Puerto Rico state forests (Spanish: Bosques estatales de Puerto Rico), sometimes referred to as Puerto Rico Commonwealth forests in English, [1] [2] are protected forest reserves managed by the government of Puerto Rico, particularly by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. In addition to their function as protected forest reserves, many of the forests are analogous to state parks in other states and territories of the United States, as they also function as management units that cater to recreational, educational and cultural activities. [3] [4] Additionally, state forests in Puerto Rico can contain units with additional protection designations within their boundaries, as is the case of La Parguera Natural Reserve within Boquerón State Forest, [5] for example. There are currently 20 units in the Puerto Rico state forest system. [6]
The first protected forests in Puerto Rico were designated not for their ecological value but for their industrial timber utility in the form of Spanish Crown Lands under the Inspección de Montes, the equivalent of the Spanish Colonial Forest service. El Yunque, for example, was the first forested area to receive this designation in Puerto Rico. [7]
Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War in 1898 and, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt set aside these former timberlands to proclaim the Luquillo Forest Reserve, the first ecologically protected area in the island. [8] Meanwhile, on the state level, colonial governor Arthur Yager set aside mangrove forests along the coasts of Puerto Rico for their ecological value between 1918 and 1919: Aguirre, [9] Boquerón, [10] Ceiba, [11] and Guánica. [12] The latter had its boundaries extended in order to protect a large tract of dry forest, a type of ecosystem that used to be common in the Caribbean but had now almost completely disappeared. [13] These became the first state or territorial-level protected forests in the island and, in December 1919, ownership of the federally protected forest tract in the westernmost portion of the Cordillera Central passed to the territorial government, making the Maricao Forest the first woodland to receive this designation. [14]
By 1935 all the newly protected woodlands of Puerto Rico under were consolidated as part of the Caribbean National Forest, which was then divided into the areas of the Sierra de Luquillo (El Yunque) and the Cordillera Central (Guilarte and Toro Negro). [14] [15] In addition to their natural resources these areas were also managed as tourist attractions, something that is evident in the territory-wide construction projects of visitor infrastructure by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s Roosevelt presidency. Many of these structures and buildings today possess historical and architectural value, and some are listed in the National Register of Historic Places as New Deal Era Constructions in the Forest Reserves of Puerto Rico (1933-1942). [16] [17] A notable example of these is the Santa Ana Observation Tower, popularly called La Torre de Piedra. [18] It was during this time that the ownership of the western portions of the Caribbean National Forest passed to the territorial government, creating Toro Negro in 1934 and Guilarte, which was separated from the latter, in 1935. [19] [20] In the following decades, previously designated natural reserves such as Carite, Guajataca and Rio Abajo were given the additional designation of state forest. Several of the forest, such as Bosque del Pueblo , San Patricio and Monte Choca, have gained their protected designation thanks to the actions of grassroots movements and local community actions. [21] [22]
The following are Puerto Rico state forests. [note 1]
No. | State Forest | Image | Municipalities | Est. | Area (acres) | Area Ref | Description (and Facilities) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aguirre | Guayama and Santa Isabel | 1918 | 2,390 | [23] | Mangrove forest includes the Punta Petrona Natural Reserve, a number of offshore keys and portions of the former Central Aguirre. [9] Borders the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Reserve in Salinas. (B, F, G, K, O) | |
2 | Boquerón | Cabo Rojo and Lajas | 1918 | 4,630 | [24] | Subtropical dry and mangrove forests, incl. the Finca Belvedere, Cayo Ratones, Joyuda Lagoon and La Parguera natural reserves, the Iris Alameda Wildlife Refuge, and the Cabo Rojo National Natural Landmark. [10] Borders the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge. (G, H, K, O, P, R, S, W) | |
