Buck Island Reef National Monument protects a small uninhabited island and its surrounding coral reef ecosystem located 1.5 miles off the northeast coast of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. President John F. Kennedy established the monument in 1961, and it was expanded by President Bill Clinton in 2001 to encompass 19,015 acres of submerged lands. The monument's barrier reef — one of the finest in the Caribbean — includes an underwater snorkeling trail established by the National Park Service. The island itself supports dry tropical forest and serves as nesting habitat for endangered hawksbill and green sea turtles.
📚 Learn More at NPSHistory.com →Buck Island Reef National Monument in VI preserves a piece of American history that the public has trusted the National Park Service to protect and interpret. The visitor publications at this site have been developed over years by historians, subject-matter experts, and park staff — and are now being reviewed under Secretary's Order 3431.
From the internal review records: “Back page discusses human caused disasters such as pollution and oil spills which could be disparaging to industry and does not emphasize the beauty, grandeur and abundance of the natural features.”
Why this matters: The environmental changes documented at Buck Island Reef National Monument are based on decades of scientific observation and measurement. Visitors can see these changes with their own eyes. Removing references to documented science from interpretive materials doesn't reverse the changes — it only leaves visitors without the information they need to understand what they're witnessing.
Back page discusses human caused disasters such as pollution and oil spills which could be disparaging to industry and does not emphasize the beauty, grandeur and abundance of the natural features.
Map lists locations that may no longer be part of the NPS on St. Thomas.
Buck Island Reef National Monument in VI preserves a piece of American history that the public has trusted the National Park Service to protect and interpret. The visitor publications at this site have been developed over years by historians, subject-matter experts, and park staff — and are now being reviewed under Secretary's Order 3431.
Why this matters: Buck Island Reef National Monument is part of a network of over 400 national parks that serve as America's classrooms. The interpretive materials here were developed by subject-matter experts to help visitors understand the full story of this place. When historically accurate content is removed, the public loses access to its own history.
Discusses human impacts on the island in a negative way that may be seen as not emphasizing the beauty, grandeur and abundance of the natural features.
At Buck Island Reef National Monument, the natural world tells its own story. Decades of scientific observation have documented changes to this landscape — changes that are visible to every visitor who walks these trails. The interpretive materials now under review present this documented scientific record.
Among the content targeted: “ranked top ten eco-friendly destinations” — language that the administration has flagged for review under its directive to review historically accurate interpretive materials.
Why this matters: The environmental changes documented at Buck Island Reef National Monument are based on decades of scientific observation and measurement. Visitors can see these changes with their own eyes. Removing references to documented science from interpretive materials doesn't reverse the changes — it only leaves visitors without the information they need to understand what they're witnessing.
States BUIS has been “ranked top ten eco-friendly destinations” and mentions CNN (copyright symbol goes after CNN)
Discussion of over logging and introduction of invasive species could be seen as disparaging and not properly highlighting the beauty, abundance and grandeur of the site.
Discussion of threats to animals and impacts of climate be seen as disparaging and not properly highlighting the beauty, abundance and grandeur of the site.
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