National Parks director rules out sale of The Baths

The director of the National Parks Trust has firmly denied that The Baths or any other national park in the BVI is for sale, addressing public concern about the future of the territory's protected sites.

Dr Cassander Titley-O'Neal made the statement in a video posted on the Trust's Facebook page on September 27. "None of our national parks are for sale. They never have been, and they never will be," she said.

The reassurance comes after a proposal emerged that would have granted private operators exclusive access to The Baths and Devil's Bay during specified periods. Virgin Gorda residents objected to the arrangement, fearing it would exclude the public from the parks at those times. Deputy Premier Julian Fraser, who oversees the Trust, subsequently instructed the board to pause any agreement pending a full government review.

Titley-O'Neal did not address the exclusive access proposal in her video. Instead, she emphasised the Trust's role in protecting the parks and outlined its broader work across the territory. The Trust manages 22 national parks, she noted, including sites of cultural and historical significance.

The Baths became a national park in 1992 following a compulsory acquisition process that began in 1987, Titley-O'Neal explained. She stressed that while The Baths is well-known, it represents only part of the Trust's conservation and research mandate across the BVI.

The director invited residents to follow the Trust's Facebook page for weekly updates and said the public would have opportunities to learn more about its work later in the year.