Last week, House Democrats passed a bill that turns "Castle Nugent Farms" in the U.S. Virgin Islands into a national historic site. The "Castle Nugent National Historic Site Act of 2010" was passed by a vote of 240 Yeas from Democrats (to their credit, 4 Dems did vote against the pork bill), and was opposed by 171 Republicans. The Act is projected to cost $26 million over the next five years to purchase about half of the privately owned land. Further, it is estimated that $1 million is needed to form a development plan with an additional $1 million in annual costs to manage the new area.
This Act wasn't reported on any major media outlets, and given its location, it wouldn't be. I found one article published down in the islands that reported on the bill -- it received roughly 600 views... that's it.
I am a strong advocate for protecting our precious national lands and landmarks, not only so future generations may enjoy them, but more importantly to me, so that we protect delicate ecosystems and the rich natural life these support. We have a moral obligation to preserve such areas, and create an environment that is sustainable.
But is the preservation of Castle Nugent necessary to meet that end? Hmmm. The Act sounds like wasted spending to me. Judge for yourself -- here's Castle Nugent's website...
http://www.caribbeanguesthouse.com/
Peace
Jeremy
