VI MARINE PARK PROJECT

    The Government of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) has embarked on a project to develop a Marine Park System Plan for the Territory.  This project has five main components:
     
  1. Preparation of a Marine Park System Plan for the USVI;
  2. Preparation of a Resource Description Report for the marine environment in the USVI;
  3. A Socio-economic Assessment of the uses and users of the marine resources in the USVI;
  4. Preparation of a Management Plan for the proposed marine park for the east end of St. Croix; and
  5. Preparation of an information brochure about the marine parks.
The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) is coordinating this project on behalf of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR).  UVI will be working with other institutions, such as The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and Island Resources Foundation (IRF), to carry out this timely and important project.
During the period August to November 2001, personnel involved in the project will be contacting stakeholder groups, and the wider community in general, in an effort to solicit information and guidance concerning the marine environment.
    Members of the public can use this web page to obtain general information on protected areas, as well as provide information and guidance to the project.  Documents available for downloading from this site include:
     
  1. A Community Information Document.  This provides information on the project, its objectives, its outputs, and the long-term possibilities for protected areas in the USVI.
  2. Information on the Categories of Protected Areas.  This provides information on the different types of protected areas and the management objectives of each type.
  3. Information on the Benefits of marine protected areas.
  4. Information on Management Plans for protected areas.  This includes the Tables of Content from a number of management plans for sites in the Caribbean.
  5. Information on national System Plans for protected areas.  This shows the difference between site planning and system planning, and provides information on the reason for system planning.
  6. A list of publications that is provided as Recommended Reading for persons interested in marine protected areas.
  7. The Questionnaire that is being used to gather information for the proposed marine protected areas system plan.
  8. A Bibliography on marine fishery reserves.

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    To read the above documents download a free copy of 

    Comments and information can be sent to the Project Coordinator at: lgardne@uvi.edu.

    Links of interest:   United States Coral Reef Task Force USVI Coastal Zone Management Program