50 Acre Spring Gut Valley Nature Park Application

The formal application was submitted by the Witt Obrien Consultant Team in coordination with VITAL & partners; DPW, Dept. of Agriculture and the St. Croix Foundation to FEMA for the purchase of 50 Acres along the Spring Gut Rd., to include a flood mitigation plan for implementation.  This project will create a Public Access Park and Conservation Area for the people of the IV along with flood hazard repairs.  The funding source in though the FEMA Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant program.

The DPW confirms that the Spring Gut Road Federal Highway #85 is now fully funded.  This project includes a separate 8 ft wide multi-use pathway for the entire 2.1-mile distance from the East End Rd. at the Canegata Ball Park to the South Shore Road.

The DPW is presently working on an application that could fund the 14 Mile South Shore Bike Path in 2019.  This application will be competing with other projects in the territory. The funding that was needed for completing the Archeology Study for this project has been met by a grant awarded to VITAL in partnership with the DPW from SHIPO.  This grant award will complete the environmental study for this project.

An initial contact meeting with the Housing Finance Authority, HFA and team, projects funding VITAL for the planning of future pathways on St. Croix. VITAL is setting up a steering committee comprised of project leaders with projects along the proposed route. A working group is also being organized in anticipation of this funding and we are actively seeking volunteers.