Press Releases

PLASKETT ENCOURAGES CANEEL BAY AREA ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT COMMENT SUBMISSION

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett shared the following statement on the Caneel Bay Area Redevelopment and Management Environmental Assessment (EA) public comment period:

“The Caneel Bay Area Redevelopment and Management Environmental Assessment (EA) public comment period is open until March 6^th, 2023. While this was initially a 30-day public comment period, NPS received and honored a request for a two-week extension. I encourage individuals and organizations to visit the Planning, Environment & Public Comment (PEPC) website to submit comments or visit the Virgin Islands National Park Services’ Caneel Corner, located at the Cruz Bay Visitor Center. The EA public comment period is an important process that provides an avenue for public involvement and engagement to ensure the voices of Virgin Islanders are heard as NPS analyzes the potential impacts of an alternative for redevelopment and an alternative for no redevelopment.

“The path forward for Caneel Bay must weigh the socioeconomic as well as environmental impacts on the Virgin Islands. Caneel Bay contains some of the most pristine beaches in the world and to not utilize this property as a world-class, five-star resort that should provide well-paying careers for local Virgin Islanders will put the Virgin Islands at a tourism disadvantage with the Caribbean region. The continued closure of the Caneel Bay resort will be cataclysmic to the Virgin Islands economy. I encourage all Virgin Islanders to take note of the integral role the Caneel Bay resort plays in the Virgin Islands’ ability to compete with our Caribbean neighbors.”

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