[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2663 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
2d Session
H. R. 2663
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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 22, 2004
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
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AN ACT
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and
feasibility of designating Castle Nugent Farms located on St. Croix,
Virgin Islands, as a unit of the National Park System, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STUDY REGARDING CASTLE NUGENT FARMS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Castle Nugent Farms, located on the southeastern shore
of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, is the largest parcel of
privately-held land in the Virgin Islands and has been an
operating cattle ranch for 50 years.
(2) This land has the largest and healthiest fringing coral
reef anywhere in the Virgin Islands.
(3) It consists of Caribbean dry forest and pasturelands
with considerable cultural resources including both pre-
Columbian and post-European settlement.
(4) Castle Nugent Farms contains a large historic 17th
century Danish estate house that sits on over 4 miles of
pristine Caribbean oceanfront property.
(5) In addition to being an area for turtle nesting and
night heron nesting, it is the home for the Senepol cattle
breed, a unique breed of cattle that was developed on St. Croix
in the early 1900's to adapt to the island's climate.
(b) Study.--The Secretary of the Interior shall carry out a study
regarding the suitability and feasibility of designating Castle Nugent
Farms as a unit of the National Park System.
(c) Study Process and Completion.--Section 8(c) of Public Law 91-
383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)) shall apply to the conduct and completion of
the study required by this section.
Passed the House of Representatives September 21, 2004.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.