[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 120, 109th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

120 STAT. 1743

Public Law 109-317
109th Congress

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. NOTE: Oct. 11, 2006 -  [H.R. 318]

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.

[[Page 1744]]
120 STAT. 1744

(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.

Approved October 11, 2006.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 318:
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SENATE REPORTS: No. 109-241 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
Vol. 151 (2005):
Nov. 15, considered and passed
House.
Vol. 152 (2006):
Sept. 29, considered and passed
Senate.