In Letter to Senate President, Bryan Responds to Concerns Over Land Swap Deal Ahead of July 20 Vote

Governor Albert Bryan Jr. has responded to concerns raised by those opposed to the proposed land swap deal between the U.S. Virgin Islands and the National Park Service.

Through a letter written and delivered to Senate President Novelle Francis Jr., Governor Bryan indicated that while Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington and other government testifiers made a “clear and compelling case” for the land exchange, he felt it necessary to address some of the “passionate and well-reasoned” arguments in opposition.

He went on to deal point-by-point with the objections raised during the July 11 meeting of the Senate Committee of the Whole.

First, he declared that the land swap deal would not include the sale, lease, or other disposition of shoreline. “Conveyance of Whistling Cay to the National Park Service for Preservation and public use is consistent with the purpose of the referenced section and would not be prohibited,” Governor Bryan wrote, referencing Title 31 VIC Section 205, which governs how government-owned property can be dealt with.

Mr. Bryan suggested amending the text of the draft legislation currently before the Senate to address concerns about the legality of the proposed exchange. His proposed change would be to add the sentence “notwithstanding any other laws to the contrary, this transaction is authorized by the Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands.”