March 18, 2007 — The Department of Planning and Natural Resources has begun to look into plans for use of the Salt River site, and they want your input.
Robert S. Mathes, commissioner-designee of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, and the V.I. state historic preservation officer, invites campers, users and the general public to a public meeting on Friday from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at the Salt River Bay Visitor Center, according to a news release.
The meeting will engage the community in a discussion on the significance of those portions of the Salt River site currently under the jurisdiction of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, which include the site of the only known and recorded Native American ball court in the Lesser Antilles; the Columbus landing site, which commemorates the first recorded landing site of Columbus in the territory of the United States as well as the first altercation between European and indigenous Native Americans; and a 16th-Century European earthen fort.
Issues relating to camping and other passive recreational uses will be discussed, as well as the protection of irreplaceable cultural resources at the site, the news release said. Collaborative efforts are to be implemented for the protection and management of the ecological and cultural resources in conjunction with the National Park Service as part of DPNR’s co-management of the Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve. The department wishes to hear any alternatives that will allow for preservation of these sensitive cultural resources and their public use.
