Coral Bay, St John is a unique and special place in the US Virgin Islands. Surrounded by national park lands and waters and in a rich historic setting, small Coral Harbor is home to endangered species and critical marine habitat. For the past eight years the people of Coral Bay have been fighting plans to construct a huge mega yacht marina in Coral Harbor that would be devastating to the human and natural environment.
The “Save Coral Bay” group is circulating a petition to the United States Army Corps of Engineers requesting that they deny the permit application for this project, being developed by the “Summers End Group”. I have added my name to this petition and I encourage you to do the same by filling in your name and email address below and clicking on the words “PLEASE ADD MY NAME TO THE PETITION”.
2023 PETITION TO THE UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
I strongly oppose the construction of the marina in Coral Bay, St John, United States Virgin Islands, proposed by the Summers End Group LLC pursuant to Army Corps of Engineers permit application number SAJ-2004-12518.
This marina is clearly not in the public interest for the following reasons:
- It is located on the most exposed shoreline of Coral Bay, an area that was decimated by hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. This is not a safe location for a marina and presents extreme risks to public health and safety and to the marine environment.
- The construction and operation of a large yacht marina at this location will adversely impact water quality and the fragile recovery of ecosystems following the impacts of the 2017 storms.
- Coral Bay’s economy depends on eco-tourism. This commercial marina in the heart of the Virgin Islands National Park and the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument would seriously damage the natural appeal and the economy of Coral Bay for visitors and residents.
- The impacts to protected resources, including sea grass meadows, mangroves, fish and shellfish nurseries, and endangered species including corals and sea turtles are unacceptable and have not been mitigated by any proposals from the applicant.
- Air pollution from diesel exhaust, noise pollution from generators, and light pollution from mega yachts, all present health and quality of life impacts to the surrounding residential communities.
- The proposed marina consumes almost half of Coral Bay Harbor, and would result in serious risks to public safety and welfare if it were destroyed in a hurricane. Access to and from Coral Bay for emergency relief could be blocked by marina wreckage.
- There are alternative locations available for a St John marina which involve less environmental damage and would be more practical from a boater’s perspective.
- The cultural, historical, social and natural resources of Coral Bay will be adversely impacted by this significant alteration of the physical landscape.
For these reasons I respectfully request that the United States Army Corps of Engineers deny the permit requested by the Summers End Group LLC. This project is clearly not in the public interest.