E.A.S.T. seeks to help citizens to “take back” restricted beaches

Sunsi Beach is a small intimate strip of sand located on the North Eastern side of St. Thomas in the Tabor and Harmony neighborhood. For many years the local inhabitants of the island, mainly residents of Tabor and Harmony and resident of the surrounding neighborhoods used and maintained this beach. In early 2004 land containing the trail used to access this beach was gated off by the new property owners. The barrier erected to keep local from accessing the trail leading to the beach was a welded steel frame fence toped with razor wire that was guarded around the clock by an armed security guard.

On September 25, 2004, the Environmental Association of St. Thomas and St. John (E.A.S.T.) held a beach rally to bring public attention and support to this issue. The topic of beach access has always been an issue in the territory. Issues of resident being denied access to long time accessible beaches can be traced back to the early fifties. The local government agency that was tasked with protecting the rights of the local people to continue to access these beachfront properties failed to do so. This law provided public access from the shoreline to the high water mark. However, the law made no provision for landward access. As a result, residents who have historically accessed beachfront properties by land were being prevented from using historically identifiable land access routes.

Realizing that the rights of residents who have historically used land routes to access beaches and the public right to access our beaches may be infringed upon, E.A.S.T. has embarked on an extensive campaign to identify residents who have used land access routes for 15 or more years to access Sunsi Beach.

If you are or know of a person(s) who has accessed Sunsi Beach from land for 15 or more years, click here and complete the affadavit. Only with your help, can E.A.S.T. continue to advocate for environmental justice in the Virgin Islands. Please make sure you have your signed affadavit NOTARIZED. For more information, contact Dalma Simon at 774-1837.

Underwater life at Sunsi Bay.