Forest Service Invites the Public to Discussions on the Current Status of El Yunque National Forest

The U.S. Forest Service will hold three public meetings in August to present the status of El Yunque National Forest and address access, recreational infrastructure, and financial sustainability challenges.

During the collaborative meetings, solutions and opportunities will be explored to enable greater access and sustainable recreational use of this asset, which is vital to the Eastern Region's economy and its communities. 

“Public participation has always been a priority for El Yunque National Forest's leadership. The 2019 Forest Management Plan, of which we are proud to be a model of co-management, is the result of this type of interaction with our communities. We look forward to having the public back in these discussions on the forest's status and challenges,” said Forest Supervisor Keenan Adams.

"Over the next few years, we expect to have completed the revitalization of nearly all of our major recreational infrastructure, and now, one of our biggest challenges is to ensure the maintenance of this infrastructure to support our visitor economy, while looking for alternatives that will help maximize access to the forest and put it on a financially sustainable path," he added.

The meetings will be held on Saturday, August 17, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., at Complejo Deportivo Capital del Sol, in Luquillo; on Wednesday, August 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., through a virtual session; and on Wednesday, August 28, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at El Portal de El Yunque visitor center. The content of each meeting will be the same, however, different sessions will be held to provide participation options to suit the various audiences and stakeholders.

In this initiative, the Forest Service has the support of the organization Foundation for Puerto Rico (FPR), which, for the past several months, has been working hand-in-hand with the agency, other nonprofit and community-based organizations in the Eastern Region, as well as state and federal government entities, to support the Forest Management Plan's implementation and help develop new options to improve access to the forest reserve.

“We are calling on the community, and any citizen who wants to be part of this discussion, to join these meetings that are intended to foster collaboration between sectors and establish participatory processes in the search of solutions for the forest,” said Anneliz Oliver, program manager at FPR.

To access the meeting schedule and register, interested parties should go to https://bit.ly/Eastern-Region.