16 U.S.C. § 398c: Addition of lands

Summary

Adds nearby shorelines, underwater areas, and waters to the Virgin Islands National Park and includes Hassel Island in Saint Thomas Harbor. The north offshore area starts at a park corner in Cruz Bay and runs along a chain of points about 0.13, 0.43, 1.36, 1.64, 1.99, 3.18, 1.04, and 0.22 nautical miles between those points and then back along the island’s north shore. That north offshore area is about 4,100 acres. The south offshore area starts at a bound post at Drunk Bay and runs about 0.32, 0.88, 0.40, 1.88, 1.74, 0.45, and 0.08 nautical miles between its points and then back along the island’s south shore. That south offshore area is about 1,550 acres. Hassel Island and nearby lands and waters of about 135 acres are added too, but the park boundary there cannot extend more than 100 yards from the island’s mean high water mark. All added lands, submerged lands, and waters must be managed by the Secretary of the Interior under the National Park Service law of August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1–4).

Title 16, §398c

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In furtherance of the purposes of section 398 and 398a of this title, providing for the establishment of the Virgin Islands National Park, and in order to preserve for the benefit of the public significant coral gardens, marine life, and seascapes in the vicinity thereof, the boundaries of such park, subject to valid existing rights, are revised to include the adjoining lands, submerged lands, and waters, and Hassel Island located in Saint Thomas Harbor and adjoining lands, submerged lands, and waters, described as follows: North Offshore Area Beginning at the hereinafter lettered point A on the shore of Cruz Bay, a corner in the Virgin Islands National Park boundary, being also a corner of lot F, Cruz Bay, added to the park by order of designation signed June 29, 1960, by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior pursuant to section 398 and 398a of this title, and published in the Federal Register of July 7, 1960, the said corner being the terminus of the course recited therein as “north 58 degrees 50 minutes west a distance of 20.0 feet, more or less, along Government land to a point;” for the third call in the metes and bounds description lot F, Cruz Bay. From the initial point A, distances in nautical miles, along direct courses between the hereinafter lettered points at geographic positions (latitudes north, longitudes west): Northwestward approximately 0.13 mile to point B, latitude 18 degrees 20 minutes 08 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 47 minutes 43 seconds in Cruz Bay; 0.43 mile to Point C, latitude 18 degrees 20 minutes 08 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 48 minutes 10 seconds in Pillsbury Sound; 1.36 miles to point D, latitude 18 degrees 21 minutes 30 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 48 minutes 10 seconds in Windward Passage; 1.64 miles to point E, latitude 18 degrees 22 minutes 10 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 46 minutes 35 seconds in the Atlantic Ocean; 1.99 miles to point F, latitude 18 degrees 22 minutes 45 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 44 minutes 35 seconds in the Narrows; 3.18 miles to point G, latitude 18 degrees 22 minutes 00 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 41 minutes 20 seconds in Sir Francis Drake Channel; 1.04 miles to point H, latitude 18 degrees 21 minutes 10 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 40 minutes 40 seconds in Haulover Bay; Southwestward approximately 0.22 mile to point I, a bound post on the shore of Haulover Bay marking a corner of the Virgin Islands National Park boundary as shown on drawing numbered NP–VI–7000 entitled “Acquisition Area Virgin Islands National Park”, approved November 15, 1956, by the acting Secretary of the Interior in accordance with section 398 and 398a of this title, being also the southeasterly corner of estate Haulover 5a and 5c east end quarter as delineated on the municipality of Saint Thomas and Saint John drawing PW file numbered 9–24–T51 dated October 26, 1950; Thence running generally westward along the Virgin Islands National Park northerly boundary as it follows the northerly shore of the island of Saint John as shown on the said drawing numbered NP–VI–7000 and on drawing numbered NP–VI–7003 entitled “Land Ownership Cruz Bay Creek” depicting the boundary adjustment affected by the said order of designation to point A, the point of beginning. The area described contains approximately 4,100 acres. South Offshore Area Beginning at the hereinafter lettered point L, a concrete bound post on the short of Drunk Bay marking a northeasterly corner in the Virgin Islands National Park boundary as shown on the said drawing numbered NP–VI–7000, being also the northeasterly corner of parcel numbered 1, estate Concordia (A), as delineated on the Leo R. Sibilly, civil engineer, drawing file numbered C9–13–T55. From the initial point L, distances in nautical miles, along direct courses between the hereinafter lettered points at geographic positions (latitudes north, longitudes west): Eastward approximately 0.32 mile to point M, latitude 18 degrees 18 minutes 48 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 41 minutes 50 seconds in Sabbat Channel; 0.88 mile to point N, latitude 18 degrees 17 minutes 55 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 41 minutes 50 seconds in the Caribbean Sea; 0.40 mile to point O, latitude 18 degrees 17 minutes 55 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 42 minutes 15 seconds in the Caribbean Sea; 1.88 miles to point P, latitude 18 degrees 18 minutes 48 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 44 minutes 00 seconds in the Caribbean Sea; 1.74 miles to point Q, latitude 18 degrees 18 minutes 48 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 45 minutes 50 seconds in the Caribbean Sea; 0.45 mile to point R, latitude 18 degrees 19 minutes 15 seconds, longitude 64 degrees 45 minutes 50 seconds in Fish Bay; Eastward approximately 0.08 mile to point S on the shore of Fish Bay, a corner in the present Virgin Islands National Park, as delineated on said drawing numbered NP–VI–7000, being the northwesterly corner of parcel numbered 2 estate Fish Bay, numbered 8 Reef Bay Quarter, and the terminus of the delineated course “south 78 degrees 52 minutes west distance 1,178.9 feet” as depicted on the Leo R. Sibilly, civil engineer, drawing file numbered G9–385–T56. Thence running generally eastward along the present southerly park boundary as it follows the southerly shore of the island of Saint John as depicted on the said drawing numbered NP–VI–7000 to point L, the point of beginning. The area described contains approximately 1,550 acres. Hassel Island The area known as Hassel Island in Saint Thomas Harbor consisting of approximately 135 acres, together with such adjoining lands, submerged lands, and waters as the Secretary of the Interior deems appropriate, but the boundaries shall not, in any event, extend beyond 100 yards from the mean high water mark of the island. Lands, submerged lands, and waters added to the Virgin Islands National Park pursuant to sections 398c to 398f of this title shall be subject to administration by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the provisions of the Act of August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1–4), as amended and supplemented.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Act of August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1–4), referred to in text, is act Aug. 25, 1916, ch. 408, 39 Stat. 535, known as the National Park Service Organic Act, which enacted section 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this title and provisions set out as a note under section 100101 of Title 54, National Park Service and Related Programs. Sections 1 to 4 of the Act were repealed and restated as section 1865(a) of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, and section 100101(a), chapter 1003, and section 100751(a), 100752, 100753, and 102101 of Title 54 by Pub. L. 113–287, §§ 3, 4(a)(1), 7, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3094, 3260, 3272. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. For disposition of former sections of this title, see Disposition Table preceding section 100101 of Title 54.

Amendments

1978—Pub. L. 95–348 inserted provisions relating to boundaries of Hassel Island located in Saint Thomas Harbor and adjoining lands, submerged lands, and waters.

§398c Addition of Lands