Background Paper No. 2


is charged with the authority for the control, use, and

management of the natural resources of the Virgin Islands

not predisposed by United States federal authority. The

Department is also concerned with the development and use

of recreational facilities and with the cultural affairs

of the island communities.


 The Bureau of Fish and Ti'd]ife is, in effect, an ad-

ministrati'-ve and operational duplicate in general aspects

of "irilar agencies in each of the various t'nitecd States,

anm' it has an authoritative parallel.


 In terms of ecological research, the Bureau acts as an

interpretive clearing house for the results of basic ecolo-

gical research conducted in the Virgin Islands, and makes

use of the results of such research in devising meaningful

applied research programs conducted by it's own staff.


 Recent examples of applied programs conducted under

the direction of the Bureau include food and sport fisheries

studies, artificial reef design, mongoose ecology, a study

of parasites of St. Croix whitetail deer, and primary sup-

port for the compilation of a popular handbook to the nat-

ural history of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.


Virgin Islands National Park.

 The establishment of the Virgin Islands National Park,

administered by the United States National Park Service un-

der the Department of the Interior, had a profound physical,


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