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Chaliese Summers, Managing Member, The Summer’s End Group, LLC csummers@summersendvi.com August 28, 2025 Hon. Senator Milton Potter Senate President Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands Capitol Building, Charlotte Amalie P.O. Box 1690 St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 00804 Re: Summers End, St. John Marina status update Good afternoon, Senator Potter, members of the Legislature, staff and my fellow Virgin Islanders in attendance today. Please accept this letter as my written testimony before the Committee of the Whole meeting Scheduled for August 28, 2025. It is an honor to be invited to testify before the Committee regarding the request for 2- year extension and reduction of the environmental impacts of the Consolidated Major Coastal Zone Management Permit Nos. CZJ-04-14(W) and CZJ-03-14(L) for the continued development of the Summers End, St. John Marina destination development on the island of St. John. On behalf of my partners, and myself, as the owners of The Summer’s End Group, LLC, we want to express our greatest appreciation for your support, time and consideration of the St. John Marina. Summer’s End is the developer and owner of the St. John Marina project. Summer’s End is a coalescence of generational St. Johnian families comprising local landowners, local business owners, residents on St. John, myself and Rick Barksdale who have lived on St. John for over 18 years now, and investors from both South Florida and Louisiana. For more than a decade when members of the Virgin Islands Legislature saw me sitting before you, always next to me was the late Mr. Robert O’Connor Jr. While you do not see him here today, I bring him resolutely in spirit, dedication, vision, commitment and voice. Sharing his words from his previous testimony before the legislature, “Like many St. Johnians of my generation, we have held a vision for St. John and Coral Bay to again be what it once was, a thriving marine community that offered opportunity to local families limited only by their imagination. I continue to stand with and for local St. John families who don’t want to be run off of the island due to a lack of, sustainable development. I am standing for change! Change of the current conditions of “land rich and cash poor”. How do we stop our kids and our families from leaving? How do we keep our schools open on St. John? How do we save our dying culture? The St. John Marina development begins to answer those questions. We must act now to have something for St. John.” Bob O’Conner Inspired by the late Mr. O’Conner, Summers End is resolved to the empowerment of local St. Johnians and their culture and seeing that through operations the St. John Marina contributes to career and entrepreneurial opportunities, provides substantial economic impacts for St. John and all of the USVI, empowers native St. Johnians, restores and protects the environment, establishes a safe, clean, beautiful community and town where everyone can enjoy a safe and clean harbor, and beautiful shoreline. Status of the project: • Completion of Major Coastal Zone Management Land and Water Permits • Approval of Submerged Lands Lease • Board of Land Use Appeals 2016 unanimous affirmative determination • Consolidation of Major Coastal Zone Management Land and Water Permits • Modification for a Consolidated Coastal Zone Management Permit • Act No. 8407 ratifying the Consolidated Major Coastal Zone Permits and submerged lands lease • Legislature approved Modification to this same permit from the Governor of the USVI. • 2nd Board of Land Use Appeals 2021 unanimous affirmative determination • Save Coral Bay files lawsuit in Superior Court against Governor Bryan and Summers End - 2020 • Superior Court Dismisses lawsuit in favor of Governor Bryan and Summers End - 2021 • Save Coral Bay files lawsuit in U.S. Supreme Court against Governor Bryan and Summers End - 2021 • U.S. Supreme Court denial of lawsuit • United States Fish &Wildlife concurrence / approval • United States Coast Guard approval • Section 106 Historic Preservation Completion / Approval 2024 • United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) downgrade of consultation with National Marina Fishers Service, (NMFS) Protected Resource Division (PRD)from “formal consultation” to “informal consultation” 2024 • NMFS has provided recommended permit conditions and SE has accepted those conditions to be included in the USACE permit 2024 • USACE request initiation of expedited informal consultation under section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the Summer’s end Group, LLC. – October 5, 2024 • USACE request initiation of expedited informal consultation under section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the Summer’s end Group, LLC. – August 11, 2025 • USACE is working through final stages of the review process with NMFS and EPA • Decision document is currently being drafted for the permit • EPA email update on current status and coordinated efforts to resolve concerns raised in the EPA August 15, 2024 letter Summers End has accomplished a tremendous amount of success through dedication, exhaustive