FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK RELEASES DRAFT PLAN FOR SUSTAINED REDUCTION OF NON-NATIVE GOATS AND SHEEP 

Arthur Frederick, Virgin Islands National Park Superintendent, announced today the beginning of a 60-day public review of the Draft Sustained Reduction Plan for Non-native Goats and Sheep Within Virgin Islands National Park Environmental Assessment (EA), a long-range plan for minimizing impacts from these feral, non-native animal species within the national park.  The review period will be from December 15, 2003 to February 15, 2004. 

The purpose of this Draft Environmental Assessment is to evaluate impacts from undertaking a control program for non-native domestic goats and sheep within Virgin Islands National Park.  By reducing their populations inside the Park, adverse impacts to visitors, residents, natural, cultural and aquatic resources would decrease.  Collectively, domestic goat and sheep populations pose a threat to the native natural resources, long-term resource management programs of the Park, cultural resources, and visitor health and safety. 

People have accidentally or intentionally introduced hundreds of exotic species into natural communities worldwide, and while many die out some persist and become pests.  Wild animals, which establish breeding populations after being introduced by humans, are termed exotic.  Feral animals, by contrast, were introduced from domestic animals and established breeding populations in the wild.  Exotics are generally more frightened of humans, while feral animals can be very friendly to people.  These species disrupt complex native ecological communities, jeopardize endangered and native plants and animals, and degrade native habitats. 

Non-native domestic goats (Capra hirus) and domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are ungulate species not native to North America or South America; but from South West Asia.  Christopher Columbus first brought goats and sheep into the West Indies in 1493.  The Danes brought goats and sheep to St. John in 1718 when they colonized the island.  The goat is one of the smallest domesticated ruminants, which has served mankind earlier and longer than cattle and sheep.  Goats and sheep are managed for the production of milk, meat and wool, particularly in arid, semitropical or mountainous countries.  They are better adapted to dry conditions than cattle.   

The Park has experienced goat and sheep grazing since it was established in 1956.  The original areas of goat encroachment included portions of Leinster Bay; Bordeaux Mountain; East End, Hawksnest Bay; and Ram Head areas.  By the early 1990’s, goatherds were established in Mary’s Point and Brown Bay.  In 1999, 5 goats were abandoned at Lind Point, and in the summer of 2000, 12 goats were abandoned on the North Shore Road immediately inside the Park boundary above Cruz Bay. 

If left unchecked, goat and sheep populations would be expected to increase throughout the Park.  From these locations, goats and sheep have moved into adjacent watersheds, causing damage to sensitive natural and cultural resources.  Goats and sheep have established non-native breeding populations in many areas and all habitat types of the Virgin Islands National Park.  The proposed action is intended to humanely reduce goat and sheep populations within the Park and minimize new introductions.  Goats and sheep also pose threats to public health and safety.  This control program is consistent with Federal mandates to protect water, plant, animal, cultural resources and visitor safety, and as well as similar Territorial regulations. 

The effects of goats and sheep on Park resources are multifaceted and result from their movements, habitat utilization and food habits.  Of greatest concern are the destructive effects goats and sheep have on natural ecosystems and native components of those ecosystems.  Goat and sheep grazing and trampling behavior profoundly disrupts natural communities, individual species populations, forest successional patterns and forest nutrient cycles.  Grazing and trampling on trails and in the forest also causes soil erosion, which severely affects sensitive aquatic habitats.  Grazing and trampling by goats and sheep detrimentally affect the aesthetic and wilderness values of the Park.  Goats and sheep negatively affect the flora and fauna of the Park through habitat alteration and competition for food. 

The National Park Service Organic Act of 1916 mandates the parks to “conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein…{to} leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”  Changes of the natural communities from human actions in the parks, including the continuous and unabated invasion of introduced animal species, are contrary to the intentions of the Act.  The NPS is mandated by the U.S. Congress to remove introduced animals that are injurious to native flora and fauna. 

