Alternatives B and C - which to choose?

John Barrett, Study Team Leader for the Castle Nugent Special Resource Study at NPS responded to questions regarding Alternatives B and C and if a "stand-alone" unit would jeopardize the project. With his permission, I've included his response below. -- Michael

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You raise some valid concerns, but we do believe there are very real
advantages to the alternative C scenario and I do not believe presenting a stand-alone alternative would jeopardize the creation of a park. Congress will ultimately make the decision, but I don't see an alternative C scenario having that sort of negative impact.

Although it is hard to forecast something that is still a concept, a
stand-alone NPS unit at Castle Nugent Farms would presumably have several advantages over a unit that is administered from the existing parks. Among those--

1) Dedicated staff that focus their workday entirely on the operations
there and are not "shared" among the other units.

2) Greater chance for facilities that offer a wider range of services to
visitors on site since there would not be the directive/desire to share facilities with the other units.

3) Opportunity for Castle Nugent to stand out from the other units from a public relations perspective. This distinction might not be so important on the local level, but from a national perspective it could enhance the notoriety of a Castle Nugent park. Plus, it may compete better from a funding standpoint against the other 390 plus parks due to its status as a stand-alone unit.

That said, I think the chances for a stand-alone unit are pretty small
(just my opinion based on working a lot with legislation and policy). If there is movement towards the establishment of a park, the NPS and Congress would almost certainly look very closely at the existing NPS operations on St. Croix and would likely seek to combine operations and management.

Thanks again for your interest in our study for Castle Nugent.

John

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John Barrett
Planning & Compliance Division
National Park Service
Southeast Regional Office
404.507.5707
404.562.3257 fax
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So, bottom line is Alternative C could have advantages over B, but is not likely to be approved in full. However, support for Alt. C would not jeopardize the creation of the park unit and would send a message that the management plan that is most protective of resources is supported by the public. -- Michael