The British Virgin Islands National Parks Trust was established in July of 1961 by the Government of the BVI to preserve the natural beauty and historic features of the territory.
semi-government organization. This means that it is operated by a Board of Directors appointed by Government; and it receives an annual subvention from Government through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour, which it works in close collaboration with.
Over the years the National Parks Trust has grown from a purely voluntary organization to one that is now a professionally-staffed operation with a complement of 27 employees. Its responsibilities have also substantially increased from managing one National Park (Sage Mountain) in 1964, to managing 18 National Parks today.
For management purposes, the Parks System is divided into East and West regions and are managed by Programme Coordinators and Park Wardens.
Currently, the total area of land and sea managed by the Trust is 1818.4 acres. Mr. Joseph Reynolds O'Neal, affectionately called J.R. O'Neal, is the founder and was the first Chairman of the National Parks Trust for 30 years.
The National Parks Trust is located at #61 Main St. Road Town, Tortola.