Natural Protected Areas of the U.S. Virgin Islands

The Protected natural areas of the U.S. Virgin Islands, compiled and identified by the U.S. Virgin Islands Gap Analysis Project (USVIGAP), display terrestrial protected natural areas designated for natural resource conservation in the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as areas with government regulation that have the potential to protect natural resources. The protection of natural areas is an essential step in conserving biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem services. The benefits and services provided by natural areas include clean water and air, sustainable wildlife populations and habitats, stable slopes and productive soils, genetic reservoirs, recreational opportunities and spiritual refugia. These benefits are complex, interwoven, [...]