Virgin Islands National Park Buoy Management Plan

Kelley, Thomas; Watson, Keith

Covers installation, maintenance and management of NPS mooring buoys, regulatory buoys, boundary buoys and special purpose buoys. This Buoy Management Plan provides a comprehensive summary of the history of the buoy management program in Virgin Islands National Park. The document provides justification for the installation of buoys in the Park, a historical perspective, and specific and detailed information on the installation, maintenance, and management of all buoys in the Park. Additionally, the plan outlines potential alternatives for implementation of the plan by various interests. Educational opportunities are discussed and are critical to the success of buoy management in the Park. Recommendations are made that are both short and long term. Long term recommendations are discussed in more detail. The two most important realizations of this plan are that 1) for the Park to successfully implement and manage the program, additional support is a necessity and 2) buoy management activities would be better assigned to a Park unit other than Resources Management.