May 2, 2007 — Members of farmers cooperatives, along with three V.I. senators, braved Tuesday morning rains in Upper Estate Bethlehem to protest the Department of Property and Procurement's plan to build a government motor pool on land they believe is reserved for agricultural use.
During a morning press conference — attended by Sens. Terrence Nelson, James Weber and Carmen Wesselhoft, and officials from the Department of Agriculture — farmers made their case that the land, located off Queen Mary Highway, is prohibited from development.
Although the project was not widely publicized, and many in the Legislature were unaware of the planned location for the motor pool, Property and Procurement began clearing the land several weeks ago, in preparation for construction.
On April 20, V.I. Farmers Cooperative (VIFC) President Dale Browne wrote Property and Procurement Commissioner-designee Lynn Millin to object to the motor pool. Browne forwarded the letter to other government officials and to media outlets, along with an announcement of Tuesday’s press conference.
In the letter, Browne says the Sustainable Farming Act of 2006 requires the land be preserved for agriculture. A week later, Percival Edwards, of Farmers in Action, wrote an editorial in the V.I. Daily News making the same argument. Both cite this text of the law:
“All VICORP land is prohibited from development and shall be used exclusively for agricultural purposes.”
The V.I. Corporation (VICORP) was a federal creation that ran large agricultural operations on St. Croix, starting in the 1930s. Agricultural land belonging to VICORP was ceded to the V.I. government in the ‘70s. Property and Procurement procured the land from the University of the Virgin Islands.
Browne and Edwards contend the land in question was kept under plow by VICORP before it was owned by the university, and therefore cannot be developed.
“I support the idea of a motor pool,” Nelson said. “It’s a very good idea, but not here. And not just because of the farmland; traffic is already congested here. Mr. Smithen on the neighboring farm will be affected. There is a school right next to the property. Do you want farmland or a motor pool next to a school?”
By 10 a.m., some 60 or so protesters and sympathetic citizens had stopped by to lend their support.
Stedroy Mintas, a local farmer, said the land just to the east would be a better spot for a motor pool.
“Right there across the road, that land is all caliche [impermeable, rocky, calcium-rich ground] and no good for farming anyway,” said Mintas. “It is better to build on than soil, too. It’s rock just under the surface.”
Twice over the next half hour, passing motorists stopped and said the same thing. VIFC Vice President Yvette Browne also added that if the motor pool is built at the current location, the neighboring farmland would be contaminated by runoff.
Weber instead suggested other possible locations. “I would imagine the place by La Reine, where we burned all that stuff after Hugo, would be good,” Weber said. “As I understand it, that area is damaged already, so there would be no harm. But where they have it, I just think that is prime farm land. And who wants to drive down Centerline and see a motor pool. I’m not sure what it would accomplish.”
Calls to Agriculture and to Property and Procurement were not returned Tuesday.
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