UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE Southeast Regional Office 263 13th Avenue South S L 337O1m ( FAX http: sero.nrn s.noaa.gov MAY 4 2007 Mr. Sindulfo Castillo Chief, Antilles Regulatory Section Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers 400 Fernandez Juncos Avenue San Juan, PR 00901-3299 Dear Mr. Castillo: F/SER31:LC The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently received a copy of the application materials for the Certification of Consistency with the Coastal Zone Management Program (CZMP), reference number CZT-12-06(L), dated April 4, 2007, from the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources. Mr. Christian Kjaer proposes the construction of the Great St. James Subdivision. The project is located in Parcel Nos. A-1, A-2, A-Remainder, B-1-1, B-1-2, B-1 Remainder, C-1-1, C-1-2, C-1 Remainder, C-2-1, C-2-2, and C-2 Remainder, Estate Great St. James Island, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Based on our review of the information in the CZMP permit application and the participation of a NMFS' biologist on December 12, 2005, in a site inspection to look at the existing dock in Shallow Bay, Great St. James, and proposed barge landing in Christmas Cove to facilitate subdivision construction, the area contains dense seagrass beds, colonized hardbottom, and rock reef densely colonized by coral. Threatened elkhom and staghorn corals are present in several areas around the island of Great St. James. The seagrass beds in the project area serve as foraging habitat for threatened green sea turtles. The reefs and colonized hardbottoms serve as foraging and refuge habitat for endangered hawksbill sea turtles. There are also sea turtle nesting beaches on the island, including within the boundaries of several of the subdivision lots. The information contained in the Environmental Assessment (EA) indicates that the applicant is only seeki