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Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) and U.S. Representative Luis G. Fortuño (R-PR) today introduced the Caribbean National Forest Preservation Act of 2005 – a bill to protect the integrity of the area surrounding the Caribbean National Forest in Puerto Rico. The measure is geared to stop the damage that urban development is causing on the periphery of the forest.
Currently, the Caribbean National Forest (CNF), also known as “El Yunque” is the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. Forest Service System and by far the friendliest and most accessible in the world. It ranks first among all national forests in the number of species of native trees. The bill would allow the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire land adjacent to the boundaries of the forest with funds generated from the Caribbean National Forest.
“The green belt that was supposed to protect the forest is rapidly disappearing. We need to halt the destruction of this valuable ecosystem,” said Senator Martinez.
According to reports from the Forest Service, the urbanization of areas around the forest has a direct effect on the ability of the CNF to sustain the animal life. Also, temperatures around the urbanized areas tend to be higher than forest land contributing to the reduction of rain and altering the balance of water.
The Special Zoning Rule adopted since 1983 by the Puerto Rico Planning Board is failing because of lack of will to enforce it by the Government of Puerto Rico. “As a consequence development around the forest continues to threaten the biodiversity and the balance of the ecosystem of the forest,” said Fortuño. “Due to the inaction of the local government it is necessary that Congress create a mechanism to protect this national treasure.”
The potential tracks of land for acquisition in the buffer zone of the forest have already been identified and prioritized in a ten-year acquisition plan that is included in the land and resource management for the Caribbean National Forest.
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