The Department of Planning and Natural Resources has acquired a 4.77-acre shoreline property along Altona Lagoon on St. Croix, preserving public access to the area and expanding the territory’s growing system of protected parkland.
Commissioner Jean-Pierre L. Oriol announced Friday that DPNR purchased Parcel 59 Estate Mt. Welcome, located adjacent to Altona Lagoon Community Park in Christiansted, for $180,000. According to the department, the acquisition secures the property for public use and conservation.
“Altona Lagoon is a cherished destination where residents and visitors alike can enjoy the outdoors through hiking, walking, swimming, fishing, and other cultural and recreational activities,” Oriol said. “This acquisition ensures that future generations will continue to have access to this special place, and we are grateful to Governor Bryan and his administration for their continued support of land conservation efforts throughout the territory.”
According to DPNR, the acquisition is part of ongoing efforts by the department’s Division of Territorial Parks & Protected Areas to expand protected lands throughout the Virgin Islands.
The division, led by Director Kitty Edwards, was created to establish the territory’s first park system. According to DPNR, the division is guided by the motto, “Virgin Islands Parks for Virgin Islands People.”
“With every acquisition,” Edwards said, “we are creating green space back to the community.”
DPNR said Edwards also helped secure $69 million through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge. According to the department, the funding supports land acquisition, education and workforce development to protect environmentally and culturally significant landscapes throughout the territory.
The department said the funding has supported the purchase of 2,469 acres at Maroon Ridge and Annaly Bay on St. Croix in addition to Parcel 59 Estate Mt. Welcome. According to DPNR, those acquisitions will increase protected lands in the territory from about 5% to more than 12%.
“The NOAA Climate and Resilience Regional Challenge award has created meaningful opportunities to protect land of ecological and cultural significance across the Virgin Islands,” Edwards said. “We are proud of the progress made through this initiative and look forward to adding more important properties to the Territorial Parks System for the benefit of our communities.”
Edwards said the Mt. Welcome property demonstrates the connection between protecting mangrove habitat and preserving community access to Altona Lagoon.
“Altona Lagoon is already a hot spot of recreation for the people of St. Croix,” Edwards said. “We are excited to continue to protect and enhance access. Within the last year DPNR began a trail connecting Altona Lagoon to Great Pond, and the beginning of this trail passes through this property through the edge of the mangroves.”
Conservation photographer and filmmaker Dan Mele, who has documented the area extensively, said the acquisition supports both conservation and public use.
“TPPA’s efforts support a long-term vision where conservation and community use exist side by side for generations to come,” Mele said.
Mele said the property’s value extends beyond its size.
“At just five acres, 59 Estate Mount Welcome reveals how thoughtful land conservation can protect ecological and cultural value far beyond its size,” Mele said.
According to Mele, the parcel plays an important role in the ecological health of the surrounding area while serving residents who use it for recreation and commercial fishing.
In an article published on DPNR’s website, Mele highlighted community members who have long relied on the area. He profiled retired commercial fishermen Felipe and Angelo, who regularly fish the mangrove channel connecting Altona Lagoon to the Caribbean Sea.
Mele also described the nearby boat ramp, which is used by commercial fishermen and recreational boaters. He highlighted Bobby Thomas, who has fished the waters around St. Croix for 30 years, and Olay Marin, who has used the area for exercise and fitness classes.
“Altona is a place to relax, bring people together, and is great for mental and physical health,” Marin said.
According to DPNR, the acquisition of Parcel 59 Estate Mt. Welcome is part of its broader effort to preserve environmentally and culturally significant lands while expanding public access to parks and protected areas throughout the Virgin Islands.
