The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced today the award of 1.5 million dollars to the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) of Puerto Rico to help with the acquisition of lands that are part of the Northeast Ecological Corridor. The funds come from a land acquisition fund for the recovery of threatened and endangered species under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act. The competitive proposal submitted by the Puerto Rico DNER ranked the highest in the Southeast Region.
Puerto Rico DNER will use these funds to help Trust for Public Lands (TPL), a non-profit organization, administer funds for the acquisition of properties along the corridor. TPL is currently working with other organizations to secure all the necessary funds.
The area proposed for acquisition is home to valuable natural resources. The beach within the property is the most important beach for leatherbacks and provides nesting habitat for other sea turtles as well. Estuarine, river, and mangrove forested wetlands lie within the site.
The USFWS has consistently recommended that the dunes, wetlands, and coastal forests included in the proposed acquisition area be maintained in conservation use.
The approved funds for acquisition come from a competitive grant program. Additionally, the Puerto Rico DNER receives other annual funds from the USFWS for the management of their endangered species program benefiting species such as the Puerto Rican parrot, the yellow-shouldered blackbird, the Mona iguana, and sea turtles throughout Puerto Rico.
For more information please see the U.S. Fish and Wildlife national announcement at:
