of the few parks in the National Park System that is to be cooperatively owned and managed by local and federal governments; and
WHEREAS, Salt River Park is recognized for its unique history as the only place on what is now United States soil where Columbus is known to have landed; the site of the first known confrontation between Native Americans and Europeans; a site inhabited by pottery-making cultures as early as 50 A.D.; and the site of the only Tainan Indian ceremonial ball court found in the Lesser Antilles; and
WHEREAS, Salt River contains a rich and rare ecosystem continuum comprised of headwaters, marsh, mangroves (the largest remaining strand in the Virgin Islands), seagrass beds, coral reefs and a spectacular submarine canyon; and
WHEREAS, these integrated and interdependent ecosystems provide habitat for a variety of flora and fauna, including 108 different species of birds (17 of which are locally endangered and three are federally endangered); and three species of federally and locally endangered sea turtle; and
WHEREAS, Salt River is only one of the finite and unique resources of the U.S. Virgin Islands; and
WHEREAS, on November 9, 1993 the U.S. Congress appropriated $3 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the acquisition of essential properties and establishment of the Salt River National Park at Salt River on St. Croix (PL 102-247); and
WHEREAS, the Government of the Virgin Islands recently purchased seven acres of waterfront property from the West Indian Company, Ltd. (WICO) at Long Bay, St. Thomas; and
WHEREAS, both the Salt River ecosystem on St. Croix, and Long Bay, St. Thomas, have significant social, historical, cultural, and environmental resources within their boundaries, and, as such, are areas that are well suited to serve as the foundation of an expansion of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Territorial Park System and National Park System; and
WHEREAS, both of these sites face potential development pressure threats; Salt River Park by the proposed development of a 588 unit resort on 25 percent of the Park’s land mass; and Long Bay by an approved permit for the development of a resort, shopping center and marina on the site, which is transferrable should the property be sold; and
WHEREAS, it has been demonstrated in other, similar tropical, insular areas such as Saba, Netherlands Antilles, Bonaire, Costa Rica, and Dominica, that the use of an effective system of parks and protected areas is a socially, culturally, and environmentally sound means of protecting resources that can at the same time provide means for economic development and economic diversification; and
WHEREAS, competition for the very limited and finite resource of land is high among residents, the high transient “second-home” owners, developers, and conservation interests, and therefore, property and land acquisition costs are extremely high (on average $50,000-75,000 per acre); and
WHEREAS, the finite and limited natural resources of these unique areas are threatened by continuous development to accommodate an increasing population and to expand the tourism-based economy of the Territory; and
WHEREAS, the government of the Virgin Islands does have existing legislation allowing for the development of Territorial Parks within the Department of Housing Parks and Recreation (32 VI Code Section 21, and 12 VI Code Section 97), and Marine Reserves to be administered by the Virgin Islands’ Department of Planning and Natural Resources;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 4-6, 1994 in Austin, Texas, urges the U.S. government and the Government of the Virgin Islands to work together, in cooperation with the appropriate public and private sector agencies and organizations, to establish, as quickly as possible, a functioning territorial park system, and to expand the national park system in St. Croix and St. Thomas, including cooperatively managed sites, such as Salt River Park, that consist of both terrestrial and marine parks and protected areas; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Wildlife Federation urges the United States National Park Service and the Government of the Virgin Islands to jointly expand the National and Territorial Park System through the allocation and appropriation of funds to acquire appropriate sites in the USVI. National Wildlife Federation recommends the U.S. Congress and the Department of the Interior utilize available funds and resources to expand the National Park Service in the USVI to ensure that the unique habitats and ecosystems, and cultural and historical resources of the Virgin Islands are not entirely destroyed by development pressures and are protected and utilized for the long term benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Wildlife Federation urges the Government of the Virgin Islands, in cooperation with the U.S. Congress and DOI to acquire, where appropriate, privately and publicly-owned properties that are suitable for development as Parks or Protected Areas, as well; to this end, the National Wildlife Federation encourages the Government of the Virgin Islands to explore and utilize a variety of options available for the acquisitions of such lands; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Wildlife Federation urges Congress to appropriate funds for acquisition, development, and management of Salt River Park as a conservation area and also urges the National Park Service and the Government of the Virgin Islands, to take the necessary steps to maintain the integrity of the Park’s resources as it develops into a fully operational Park; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Wildlife Federation support the protection of Long Bay, St. Thomas, as part of the national and/or Territorial Park System in the USVI, due to its many significant ecological, cultural, and historic resources; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Wildlife Federation urges the U.S. DOI, in cooperation with the Government of the Virgin Islands, to designate various sites within the Territorial Park System by a system of categories or classes of use (ranging from strict preservation to recreational, multiple-use areas), following the guidance provided by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries act of 1972 (MPRSA), or other applicable multiple-use resource management strategies that have proven effective; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation supports the Territorial Park System and urges its adequate future funding. Cooperation between the National Park Service and Territorial Park System is meant to strengthen resource protection through cooperative management of the Parks and Protected Areas.