3 | Cambalache | Arecibo and Barceloneta | 1973 | 1,019 | [25] | Subtropical moist forest and mogotes (karstic hills) in the Northern Puerto Rico karst, portions also designated a natural reserve. Small section is open to the public. [26] (C, G, H, O, P, W) | |
4 | Carite | Caguas, Cayey, Guayama, Patillas and San Lorenzo | 1975 | 6,499 | [27] | Subtropical moist forest of the Sierra de Cayey, centered around the Cerro La Santa massif. Incl. the Jorge Sotomayor del Toro Protected Natural Area, and the Guavate and Charco Azul recreational areas. (C, G, H, O, P, S, W) [28] | |
5 | Ceiba | Ceiba and Fajardo | 1918 | 352 | [29] | Mangrove forest, incl. the Medio Mundo and Daguao Protected Natural Area and the Ensenada Honda area. Bordered by Roosevelt Roads. [11] (B, F, G, K, O, P, S) | |
6 | Cerrillos | Ponce | 1996 | 194 | [30] | Subtropical moist forest in the Cordillera Central foothills, surrounds Lake Cerrillos. (B, F, G, H, K, O, P, R, W) [31] | |
7 | del Pueblo | Adjuntas | 1995 | 737 | [32] | Subtropical moist forest in the Cordillera Central. Important migratory passerine bird area. Officially one of the 20 state forests owned by the DRNA but this one is locally managed by the Taller de Arte y Cultura community-based group at Casa Pueblo. [33] (C, G, H, O, P, S, W) [33] | |
8 | Guajataca | Isabela | 1943 | 2,286 | [34] | Subtropical moist forest and mogotes (karstic hills) in the Northern Puerto Rico karst, home to numerous caves, canyons and sinkholes. [35] (C, G, H, O, P, W) | |
9 | Guánica | Guánica, Guayanilla, Yauco, Peñuelas and Ponce [36] [37] | 1919 | 10,670 | [36] [37] | Largest protected tract of dry forest in the Caribbean, [13] also mangrove forests; home to endangered and endemic species (i.e. Puerto Rican crested toad). Incl. Punta Ballenas Natural Reserve and the Caña Gorda Cays. [12] Designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. [38] (G, H, K, O, P, R, S, W) | |
10 | Guilarte | Adjuntas, Peñuelas and Yauco | 1935 | 4,822 | [39] | Subtropical moist forest of the Cordillera Central, centered around Monte Guilarte. High density of endemic species, it is the last home of the rare and endangered Monte Guilarte hollyfern. [40] (G, H, O, W) | |
11 | Los Tres Picachos | Ciales and Jayuya [41] | 1999 | 2,289 | [42] | Subtropical moist forest of the Cordillera Central, centered around Los Tres Picachos. Important geological transition zone between the karst and cordillera geographical regions. [43] (H, O, W) [44] | |
12 | Maricao | Maricao, Sabana Grande, San Germán | 1919 | 10,478 | [45] | Second largest rainforest in the island after El Yunque National Forest. Centered around the Santa Ana Peak, also known as Monte del Estado. Incl. Monte del Estado ecological park and recreational areas, waterfalls and charcos, and the Maricao Fish Hatchery. [46] [14] (C, G, H, O, P, S, W) | |
13 | Monte Choca | Corozal [47] | 2003 | 238 | [48] | Tropical moist forest. Officially one of the 20 state forests owned by the DRNA but this one is locally managed by the Civic and Cultural Recreational Club of Palos Blancos. [49] (G, H, O, R, W) | |
14 | Nuevo Milenio | San Juan | 1998 | 388 | [50] | Urban secondary forest. Research forest used to study the effects of hurricanes on tropical forests. Part of the Northern Puerto Rico karst and the San Juan Ecological Corridor. [51] Bordered by the University of Puerto Rico Botanical Garden. (R) | |
15 | Piñones | Carolina and Loiza [52] | 1975 | 1,515 | [52] | Largest state-managed mangrove forest. Also, home to a subtropical forest, lagoons, sand dunes and marine ecosystems. Last home of the rare and endangered araña tree. [53] (C, G, K, O, P, R, S, W) | |
16 | Rio Abajo | Arecibo and Utuado | 1943 | 5,607 | [54] | Subtropical moist forest and mogotes (karstic hills) in the Northern Puerto Rico karst, home to numerous caves and sinkholes. [55] Critical Puerto Rican parrot reintroduction area. [56] Designated a National Natural Landmark since 1980. [57] (G, H, O, R, W) | |
17 | San Patricio | San Juan [58] | 2000 | 68 | [59] | Urban secondary forest centered around the Mogote de San Patricio. Research forest used to study reforestation in urban areas. Part of the Northern Puerto Rico karst. [60] (G, O, R, W) | |
18 | Susúa | Sabana Grande and Yauco | 1935 | 3,241 | [61] | Important transition zone between the tropical dry forest and the tropical rainforest in the foothills of the Cordillera Central. Home to the endangered Puerto Rican nightjar. [62] (G, H, O, P, R, W) | |
