The National Park Service will host its first public "scoping" meeting Monday to seek input on plans to establish an Environmental Heritage Center within the V.I. National Park on St. John. The meeting will take place from 5 to 7 p.m.at the Legislature Building in Cruz Bay.
According to the park's "Project News – May 2000" publication, the center's purpose "is to provide an educational opportunity for local youth and park visitors to learn the importance of preserving and protecting the extraordinary natural environment and cultural heritage of the Virgin Islands National Park."The primary focus of the center will be "to provide the youth of the Virgin Islands with hands-on educational activities in four areas: current history, ancient history, relationship to the land and relationship to the sea."
Decisions to be made include where the center will be located, what its design and capacity will be and what its program functions will be. The public review process that will lead to the decision-making, called "scoping," is the identification of issues and alternatives to be considered for analysis.
Monday's meeting will provide members of the St. John community an opportunity to meet with park staff, review existing information and offer input. There will be a brief presentation on the planning process, followed by a discussion period.
By documenting strong community support for the heritage center, the NPS has gotten $3 million for its construction included in President Clinton's 2000-2002 biennium budget. All such NPS projects require a formal review to identify any environmental, social or economic issues associated with construction and operation. September is the target for "approval of the location, program and design concepts for the center, based upon the results of the environmental review and public input," the publication said.
Another means by which the park service will collect public input on the project is an Environmental Heritage Center Scoping Questionnaire. To acquire a copy of the questionnaire, click on National Park, open the item headed "Environmental Heritage Center Questionnaire," print it out, fill it in and fax it to the National Park Service at 693-8811, or mail it to the V.I. National Park, Attention Jim Owens, PO Box 811 Cruz Bay, St. John VI 00831. Copies of the questionnaire may also be picked up the Cruz Bay visitor center and at various locations within the park.
