Congress has approved $1.25 million to buy the Gibney property for the V.I. National Park on St. John and $1.2 million for the National Park Service to buy land at the Salt River National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve on St. Croix.
The funding was announced late Thursday by Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christian-Christensen, who said she was just informed about it by the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee.
“I am elated that funding for Salt River has finally been realized after all these years," the delegate said, thanking a host of people and organizations — including the Nature Conservancy — for their role in securing the money for both V.I. parks.
The delegate said that Salt River funding was one of her top priorities when she was first elected in 1996 and that she'll continue to push for federal money for Salt River and other V.I. National Park units.