An iconic national forest in Puerto Rico is getting $1 million from the Forest Service to improve a parking lot with just a few hundred spaces to better accommodate the thousands of cars arriving each day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced recently.
El Yunque National Forest in northeastern Puerto Rico attracts nearly 1.2 million visitors annually, representing 20% of Puerto Rico's tourism economy, according to the USDA's Jan. 9 announcement. Traffic congestion in the forest "has been a challenge for 80 years," the Forest Service states in the announcement. "While up to 3,000 cars look to enter each day, the forest only has 300 parking spaces."
El Yunque, a sacred place in Puerto Rican culture, is the only tropical rainforest in the national forest system, one of the most biologically diverse and at 29,000 acres, also one of the smallest. The forest has as many types of trees as all other national forests combined, according to the report. El Yunque was established to protect watersheds in 1876 and still provides approximately 20% of the island's drinking water, the report states. El Yunque National Forest was established in 1903, according to the Forest Service.
“El Yunque is one of the most unique forests in the world, and it is up to us to ensure access to its recreation and enjoyment for everyone,” Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said in the announcement. “This investment reflects our agency's values and demonstrates our commitment to El Yunque National Forest, our neighboring communities and those who visit this special place.”
USDA invested an initial $250,000 in December to create a master transit plan for El Yunque that includes the possibility of a park-and-ride system to take visitors to the forest. With the additional $1 million in funding, the Forest Service is inviting non-profit, private- and public-sector entities to "join the Forest Service in laying the groundwork to make this vision a reality," the announcement states.
“El Yunque is a special place to the people of Puerto Rico and USDA is committed to investing in the Forest to promote visitation, recreation, and economic development," said USDA Sec. Tom Vilsack, "outcomes that can be maximized through collaboration and partnerships with the public and private sector."
“Improving equitable access means visitors can experience this amazing place and support rural economies on the island at the same time," Vilsack said.
