For Immediate Release December 18, 2003
VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK RELEASES DRAFT PLAN FOR SUSTAINED REDUCTION OF NON-NATIVE GOATS AND SHEEP
Arthur Frederick, Virgin Islands National Park Superintendent, announced today the beginning of a 60-day public review of the Draft Sustained Reduction Plan for Non-native Goats and Sheep Within Virgin Islands National Park Environmental Assessment (EA), a long-range plan for minimizing impacts from these feral, non-native animal species within the national park. The review period will be from December 15, 2003 to February 15, 2004.
The purpose of this Draft Environmental Assessment is to evaluate impacts from undertaking a control program for non-native goats and sheep within Virgin Islands National Park. Collectively, domestic goat and sheep populations pose a threat to the native natural resources, long-term resource management programs of the park’s cultural resources and visitor health and safety. The effects of goats and sheep on park resources are multi-faceted and result from their movements, habitat utilization and food habits. Of greatest concern are the destructive effects they have on natural ecosystems. Goat and sheep grazing and trampling behavior profoundly disrupts natural communities, individual species populations, forest successional patterns and forest nutrient cycles. Grazing and trampling on trails and in the forest also causes soil erosion, which severely affects sensitive aquatic habitats. Grazing and trampling by goats and sheep detrimentally affect the aesthetic values of the park. By reducing their populations inside the park, adverse impacts to visitors, residents, natural, cultural and aquatic resources would decrease.
Domestic goats (Capra hirus) and domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are ungulate species not native to North America or South America; but from South West Asia. Christopher Columbus first brought goats and sheep into the West Indies in 1493. The Danes brought them to St. John in 1718 when they colonized the island. Since that time, goats and sheep have become established in all habitat types on St. John and are found throughout the Virgin Islands National Park. A conservative domestic goat population in the park is approximately 600 to 1000 animals, and a conservative domestic sheep population is less than 50 animals. These estimates includes animals that live in the park and omits animals that graze the park routinely, but live outside the park.
The proposed Reduction Plan is intended to humanely reduce goat and sheep populations within the park and minimize new introductions. If left unchecked, goat and sheep populations would be expected to increase throughout the park. Rafe Boulon, Chief of Resource Management explains, "Introduced species such as goats and sheep, pose a serious threat to the Park’s natural resources, long-term management programs, and visitor health and safety. The program is termed a ‘sustained reduction’ because once the goat and sheep populations are reduced to low levels, the smaller populations will be held at or below that level. The proposed control program mirrors similar programs throughout the world and is needed to meet a variety of Federal and Territorial laws and National Park Service mandates.”
Superintendent Frederick notes that: "Because the park boundary is entirely permeable with private or Territorial lands, medium-sized animals readily enter from adjacent lands. Also, dozens of in-holdings exist within the boundary of the park. Thus, animals inhabiting adjacent lands may enter the park and establish breeding populations. For these reasons, the permanent elimination (eradication) of goats and sheep from the park is impossible. Therefore, feasible alternatives must focus on regular efforts to humanely reduce the population size and minimize concomitant impacts from these species.”
A public meeting was held at the St. John Legislative Conference Room on August 12, 2003 to introduce the plan. A majority of the attendees favored the control actions. In addition, Virgin Islands National Park and the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture (VIDA) formed a partnership wherein VIDA will assist with goat and sheep capture. Both agencies will promote the VIDA Animal Registration and Impoundment Program, which requires livestock including goats, sheep, hogs and donkeys to be fenced, registered and visibly tagged. Livestock farmers are advised to remove their animals from National Park Service lands, maintain their enclosures to prevent future encroachments, and register their livestock with VIDA.
Copies of the Draft Environmental Assessment are available for review at public libraries and the Park's Visitor Center in Cruz Bay, National Park Headquarters at Christiansted NHS, St. Croix or can be manually downloaded from the Internet at www.nps.gov/viis/plan/plan/DGoatEA.public review.doc or www.friendsvinp.org. Copies can also be requested from Rafe_Boulon@nps.gov or by calling (340) 693-8950 extension 224.
