Delegate Donna M. Christian-Christensen commended four agencies on their receipt of federal funds to improve services and programs to the Virgin Islands community.
      The St. Croix Foundation, Inc. has been approved for a grant of $50,000 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Rural Development to renovate a building in downtown Christiansted into offices for promoting private sector investment in St. Croix.
      The Virgin Islands Port Authority was awarded $7,933,379 by the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve the taxiways at the Cyril E. King Airport. The project is required to maintain the continuity and safety of airport operations along runway 10/28 and will be phased through 2003.
      The Virgin Islands Planning and Natural Resources was awarded $36,972 from the U.S. Department of Commerce to collect manage and disseminate fishery-independent data on the marine resources and their environment within the territorial sea and exclusive econimc zone contiguous to Puerto Rico and the V.I.
      The Police Department was awarded $45,361 by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice Programs, for its Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program. The funding will be used to purchase 341 armored vests for law enforcement officers.
      "I want to commend these agencies for their diligence in seeking external funding to maintain and improve their programs for the community," Delegate Christensen said. "It is especially important at this time that we take a proactive stance in researching available grants and other sources of funding to continue providing quality services during these difficult economic times. I strongly encourage all qualified agencies in the territory to apply for available grants to aid in their plans for development.