Superintendent Frederick notes that: "Because the Park boundary is entirely permeable with private or Territorial lands, medium-sized animals readily enter from adjacent lands.  Also, dozens of inholdings exist within the boundary throughout the Park, and many have residences.  Thus, animals inhabiting adjacent lands may enter the Park and establish breeding populations.  For these reasons the permanent elimination (eradication) of goats and sheep from the Park is impossible.  Therefore, feasible alternatives must focus on regular efforts to humanely reduce the population size and minimize concomitant impacts from these species.”   

Rafe Boulon, Chief of Resource Management at Virgin Islands National Park, explains.  "Introduced species such as goats and sheep, pose a serious threat to the Park’s natural resources, long-term management programs, and visitor health and safety.  The program is termed a ‘sustained reduction’ because once the goat and sheep populations are reduced to low levels, the smaller populations will be held at or below that level.  The proposed control program mirrors similar programs throughout the world and is needed to meet a variety of Federal and Territorial laws and National Park Service mandates.”   

VINP and Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture (VIDA) formed a partnership that allows VIDA to assist with goat and sheep capture.  Both agencies will promote the VIDA Animal Registration and Impoundment Program, which requires livestock including goats, sheep, hogs and donkeys to be fenced, registered and visibly tagged.  Funds from VINP may be available for St. John livestock ranchers to repair fences.  Livestock ranchers are advised to remove their animals from NPS lands, maintain their exclosures to prevent future encroachments and register their livestock with VIDA. 

The proposed sustained reduction program would be accomplished in three phases.  In the first phase, administration, infrastructure acquisition, and possibly fencing in selected areas.  In phase two, techniques such as baits, traps and shooters will be used to humanely reduce populations throughout the Park.  Phase three will be to monitor for and remove remnant goats and sheep community outreach, information dissemination and fence maintenance.   

Phase I will require approximately one year to complete once environmental compliance is met.  This year will be used to hire or contract with personnel, purchase supplies, construct traps, establish communications, and fence especially vulnerable long-term monitoring plots.  NPS may also begin selective fencing near limited areas of the boundary where goats and sheep can easily reenter the Park (Herman Farm, L’ Esperance and Catherineberg, Bordeaux Mountain, Hawksnest, Cinnamon, Ram Head and Lameshur).  Funds will possibly be made available for island livestock ranchers to repair their fences.   

An initial goat and sheep population reduction campaign is envisioned in Phase II.  It will possibly take approximately 2 to 3 years.  Baiting, single-capture and corral traps will be employed to collect animals.  Areas of high goat (and to a much smaller degree sheep) concentrations such as Cinnamon, Lameshur and Reef bays will be selected and removed initially.  Goat and sheep movements will determine where the collection efforts must then be focused.  Biological data will be recorded from each animal.   

Phase III will be an indefinite period of scheduled and systematic monitoring throughout NPS land for goat and sheep sign.  Monitoring efforts for the presence or absence of goats and sheep is crucial to routinely locate and remove animals from the Park, and protect the sensitive natural and cultural resources.  If goats, sheep or their foraging and trampling sign become evident in an area, NPS Law Enforcement or Resource Management personnel will trap or humanely collect the animals.   

A public meeting was held at the Legislative Conference Room on August 12, 2003 in St. John that introduced the plan to control introduced animals within the Park.  The well-attended meeting gained support for the program and a majority of participants favored the control actions.   

NPS contracted with USDA Wildlife Services personnel to conduct wildlife reduction efforts for rats, cats and mongooses in 2001.  The following year their scope was expanded to conduct hog collection.  Upon approval of the EA, their authority would be increased to include goat and sheep collection from the Park.  For more information about meat donations or funds for fence repair, please contact Kim Nelson at VINP (340) 693-8950 extension 230.   

Copies of the Draft Environmental Assessment are available for review at public libraries and the Park's Visitor Center in Cruz Bay, National Park Headquarters at Christiansted NHS, St. Croix or can be downloaded from the Internet at http://www.nps.gov/viis or http://www.friendsvinp.org/.  Copies can also be requested from Rafe_Boulon@nps.gov or by calling (340) 693-8950 extension 224. 

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