April 22, 2004 – A congressional subcommittee gave its unanimous approval on Thursday to Delegate Donna M. Christensen's bill calling on the U.S. Department of Interior to study the feasibility of making St. Croix's Castle Nugent Farms a part of the National Park System.
Before the vote, Christensen told the National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Resources Committee that the property contains "natural and cultural resources which can provide an unparalleled insight into the history of the St. Croix," according to a release from the delegate's office.
The owners of the 1,350-acre property on the island's southeast shore "are enthusiastic about the opportunity to preserve the natural and cultural resources of the farm," Christensen said. "It is my hope that the park study will provide the blueprint by which we can preserve and interpret this unique piece of island history for the benefit of present and future generations."
Christensen introduced the bill in Congress last July calling for the study into possibly designating the working farm, where St. Croix's famed Senepol cattle have been bred for half a century, as part of the V.I. National Park system.
She did so at the request of owner Caroline Gasperi, who said she planned to retire soon and didn't want to see the shoreline property sold to developers who would put up condominiums or casinos. (See "Castle Nugent Farms seeking park status".)
The land includes more than four miles of pristine shoreline fringed by a large and healthy coral reef, Christensen's release noted. The interior consists of forest and pasture lands with cultural resources from both pre-Columbian and post-European settlement, including an 18th century Danish estate house listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Interior and National Park Service officials have expressed support for the bill, Christensen said.
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