Saint Croix Will Look Different in the 2030s
With a new National Heritage Site designation, novel sociocultural shifts and economic opportunities could unfold for St. Croix over the next decade.
Washington D.C.—St. Croix’s new designation as a National Heritage Site is a ground-shaking development for the U.S. Virgin Islands. President Joe Biden signed the National Heritage Area Act at the turn of the new year, coinciding with his visit during the island's annual Crucian Christmas Festival.
As of 2023, 62 National Heritage Areas are designated throughout the United States.
“Before signing this legislation, there were only 21 areas in the United States designated as National Heritage Areas,” Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett said after Biden’s signature. “This is a tremendous boon for our beautiful, culturally rich home and an honor to our ancestors.” Plaskett is a Democrat beginning her fifth term in the House of Representatives.
“The effort to achieve this designation started with former Congresswoman Donna M. Christensen in 2003 with a bill to authorize a feasibility study for the NHA designation on St. Croix,” Plaskett added. The feasibility study, covering the island of St. Croix, culminated in a 200-page report published by the NPS.
With the new designation, novel sociocultural shifts and economic opportunities could unfold for St. Croix over the next decade. The territory’s largest island could see further upgrades to infrastructure, integrated public transportation, and renovations to cultural sites in the coming years. In a 2021 report, the National Park Service (NPS) reported over 21,000 volunteers contributed over 281,649 hours to heritage area projects. According to the report, the economic impact of those volunteers is valued at a whopping $7.6 million.
Access to Grants
With the new designation, the University of the Virgin Islands would qualify for future grant opportunities through the NPS Historically Black Colleges & Universities Grant Program (HBCU). Grants for HBCUs receive funding from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF).
Administered by the NPS, the fund serves as a broad range of pre-preservation planning activities and physical preservation work for historic sites listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, including those listed as a National Historic Landmark. Congress appropriated $10 million for the HBCU grant program through the National Heritage Area Act. Coral reefs and surrounding waters managed by local agencies like the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) now have expanded grant opportunities. Besides local parks, beaches, and community spaces, DPNR’s mandate includes maintaining and preserving the territory’s libraries, archives, and museums.
Tax Incentives
Federal income tax incentives are available for easements and for rehabilitation. Properties like income-generating buildings may be eligible for Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives.
Assistance with Preservation
“A privately organized heritage area is a plausible alternative to national heritage area designation, although there would be significantly less opportunity for resource protection, funding, and marketing,” the NPS feasibility study concluded. “Without the federal matching funds, the privately organized heritage area would rely on existing resources to accomplish common heritage goals.”
The passage of the National Heritage Site Act created a path for a new local agency named the Virgin Islands State Historic Preservation Office. The new office is a local coordinating entity and will oversee and develop programs and projects that recognize, protect, and enhance essential resource values in the Heritage Area. The National Heritage Area designation provides funding to develop recreational and educational opportunities to inform and engage youth on the heritage of St. Croix.
The NPS study noted that “privately organized heritage area alternative would also lack the prestige associated with federal recognition.” Additionally, the park service added that a privately organized heritage area designation was less plausible and it would put stress on member organizations’ localized structure and potentially burden stakeholders and territorial resources like funding, staffing, and community investments. The study’s findings led members of Congress to move forward with a bill sponsored by Plaskett favoring the NHS designation for St. Croix.
Federal Preservation Funds
NHAs and their partners are embedded in historic downtowns across the United States to preserve large landscapes and cultural practices and share the nation’s history through the arts.
In 2021:
64 historic sites and 8,639 acres of cultural landscapes preserved and maintained, including battlefields.
63 collections projects undertaken, including the conservation of artifacts and creation of oral histories.
74 historic preservation grants awarded totaling $972,188.85.
