FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PLAN ADOPTED FOR CONTROL OF WILD HOGS

John H. King, Virgin Islands National Park Superintendent, announced today the adoption of a Sustained Reduction Plan for Non-native Wild Hogs within Virgin Islands National Park, a long-range plan for minimizing impacts from this feral, non-native animal species within the Park. That plan has been finalized and approved by the Southeast Regional Director of the National Park Service.

Completion of the plan culminates a 12-month planning process and represents the second time in the Park’s forty-seven year history that there has been a comprehensive approach to managing non-native animal impacts on natural and cultural resources in the Park.

Rafe Boulon, Chief of Resources Management at Virgin Islands National Park, explains that: "Non-native species such as wild hogs pose a serious threat to the Park’s natural resources, long-term management programs and visitor safety. The program is termed a “sustained reduction” because once the hog 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 laws and National Park Service mandates.”

The proposed sustained reduction program will be accomplished in three phases. Phase I will require approximately one year to complete. This year will be used to hire or contract with personnel, purchase supplies and equipment, and construct live-traps. Fences may be constructed to exclude non-native animals from some long-term monitoring plots and limited selective areas of the boundary where hogs easily enter the Park (Herman Farm, L’ Esperance and Catherineberg).

A safe and comprehensive hog population reduction campaign is envisioned for each watershed in Phase II. Due to logistical factors, watersheds may be paired and worked simultaneously, e.g. Maho--Cinnamon and Reef--Lameshur. Phase II will possibly take approximately 2 to 3 years. Baiting in conjunction with snares, single-capture and corral traps will be employed systematically throughout each watershed. Use of dogs and shooters will be restricted to elusive or difficult to capture animals. Areas of high hog concentrations will be targeted first. Local volunteers will assist contractors in the population reduction efforts.

Phase III will be an indefinite period of monitoring the Park for hog sign. If hog sign was detected, NPS law enforcement rangers or certified resources management personnel will either trap and/or humanely dispatch the animals as described in Phase II.

The decision to adopt the Sustained Reduction Plan for Non-native Wild Hogs within Virgin Islands National Park is documented in a Decision Notice (DN) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and National Park Service policy and guidelines. The FONSI is based upon a Draft Plan and Environmental Assessment (Plan/EA) released in October 2002 and comments of agencies and the public on the Draft Plan/EA.

Copies of the adopted Plan may be viewed at public libraries, the Park's Visitor Center in Cruz Bay, and National Park Headquarters at Christiansted, St. Croix, or can be downloaded from the Internet at www.nps.gov/viis or www.friendsvinp.org. Printed or electronic copies of the Plan also be requested at Rafe_Boulon@nps.gov or by calling (340) 693-8950 extension 224.

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