Most species of sea snakes can be found in coastal waters throughout Southeast Asia, Northern Australia, and parts of the Pacific Ocean. Because sea snakes need warm water to …

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“I been in jail for years and WAPA still like this? This is unbelievable!”

One of my older brothers said something like this in 2010 after he was released on probation from the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility & Detention Center in St. Croix.

Every time I think about that exchange w…

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As of April 2024, there were over 5 billion internet users worldwide, or 67 percent of the global population. According to Pew Research Center, eight-in-ten U.S. adults say they subscribe to a broadband internet servic…

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Civil Antitrust Lawsuit

In November 2020, the U…

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In 2016, then-Governor Kenneth Mapp drew public scrutiny for adding armored vehicles to his security detail. Years later, I still wonder why he wanted to bolster his security in such a dramatic way during his first term. 

Armored Suburbans

In 2016, the Virgin Islands Daily News…

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Journalists in the U.S. Virgin Islands face unique challenges when covering corruptio…

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In late 2019, Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett awarded Brodhurst the first D. H…

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At the same moment𑁋4:32 p.m.𑁋Army Inspector General Leslie Smith is advised to start g…

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I don’t know about you, but I’m anxious. And when I’m anxious, I don’t stress eat; I stress learn. But that’s just me. 😂

If you’re always learning something new and researching how systems work…

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I’m 32 years old now, and it’s only fitting to finally acknowledge my rapid descent into dad jokes and dystopian political punchlines. Here we go.

Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)

It’s been about a decade since one of my teachers read something about Lady Gaga, where I postured that she’d masterfully tapped into the zeitgeist of 2007-2013. Gaga transforme…

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As his wins in Washington and across Europe grew, Biden’s team threaded uncharted waters after convincing dozens of nations to isolate the Russian economy. After appointing Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, his student loan forgiveness program stalled after the high court intervened. In early 2022, he unified NATO and began sharing more intelligence with allies after the Russian invasion of Ukraine started almost a year ago. 

Last week, Biden’s administration shot down a fourth unauthorized flying object in North America over seven days. 

After thwarting a red wave in the November midterms, a special prosecutor appointed by the Department of Justice continues to probe his handling of classified documents. The DOJ is probing a sitting U.S. president, a former president, and the previous vice president after uncovering classified materials in their private homes. With countries growing wary of sharing sensitive intelligence, revelations of U.S. officials mishandling classified material could complicate future intelligence gathering. 

While Biden vacationed in St. Croix at the turn of the new year, he’d known for weeks that his lawyers handed over classified documents found at his private office to the National Archives. He also knew that the Archives contacted federal law enforcement in response. St. Croix gained the designation as a national heritage site in the days after his visit, but Biden remained mum on federal voting rights for U.S. territories.

In November, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich penned an editorial after his party suffered losses in the midterms, warning Republicans seeking to retake the White House in 2024 to “quit underestimating” Joe Biden.

Two years into his term and buoyed by more bipartisan wins than his predecessor, Biden finds himself in a tough spot as tensions with foreign adversaries deepen. Last week’s uptick in airspace incursions likely caught the White House off guard. In his State of the Union address, he might have cornered Republicans into backing down from pushing to “sunset” social security and Medicare. Still, without a deal on the nation’s debt ceiling, the U.S. government could default for the first time in its history.

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.

  The Watershed Report is an offshoot of State of the Territory News. Here, I write about our shared future. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.