A NATURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK AND VIRGIN ISLANDS CORAL REEF NATIONAL MONUMENT
Abstract
The National Parks Conservation Association’s (NPCA) State of the Parks
Program was developed to identify natural and cultural resources in jeopardy across
the
United States National Parks System. This natural resources assessment has been
prepared on behalf of NPCA and in accordance with the guidelines outlined in NPCA’s
Natural Resources Assessment and Ratings Methodology (NPCA 2006). It is intended to
provide an ecosystem-level evaluation of the health of natural resources at Virgin
Islands
National Park and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument. These protected areas
are unique units within the National Parks System because of the diversity and
complexity of habitats and organisms they contain, but outside pressures are threatening
the integrity of some of the most critical systems within both the park and monument.
Existing data from the National Park Service, other federal and territorial agencies,
academic research studies, and peer-reviewed journals were used in conjunction with
interviews of park staff and site visits to evaluate the health of the natural resources.
The
results of the assessment indicate that park and monument resources are vulnerable
due to
a combination of natural and anthropogenic stressors, including hurricanes, development,
grazing of non-native animals, and visitor damage to sensitive systems such as coral
reefs. Park staff have implemented numerous management initiatives to protect resources
and mitigate threats to sensitive resources; however, the park and monument do not
have
sufficient funding or staff to enforce existing rules or to implement new programs
that
could help improve the state of vulnerable resources. This assessment concludes with
management recommendations that would allow park managers to improve conditions
and help ensure that the park’s resources are present and healthy for future generations.
Type
Master's projectSubject
National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA)Virgin Islands National Park
Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument
Management
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/278Citation
Collini, Kimberly; & O’Rourke, Kelly (2007). A NATURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK AND VIRGIN
ISLANDS CORAL REEF NATIONAL MONUMENT. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/278.Collections
More Info
Show full item record
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Rights for Collection: Nicholas School of the Environment
Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator, and subject.
-
Nations and Nationalism roundtable discussion on Chinese nationalism and national identity
Carlson, AR; Costa, A; Duara, P; Leibold, J; Carrico, K; Gries, PH; Eto, N; ... (9 authors) (Nations and Nationalism, 2016-07-01) -
King Democracy: Do Democratic Nations Mitigate Conflict Over Transboundary Freshwater Resources Better Than Other Nations?
Abendroth, Kathryn (2016-06-27)The prospect of water wars and conflict over water are ideas that are frequently dramatized in media and also studied by scholars. It is well-established that bona fide wars are not started over water resources, but conflict ... -
Synthesis and In-Depth Analysis of Water, Energy and Food Issues in Rio+20 National Reports and Addressing Capacity Building for Integrated Water – Energy – Food Security Framework in National Development Planning
Jagannathan, Anusha (2014-04-25)The Sustainable Development Conference, commonly known as the Rio 20+ Summit, took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2012. The United Nations, along with United Nations-Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) ...