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Washington D.C.- Puerto Rico Congressman Luis G. Fortuño introduced today a bill to conserve the karst region in Puerto Rico. The bill authorizes the acquisition and management of land in the region for conservation and recreation purposes. This region extends from the municipality of Aguadilla to the municipality of Loiza and is a recharge area for a large portion of the aquifers in the northern part of the island, which provide drinking water to almost a fourth of Puerto Rico’s population.
“This bill focuses on establishing the protection of aquifers and the promotion of partnerships among federal and state governments, community organizations and the private sector to preserve this natural treasure as federal public policy,” Fortuño said.
“The preservation of the karst as public policy is a first step in this environmental conservation effort. This way, we can facilitate the legislative process to get final Congressional approval,” Fortuño added. “The second step will be to get funds to facilitate the acquisition of land that must be protected. This effort must be spurred by partnerships developed among the private sector, community organizations, and the state and federal governments.”
The protection of the karst region is vital to secure our water supplies, the protection of more than 220 bird species and 34 threatened or endangered wildlife species, and the preservation of Encantado River, which is the longest subterranean and navigable river in the world.
“I also hope that Puerto Ricans can enjoy the beauty that exists in the area without putting its ecological balance at risk. That is why this bill extends to recreation the limited use of this land. I’m extremely thankful for the help from the Ciudadanos del Karso (CDK) and the U.S. Forest Service have provided to me while drafting this bill. I hope to continue working closely with them to get final approval,” Fortuño added.
The law will make it the policy of the federal government to conserve the karst region in Puerto Rico. Similar legislation was introduced for the first time in 2000 by then-Resident Commissioner Carlos Romero Barceló.
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