Every ten years across the nation, leading scientists, conservation organizations, private landowners, and members of the public collaborate to revise their state plan, which serves as a blueprint to proactively conserve fish and wildlife and prevent species from becoming endangered. A major revision and review of the State Wildlife Action Plan is required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a condition for receiving federal funding through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program.  

The plan lists Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), from federal to state threatened and endangered species and other rare or declining species, their habitats, key threats, conservation actions, research and monitoring plans. New additions in the 2025 version include wildlife health, plant and pollinator species, and spatially explicit Conservation Opportunity Areas.

The Virgin Islands is currently undergoing the third major review of the guiding document. Since 2021, DFW has participated in national meetings to understand the process of updating State Wildlife Action Plans in coordination with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies who published guidance for States, as well as the Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. In May 2024, over 40 biologists and practitioners were invited to a meeting to discuss data for inclusion related to the Key Conservation Threats, which was worked on since that time. In March 2025, DFW hosted a public working meeting at the Caribbean Conservation Community of Practice at the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Thomas. We sought public through formal press releases and press engagement in the summer of 2025, received comments for over 60 days from the public who reviewed and commented on the lists of species of greatest conservation need, habitats, threats, and actions that are proposed for the next ten years of wildlife conservation in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including over 90 persons with feedback solicited in-person, through an online feedback form, and through the guided workshops.

“The division works closely with our community partners to protect wetlands,  shoreline habitats, and fish and wildlife species like American Eels, leaf litter geckos, seabirds, and invertebrates,” said Dr. Nicole Angeli, Director of DFW. “We listened to your voices and incorporated your ideas into a guiding document to protect our valuable resources for another decade through 2035.”

For more information on how to use the plan, contact the Division of Fish and Wildlife at 340-773-1082 on St. Croix, or visit the department website: www.dpnr.vi.gov.  

Read more about the State Wildlife Action Plan program in the latest issue of Go Wild, Go Fish VI: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/2ce84e5b31.html.