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Bill

36-0087

An act amending title 7 Virgin Islands Code by adding chapter 16 to require the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture to establish and manage a 30-acre orchard on St. Croix

2025-2026 Regular Session

Requires the VI Department of Agriculture to establish and operate a 30-acre orchard on St. Croix, boosting local fruit production, jobs, and farm activity.

Introduced
0
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Bill Summary · 36-0087

Summary of Bill 36-0087

Overview

  • Bill Number: 36-0087
  • Title: An act amending title 7 Virgin Islands Code by adding chapter 16 to require the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture to establish and manage a 30-acre orchard on St. Croix
  • Status: Introduced
  • Introduced: March 24, 2025
  • Classification: Bill

Purpose and Intent

The bill aims to create a new chapter (Chapter 16) within Title 7 of the Virgin Islands Code that would obligate the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture to establish and operate a 30-acre orchard on St. Croix. The intent is to expand local agricultural production, with the government directly overseeing the creation and management of the orchard.

Key Provisions (as stated)

  • Add a new Chapter 16 to Title 7 of the Virgin Islands Code.
  • Require the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture to establish a 30-acre orchard on St. Croix.
  • Require the Department to manage the orchard going forward (specific management duties, governance structures, and oversight mechanisms would be defined in the new chapter, though those details are not provided in the summary).

Note: The exact duties, governance, funding, staffing, crop types, production targets, and reporting requirements are not specified in the provided materials. The bill would set the framework for establishment and ongoing management, with further details to be contained in the enacted chapter.

Affected Parties and Impacts

  • Primary: Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture (VI DOA), which would be responsible for establishing and managing the orchard.
  • Potentially affected communities on St. Croix, including local farmers, workers, and residents who may benefit from increased agricultural activity, jobs, and access to locally grown fruit.
  • Implications for land use and agricultural policy on St. Croix, including potential public-private partnerships, educational or research opportunities, and supply chain effects for local fruit markets.

Timeline and Procedural Status

  • Received: March 24, 2025
  • Assigned: March 26, 2025
  • To Senate: May 5, 2025
  • Introduced (in the legislative actions list): May 8, 2025
  • Current status: Introduced (as of the provided information). The bill would need to progress through committee review and passage by both chambers (and be signed into law by the Governor) to become law.

Fiscal and Administrative Considerations

  • No dollar amounts or funding mechanisms are provided in the available material.
  • The establishment and management of a 30-acre orchard would entail initial capital costs (land development, planting, irrigation, infrastructure) and ongoing operating expenses (staffing, maintenance, harvest, processing/marketing). Funding sources and budgeting details would be addressed in the act’s provisions or subsequent appropriations.

Questions for Further Clarification

  • What are the specific management duties, governance structure, and reporting requirements for the orchard?
  • What funding is authorized or anticipated for establishment and maintenance, and what are the sources (general fund, special appropriations, federal programs)?
  • Are there partnered entities (private, academic, nonprofit) or leasing arrangements contemplated?
  • What crops will be planted, production targets, and expected economic impact (jobs, revenue, spillover to local markets)?

This summary presents the essential information available. If you have access to the full text of the proposed Chapter 16, I can provide a more detailed provisions-level analysis.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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