Title 29, Public Planning and Development

(a) All persons, except for archaeologists within the Division for Archaeology and Historic Preservation who wish to, or are required to conduct subsurface or underwater archaeological excavations, tests, probing, or other investigations which result in the removal or contextual …

(a) The Government retains the exclusive right to and control over all historical, cultural and archaeological properties and archaeological specimens located on public lands and waters, including submerged lands. (b) The Government retains the exclusive right to and control over…

(a) No excavation or other similar activity may be undertaken until a permit is first obtained from the State Historic Preservation Officer. (b) All excavations, scientific investigations, recovery operations or data recording techniques shall be conducted under the general super…

(a) Each Government agency having direct or indirect jurisdiction over a proposed governmental or government assisted or approved undertaking shall, in accordance with government policy and prior to the approval of the expenditure of any state funds for the undertaking, consider …

A historical, cultural or archaeological property which the State Historic Preservation Office has reason to believe may be worthy of preservation may be included in the Virgin Islands Registry of Historic Places on a temporary basis for not more than one (1) year, during which t…

(a) Upon discovery of any archaeological or historical site, or human burial site or remains upon private lands, the owner or his representative shall immediately notify the State Historic Preservation Office verbally and in writing. (b) Any person applying for an Earth Change pe…

(a) Each human burial in the Territory, interred in any marked or unmarked site, is accorded the protection of law and shall receive appropriate and respectful treatment and disposition. (b) Any person who discovers a human burial site shall immediately cease any activity that ma…

Any information in the custody of a public official concerning the location of archaeological resources, the preservation of which is in the interest of the Territory, shall remain confidential unless the State Historic Preservation Officer certifies in writing that the dissemina…

(a) It shall be a violation of this subchapter for any person to excavate with the use of mechanical earth-moving equipment or by manual means an archaeological site for the purpose of collecting or removing archaeological specimens when such archaeological site is on private lan…

(a) Criminal penalties. Any person who knowingly, willfully and intentionally:(1) appropriates, excavates, injures or destroys or cause to be appropriated, excavated, injured or destroyed any historical, cultural or archaeological site, object, specimen, artifact, ruin, or featur…

(a) There is hereby established as a separate and distinct fund within the Treasury of the Virgin Islands, a special fund designated “The Archaeological Preservation Fund.” The Commissioner of Finance shall maintain and provide for the administration of this fund, and no monies s…

This subchapter may be cited as “The Preservation of Historic Government Collections Act.”

There is established within the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the position of Curator of Government Collections. The Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources shall consult with the Virgin Islands State Historic Preservation Office (“Histori…

As used in this subchapter: “Decorative arts” means superior examples of furniture, silver, ceramics, glass, textiles, and miscellaneous domestic works that represent the changing styles and fashions preferred by the various first families during their occupancy of Government Hou…

(a) There is established within the Office of the Governor the Committee for the Preservation of Government House Collections for the purpose of establishing, maintaining, supervising, preserving and conserving the collection and exhibition of fine and decorative arts, objects, a…

The Curator has the charge and custody of and is responsible for the works of art and inventory of items included in the Government House Collections.

The Committee shall establish an Executive Residence Account. Monies from the account must be used for the acquisitions, maintenance, storage, renovations and restorations of works of art. The Executive Residence Account is funded from the budget of the Department of Property and…

The Committee shall develop and adopt standards for acquisitions and removal of works of art. Works of art may be acquired for collection by purchase, gift, bequest, or loan.

When appropriate and extraordinary works come up for sale at auction, the Curator shall consult with the members of the entire Committee and a preservation or conservation professional, if necessary. The decision to acquire a work at auction must be unanimous between the chairper…

(a) Unless otherwise approved by the Committee, only unrestricted gifts may be accepted. (b) The gift must be accepted and acknowledged in accordance with procedures established by the Office of the Governor and the Committee. (c) Major donations, as defined by the Committee, mer…

(a) The Committee shall maintain a complete and accurate record of all works of art. The record must include a completed acquisition catalogue form, containing a bill of sale or donation documents, correspondence, bibliographic references, photographs of related works, copies of …

It is unlawful to reproduce or copy works of art for personal use or commercial sale, except for educational materials and items such as prints, note cards and postcards produced by Government House, the Division of Libraries and Archives, and the Historic Preservation Office.

(a) The decision to borrow or loan a work must be approved by a majority vote of the Committee, but if the Curator sits on the Committee as the chairperson, then the Archivist shall vote instead of the chairperson. If there is not unanimity in the decision, then the decision must…

(a) Any damage to a work of art in the Government House must be reported immediately to the Curator and State Historic Preservation Office on a form indicating the date the damage occurred, a description of the damage, and photographs of the areas of damage. No repairs to Governm…

(a) The Curator shall create a textile policy, which at a minimum must include, but not limited to textiles, draperies and fabrics. (b) The Curator shall store textiles, including draperies and fabrics. (c) A written and photographic record must be compiled of all draperies in st…

(a) The Curator, the Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, or the Commissioner’s designee: the Commissioner of Property and Procurement, or the Commissioner’s designee, and the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer shall approve the disposal of wo…