19 | Toro Negro | Ciales, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Orocovis and Ponce [63] | 1934 | 7,968 | [64] | Subtropical moist forest centered around the Toro Negro massif of the Cordillera Central that contains the highest peaks in Puerto Rico, including Cerro de Punta. [65] Incl. protected natural reserves and recreational areas. (B, C, F, G, H, K, O, P, S, W) [66] | |
20 | Vega | Vega Alta and Vega Baja [67] | 1975 | 1,150 | [67] | Subtropical moist forest and mogotes (karstic hills) in the Northern Puerto Rico karst. Only a small section is open to the public. [68] (G, O, R, W) | |
Key:
B = Boating
C = Camping
F = Fishing
G = Photography
H = Hiking
K = Kayaking
O = Nature Observation
P = Picnicking
R = Scientific Research
S = Swimming
W = Bird Watching
The Cordillera Central, is the main mountain range in Puerto Rico. The range crosses the island from west to east and divides it into its northern and southern coastal plains. The Cordillera Central runs eastward from the municipality of Maricao in the west to Aibonito in the central eastern region, and on to the Caribbean in the southeast through the Sierra Cayey.
Tres Picachos is one of the highest peaks in Puerto Rico at 968 meters (3,176 ft). It is located on the border between the municipalities of Ciales and Jayuya in the central part of the island, and is part of the Cordillera Central.
The Guánica State Forest, popularly known as the Guánica Dry Forest is a subtropical dry forest located in southwest Puerto Rico. The area was designated as a forest reserve in 1919 and a United Nations Biosphere Reserve in 1981. It is considered the best preserved subtropical dry forest and the best example of dry forest in the Caribbean.
Maricao State Forest is a state forest located in the eastern Cordillera Central mountains of Puerto Rico. It is commonly known as Monte del Estado due to the fact that it was one of the first forest reserves in Puerto Rico to be designated a state forest in its official name. With an area of 10,803 acres (43.72 km2), the Maricao State Forest is the largest of the 20 forestry units of the Puerto Rico state forest system.
The Aguirre State Forest is a 2,393-acre (9.68 km2) nature reserve on the south coast of Puerto Rico and one of the commonwealth's 20 state forests. It mainly consists of mangroves and floodplain forests, and it borders the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Aguirre State Forest is owned and administered by Puerto Rico. It was established in 1918 by Puerto Rico governor Arthur Yager to protect the mangrove forests areas between the municipalities of Guayama and Santa Isabel.
Cambalache State Forest and Reserve is a nature reserve and one of the 20 state forests in the territory of Puerto Rico. The Cambalache State Forest is located in the municipalities of Arecibo and Barceloneta in northern Puerto Rico.
Morrillito is a small uninhabited island off the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The island is protected by the Reserva Natural Caja de Muertos natural reserve because of its native turtle traffic. Together with Caja de Muertos, Gatas, Ratones, Cardona, Isla del Frio, and Isla de Jueyes, Morrillito is one of seven islands ascribed to the municipality of Ponce.
Cerrillos State Forest is one of the 21 state forests in Puerto Rico. It is located in barrio Maragüez, in the municipality of Ponce, and covers 200 cuerdas of valleys and mountains in the foothills of the Cordillera Central mountain range. The forest has several trails, observation areas, several picnic areas, complete with gazeebos and a man-made reservoir, Lake Cerrillos and the Lake Cerrillos dam.
Reserva Natural Punta Cucharas is a nature reserve in Barrio Canas, Ponce, Puerto Rico. It consists of both a land area component as well as an offshore marine area. The land component has an area of 698 cuerdas while the marine component has an expanse of 3,516 cuerdas, for a total area of 4,214 cuerdas. The Reserve consists of mangrove ecosystems, coastal sand dunes, a saline lagoon known as Laguna Las Salinas, open water, and a century-old local community. The lagoon occupies and area of 347,898 m2 Ecological protection is managed and enforced by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Eight activities are allowed at the Reserve: scuba diving, boating, fishing, hiking, sun bathing, photography, bird watching and canoeing. Activities prohibited are: Camping, crabbing/trapping, horseback riding, water crafting, and hunting. Pets, ATVs, and fireplaces are also prohibited.
