STATEMENT OF FRAN P. MAINELLA, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, RECREATION AND PUBLIC LANDS, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES CONCERNING THE VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS CORAL REEF NATIONAL MONUMENT.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear
before your subcommittee at this oversight field hearing on the Virgin Islands
National Park and the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument. I am accompanied by John King,
Superintendent of Virgin Islands National Park, who also has management
responsibility for the newly established Virgin Islands Coral Reef National
Monument.
We appreciate the opportunity that this hearing and
visit is providing for all of us to increase our understanding of the Virgin
Islands—its people and its resources—and to discuss the particular
opportunities and challenges the National Park Service faces in managing the
units here that are under our jurisdiction.
My statement will focus on the establishment of the Virgin Islands Coral
Reef National Monument, and an update on the planning process that will set
forth future management goals.
As you know, the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National
Monument was established on January 17, 2001, by proclamation of President
Clinton under the Antiquities Act.
Consisting of 12,708 acres of submerged lands off the island of St.
John, the monument contains all the elements of a Caribbean tropical marine
ecosystem. The designation also
enhances the protection of fragile resources included in the Virgin Islands
National Park, which Congress established in 1956 and expanded in 1962. Establishment of the monument roughly
doubled the amount of acreage in and around St. John that is now under the
jurisdiction of the National Park Service.
Since the designation of the Virgin Islands Coral Reef
Monument last year, representatives of the Virgin Islands government raised
numerous questions and concerns. In
fact, on April 9, 2001, the Legislature of the Virgin Islands passed a
resolution (No. 1609), expressing concern over the lack of adequate public
participation in expansion of the monument, ownership of the submerged lands,
the size of the monument, and potential impacts on the fishing and marine
industries. I would like to briefly
address those concerns.
While we share concerns about the way in which these
monuments were created, our job now is to ensure that we develop management plans
in an open, inclusive, and comprehensive way.
As stated by Secretary Norton on numerous occasions, the planning for
the future management of these monuments will be a model of what we call the
four C’s: Consultation, Cooperation,
and Communication, all in the service of Conservation. The Department of the Interior is committed
to management and protection of the monuments consistent with the four C’s and
the purposes established in the proclamations.
In response to this commitment, we published a notice in the Federal
Register on April 24, 2002, initiating a formal scoping period seeking public
comment to identify issues to consider and analyze regarding management at the
monument designations in the western states.
The Department is currently reviewing the public comments. After reviewing all the comments on each
monument, I believe most of the issues can be addressed through the management
planning process, which will also include comprehensive public input. With regard to the monuments we are
discussing today, we anticipate a similar public review process as soon as the
issue of submerged lands ownership is resolved.
We agree that federal ownership or control of the land
is necessary for an area to be designated as a national monument under the
Antiquities Act. The General Accounting
Office (GAO), at the request of Delegate
Christian-Christensen, has reviewed the question of federal ownership or
control of the submerged lands in the expansion of Buck Island Reef National
Monument. We understand that GAO will
issue its opinion shortly.
As to the size of the Virgin Islands Coral Reef
National Monument, the Clinton Administration determined that 12,708 acres was
the smallest area needed to ensure the proper care and management of the
resources to be protected and their long-term sustainability. It is large enough to provide a fish nursery
and, in theory, should help assure that fishing remains viable as an industry
and a recreational activity here.
Although the loss of fishing territory could have an
impact on the industry, we believe that it should be offset by the regeneration
of stocks of fish that should occur from the enhancement of the fish nurseries
made possible by the designation. Like
many coral reef environments throughout the world, the Virgin Islands tropical
marine ecosystem is under stress.
Damage has been caused over the years from a variety of both natural
forces and human activities. The marine
ecosystem has been harmed by hurricanes, diseases of various kinds, and coral
predators. Activities that contribute
to the degradation of these marine resources include sediment runoff from
incompatible land-use and development practices, nutrient input from sewage,
poaching, overfishing, and improper fishing, boating, and diving practices.
Research over a long period of time has provided
evidence that fish are not only smaller than in the past, but also that there
has been a serial depletion of certain species, including the commercial
extinction of the Nassau Grouper and Goliath Grouper. In addition, twenty years of data collection within and around
Virgin Islands National Park show a marked decrease in the amount of sea grass
beds, mangroves, and live coral.
Research has also shown little to no recovery on damaged coral
reefs. These conditions, and the
prediction of
continued decline, are what led to the establishment of the monument.
Another critical factor in the decision to designate the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, as well as expand the Buck Island Reef National Monument, was their potential to improve the Virgin Islands economy. Tourism is the mainstay of the economy here, and the national park units on both St. John and St. Croix contribute significantly to the tourism revenues generated on those islands. By enhancing and providing more long-term protection for the spectacular resources managed by the National Park Service that lure tourists to the Virgin Islands, the monument designations were seen by the Clinton Administration as an important way to help improve and sustain the Virgin Islands’ economy.
In summary, the designation of the Virgin Islands
Coral Reef National Monument should provide for a recovery of coral reefs and
associated habitats, facilitate an increase in the abundance of reef fish,
sustain traditional cultural fishing practices in surrounding waters, enhance the quality of the visitor
experience to the Virgin Islands, and contribute to economic growth from
tourism. As stated earlier, the
National Park Service has been preparing to undertake the planning process that
will set forth the future management and use of this area, and we look forward
to working collaboratively with the territorial government, our gateway
communities, and other interested stakeholders in this endeavor.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my remarks. Superintendent King and I will be happy to
answer any questions you or your colleagues may have.