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Virgin Islands planning agency outlines first-year actions, staffing and funding needs to implement new comprehensive land and water use plan
Summary
The Department of Planning and Natural Resources told a legislative committee it has finished an implementation matrix and is pursuing code changes, legal support contracts and grant funding but warned staffing and federal grant cuts could slow a 10‑year rollout.
The Department of Planning and Natural Resources told the Senate Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure and Planning on May 29 that it has moved from adoption to implementation of the territory's comprehensive land and water use plan adopted in December 2024.
Commissioner Jean Pierre Oriole said DPNR and territorial planners have built an implementation matrix, identified internal priority actions and mapped responsibilities that will require cooperation from agencies including the Department of Public Works, the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority and the Waste Management Authority. "The comprehensive land and water use plan was adopted just 5 months ago in December of 2024," Oriole said in his opening testimony.
Why it matters: The plan sets island-scale policy for zoning, coastal management, conservation and infrastructure that affects housing, transportation and resilience investments across the territory. Oriole told senators that implementation requires both grant funding and new staff capacity; without those the agency's 10‑year methodical timetable will be difficult to sustain.
Key elements and near-term work: DPNR is finishing…
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