Guilarte State Forest is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forests system in Puerto Rico. The forest is located in the eastern half of the Central Mountain Range or Cordillera Central. The main geographical feature of the forest reserve is Monte Guilarte, which is Puerto Rico's 7th highest mountain at 3,950 feet above sea level. While Monte Guilarte is located in the municipality of Adjuntas, the forest's borders also include parts of Guayanilla, Peñuelas and Yauco.
Nuevo Milenio State Forest is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. The forest is located east of the University of Puerto Rico Botanical Garden in the Sabana Llana Sur district of San Juan, making it one of the two state forests located within the capital's municipal boundaries.
Guajataca State Forest is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. The Guajataca Forest is located in the northwestern part of Puerto Rico, along the Northern Karst zone in the municipality of Isabela and municipality of Quebradillas, and is near Camuy and San Sebastián. The forest is renowned for its ecological diversity, the mogotes and karstic formations, and its numerous caves and canyons. It also has the largest trail system of any Puerto Rican state forest.
Bosque del Pueblo is one of the 20 forest units that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. The 738-acres forest is located in the municipality of Adjuntas and it comprises a preserved zone which was endangered of being developed as a quarry between the years 1980 and 1995. The forest is located in lands shared by the Adjuntas barrios or districts of Vegas Arriba, Vegas Abajo and Pellejas de Adjuntas. In addition to preserving the forest, the reserve is important to the preservation of the hydrological basins of the Pellejas and Viví Rivers, and many of the tributaries of the Arecibo River have their sources in the forest lands. The forest also functions as an ecological corridor between the Guilarte, Río Abajo and Toro Negro Forests.
Susúa State Forest is one of the 20 forest units that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. This forest is located in the southeastern foothills of the Central Mountain Range or Cordillera Central, in the municipalities of Sabana Grande and Yauco. Most of the forest, particularly the lower parts, are of secondary growth as the land had originally been deforested and used for cattle grazing, timber production and agriculture. The forest is an important habitat for the endangered Puerto Rican nightjar.
The Piedras River, better known as Río Piedras in Spanish, is a river of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The river gives its name to Río Piedras, a former town and municipality, today a district of San Juan.
Cueva del Indio is a seaside cave located along limestone cliffs in Islote, Arecibo along Puerto Rico's Atlantic coast. The cave and its surroundings are protected by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) as the Cueva del Indio Nature Reserve. The cave gets its name after the numerous petroglyphs created by the Taínos.
Vega State Forest is a state forest of Puerto Rico located in the municipalities of Vega Alta and Vega Baja. The subtropical moist forest is located in the northern coast of Puerto Rico in the middle of the karst zone known as the Carso Norteño, and it contains features typical of such geography such as sinkholes, caves and mogotes. It was designated a nature reserve in 1952 and it is fully protected by the Puerto Rico Forest laws of 1975. The forest has a total area of 1,150 acres divided into six forest units throughout the municipalities of Vega Alta and Vega Baja.
The Maricao Fish Hatchery, also known as the Insular Fish Hatchery, is a historic 3.32 acre fish hatchery located along the Río Rosario in the Maricao Afuera district (barrio) of the Puerto Rican municipality of Maricao, within the Maricao State Forest jurisdiction. The hatchery is located at approximately 1,500 feet above sea level, 1.2 kilometers from downtown Maricao.
Nature Reserve of Puerto Rico is a title and special designation given by the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico to specific natural areas or features throughout the territory. All nature reserves in Puerto Rico are protected by Puerto Rico Law #150, first approved on August 8, 1988, better known as the Puerto Rico Natural Heritage Program Act that seeks to protect the natural resources of the island for the purpose of natural preservation and tourism. These are managed by different agencies within the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, public-private partnerships such as the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico and its management unit Para la naturaleza, and other grassroots and community institutions and programs.
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