State and Federal Efforts are Combined for the Loss of the Cabo Rojo Salt Flats

Press Release

In order to preserve the salt flats located in the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, the resident commissioner, Jenniffer González Colón, invited the director of the Southeast Region of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service , Leopoldo Miranda Castro, together with the president of the Federal, International, State and Veteran Relations Commission, Kebin Maldonado Martiz, carry out a visual inspection, discuss the current status of the facility and seek financing alternatives.

Also on the visit were the mayor of Cabo Rojo Jorge Morales, the president of the House of Representatives Rafael "Tatito" Hernández; the former president of the Chamber Carlos "Johnny" Méndez, the representatives José "Quiquito" Meléndez, José "Che" Pérez; and the Undersecretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, Anaís Rodríguez.

The Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is under the administration of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with land deeded by the Central Agency Intelligence (CIA) and acquired from private owners. The NWR is the area considered the most important stopover for migratory birds in the entire Eastern Caribbean, as well as being a valuable place for tourism, the economy and outdoor recreation on the southwest coast. The Cabo Rojo NWR contains three distinct habitats: mangrove forest, dry forest, and hypersaline lagoons.

"Sea level rise and the loss of barriers such as sand dunes have resulted in additional water entering salt lagoons, threatening their ecological integrity by impacting both habitat and the potential for salt harvesting dating back to of 1511. From Congress, he questioned the plans of the federal agency for the destruction of the entire Refuge in addition to supporting the financing of programs that could have an impact on the complex. In conversations with representative Maldonado, we agreed to join efforts to ensure that this important asset of the saline lagoons can be preserved", explained González Colón.

The Visitors Center suffered damage as a result of the 2020 earthquakes. Therefore, the structure was demolished to make way for a new center at a cost of $9 million; they have so far secured $5,237,000 in Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for fiscal year 2022.

During the inspection, possible sources of financing were discussed, such as the USFWS Coastal Program, which has already helped finance over 217 projects in Puerto Rico; USFWS Migratory Bird Program; USFWS Coastal Wetlands Conservation Program; USFWS Fish and Wildlife Partners Program; the Corps of Engineers; and the Great American Outdoors Act (Public Law 116-152).

This latest law, the GAOA, seeks to address the national buildup of deferred maintenance on federal public lands. González Colón has advocated for the need to address this situation in Puerto Rico, including the National Wildlife Refuges, given their importance to the economy of tourism and outdoor recreation on the Island. As a member of the Natural Resources Committee of the The House of Representatives of the United States, the resident commissioner, was co-author of previous versions of this law and seeks to include Puerto Rico in the next suggestions of federal agencies to receive this law.

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