The Annaberg Sugar Plantation ruins on St. John, a historic site that reflects the preservation efforts supported by the extended $10 million federal grant for property rehabilitation.
Governor Albert Bryan hailed the recent extension of federal funding for the U.S. Virgin Islands State Historic Preservation Fund as a crucial step in preserving the territory’s cultural heritage. “By signing this piece of legislation, President Biden has delivered a gift to the U.S. Virgin Islands and is bolstering the rehabilitation of some of the Territory’s most historic, storm-damaged properties,” Governor Bryan said Friday in a statement.
The announcement from Government House followed President Joe Biden's signing of H.R. 9747, part of the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act 2025. This legislation ensures that federal funding continues for jurisdictions impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. The local VI State Historic Preservation Office, under the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, initially received a grant of over $10 million in 2020, which was set to expire at the end of FY 2024.
With the passage of H.R. 9747, the funding has now been extended until December 30, 2026.
Thus far, DPNR has awarded over $4 million to subgrantees for historic recovery projects, advancing funds to begin construction for some, while reimbursing other subgrantees for expenses on approved hurricane repairs completed after 2017.
“This extension will allow for an additional $3 million to be expended on the recovery,” the Government House announcement anticipates.
