ST. JOHN – For the first time in close to 10 years the Virgin Islands National Park is looking to increase amenity fees, which the National Park Service says will enhance the visitor experience through things like improved facilities and a greater presence of park personnel.
But at a public meeting held Wednesday evening to address the proposed fee increases, it was clear many residents were concerned about the proposal. Close to 60 people crammed into a small conference room at the new Resource Management and Science building at Lind Point on St. John, where the conversation largely revolved around the impact the new and expanded fees could have on the charter boat industry.
Sara Richter, a St. John resident and charter boat captain, spoke at the meeting after doing what she called “some quick math” to break down what this new fee structure could look like for a 30-foot charter vessel.
“The goal is probably about 200 trips in a year, but 150 is realistic,” Richter said, adding that she now pays an annual commercial use authorization fee of $300 per vessel. “With this proposal, that would be $10,500 for one vessel per year. More if it’s a larger boat, more if it’s more busy. Two things can be true at once. You guys definitely need to raise some fees, but $10,000 per vessel, per year is extraordinarily excessive.”
Under the proposal, boats would have to pay $1 per foot of the vessel per day to stop at the Virgin Islands National Park finger pier, located in Cruz Bay. In other words, a 30-foot vessel would pay a fee of $30 each day they stopped at the finger pier. Additionally, the proposal seeks to expand the fees associated with the use of moorings in the National Park. Currently, mooring fees are only required for overnight use, with those vessels paying a fee of $26. But under the new amenity fee proposal, boats would be charged a flat daily fee of either $40 or $60, depending on boat length, whether they use the mooring for 30 minutes or 24 hours. For charter boats, these expanded fees would be paid in addition to the annual commercial use authorization fee, which varies between $300 to $575, and allows them to do business in the National Park.
Kelly Quinn also spoke at the meeting, saying she had lived on St. John for 24 years and owned a business that operated commercial vessels within the park.
“I'm absolutely a proponent of fees, but as the daughter of a judge I’m a proponent of fairness,” Quinn said. “In looking at the proposed fees, I see that there is a possible gross discrimination against the boater population.”
Virgin Islands National Park Superintendent Penny Del Bene said that while she appreciated the comments, it was important to understand that the fees associated with boating were high due to the cost of maintaining docks and moorings.
“Those are some of the areas where those amenities are the most expensive for us to maintain,” Del Bene said. “So, when you look across the board at the different amenities that we have, those are high dollar amenity costs associated with them. So that’s part of the challenge that we have.”
But Del Bene’s reasoning didn’t satisfy Quincey Pentrack, who asked about an alternative method for collecting fees to keep the dock maintained.
“You’re saying you need to come up with money to help maintain that dock, right?” Pentrack asked, suggesting that boaters pay an annual fee rather than every time a boat docks at the pier. “You have so many boats that are between St. John; people living on them, public, private, charter companies. Like, why does it have to be every time a boat touches the dock, you get money?”
According to Del Bene, the proposed amenity fee increases were based on comparability studies conducted by the National Park, which looked at the prices of comparable public and private services within the Virgin Islands and nearby areas.
But the changes in amenity fees wouldn’t be limited to boaters. The proposal would bring the price of an individual day pass to St. John’s famous Trunk Bay to $10 from $5, as well as establish a $60 annual pass, the closest thing to a local discount under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. At Caneel Bay, the proposal calls for a new $10 parking fee.
Carmen Wesselhoft, a former senator who operates a taxi on St. John, asked how these fees would improve the park overall.
“If you’re going to increase fees, give me service,” Wesselhoft said. “These roads need serious maintenance. I’m a taxi driver, and we’re driving in the middle of the road to avoid accidents, our passengers are getting hit, and it’s not uncommon, you have catch and keep that’s hitting the passengers.”
In response, Del Bene agreed and said the National Park Service wanted to do better. She said the reason for increasing fees was so NPS could have more staff and more resources to address those kinds of concerns.
Kurt Marsh, Jr., a St. John resident and community activist, was one of the more outspoken attendees, expressing frustration about the focus of the conversation.
“I think it’s fair that the people who make a living and benefit from this park, that is extractive of the people of St. John and the legacies of the people of St. John, pay for that experience,” Marsh said.
He went on to say that while people at the meeting were worried about paying docking and parking fees, he was concerned about the park’s lack of recognition for the ancestral native people of St. John and their legacies.
“I think this conversation is asinine,” Marsh said. “It’s ridiculous that people are talking about what do you have to pay to enter a space. We have to pay to come from St. Thomas to come home to St. John. These facilities need to be built, they need to be maintained, and somebody has to do it. If people are commercializing that space, then you should contribute to the upkeep and maintenance of that space. I think that’s fair. So, let’s be real about these conversations that we’re having tonight. Their mandate is for cultural and natural preservation, and all we’re talking about tonight is extraction.”
Senator at-large candidate Lorelei Monsanto questioned whether the public’s comments would truly be taken into consideration.
“If the people decide that they don’t want some of these increases, would you all really, truly honor and respect that?” Monsanto asked.
Del Bene said it would depend on the type of feedback received.
“So, I think that we have to really process it all, and it depends on what it is,” she said.
The Virgin Islands National Park will be accepting comments and recommendations on the proposed amenity fee changes through October 9. Comments will be reviewed as they come in, and the final proposal will be sent to the regional director on October 11. The public will be notified whether the regional director accepts or rejects the proposal by December 1. If approved, the proposed fee increases will begin January 1, 2025.
To leave a comment, or to view the comprehensive list of proposed increases and expanded amenity fees, visit the National Park Service website.