efforts, millions of dollars spent on legal challenges all of which ruled in favor of the project and extensive environmental studies to satisfy the territorial DPNR, CZM, USACE, EPA, NOAA, NMFS, USFWS, Historical Preservation{, etc….. } To date, Summers End has invested over $11M into this project for St. John and the USVI. This project will be funded with a total private investment at this time of $130M. Features & Amenities • 115 wet slip marina • Local fish and farmer’s market • Wastewater pump out, solid and hazardous waste (5 methods) o In-slip pump out o Pump out station o On demand pump out vessel o Solid & hazardous waste disposal o State of the art sewage treatment systems for upland development • Customs and Border Protection • Slips for enforcement vessels: DPNR, Fish & Wildlife, National Park, Coast Guard, & other agencies The St. John Marina will provide opportunities for mentorship, internship, scholarship and post- secondary education. The best promotion that we have in the USVI is providing 5-star services to a global market. To truly be a world class destination, the workforce development includes plans for ongoing training and vocational education for native St. Johnians. Reduction to Environmental Impact before you today Summers End has initiated nearly $5M of comprehensive scientific analyses and engineering indicating that the St. John Marina will be an overall net improvement to the environment. Through our efforts working with the U.S. Army of Corps of Engineers USACE, NOAA, EPA, DPNR, and the St. John Coastal Zone Management Committee, Summers End has significantly minimized project impacts. Including a few reductions listed below: St. John Marina Benefits / Features/ Impacts Environmental Benefits • Increased enforcement • No dredging • $5 million mitigation plan • Infrastructure, pump-out facility and waste disposal • Eliminate illegal wastewater dumping in harbor • Organize harbor, reduce non-compliant boating • EPA approved fueling • Sediment reduction from hillside development • Protection of reef systems • Donation to turtle research • Planting of 300 mangroves for habitat restoration along the shoreline • Mangrove restoration and enhancement • Enhancement of .77 acres (33,350sf) of existing mangrove wetlands • Creation of 1 acre (43,560sf) of mangrove fringe creation and mangrove islands • Out planting of 3,000 ESA corals into 1.84 acres • Protection of 16 acres of submerged aquatic vegetation • Safe navigation of harbor • Conduct clean-up of debris from seabed in the Coral Harbor Community Benefits • Boardwalk along water’s edge • Clean and organized harbor • Shoreline access • Improved roadway, sidewalks, raised cross walks, landscape, hardscape • Mentorship, internship and scholarship opportunities • Increased public safety • Preserve local culture • Restaurants & retail • Emergency Site These are the components that we are looking forward to bringing to the island of St. John and her people. We appreciate your spending the time to study and recognize the benefits and components of this project and its significance for local families that have been deprived of a having a marina for decades. Despite the dream and fight of native St. Johnians for more than 40 years trying to bring a marina to St. John, today, there is not one slip on St. John.... not one!! We are here to change that and capture the economic activity from the recreational boating industry that St. John has missed out on for far too long! We are asking for the Legislature’s commitment to sustainable economic development, and private investment of $130M for the island of St. John and the territory of the USVI by granting the two year extension to advance the project so we can bring to St. John and the Virgin Islands the first marina ever for the island of St. John and let the world know that USVI is supportive of sustainable economic development and investment and will continue working with private investment that focuses on the empowerment of Native Virgin Islanders! In honor of the late Bob O’Conner, we stand before you now representing his commitment to all Virgin Islanders, asking for the Legislature’s support for this sustainable economic project, and private investment of this $130M for the island of St. John and the territory of the USVI by granting a two year extension to advance the project and bring to St. John and the Virgin Islands the first marina ever for the island of St. John, 115 slips for St. John! The world is watching this project. The global recreational boat and yachting industry is watching this project and waiting with bated breath to experience St. John and the USVI through this sustainable legacy development that offers friendly access to boaters for the first time ever. Your support for this project will let the world know that the USVI is supportive of sustainable economic development and investment and will continue working with private investment that focuses on the empowerment of native Virgin Islanders! We thank you all for your time today and we look forward to seeing you all at the St. John Marina very soon. Thank you, Senator Potter, Chaliese N. Summers, Member Manager The Summer’s End Group, LLC The St. John Marina