Lack of Government Enforcement, Collaboration at Territory Beaches Vexes Lawmakers

Lawmakers were frustrated by a lack of cohesion between government enforcement divisions during a Senate Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety hearing on Tuesday afternoon.

The committee received testimony from multiple government agencies and representatives from Emerald Beach Resort, who aired concerns about illegal activities at territory beaches, including unlawful camping, unlicensed vendors, and unsafe watercraft. Marlon Hibbert, director of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources Coastal Zone Management Division, set the stage by testifying that the root cause of the territory’s problems stemmed from a misinterpretation of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Open Shorelines Act.

“Contrary to public belief, [the Act] does not convey all beach areas to the government of the Virgin Islands, nor does it state that all beaches are public,” he said. “In the St. Croix district, the misinterpretation of the law has caused people to trespass on private land, erect structures in the name of camping and, when approached, tell our enforcement teams that all beaches are public, and they are free to camp on them.”