The U.S. Department of the Interior recently announced three new members on the board of trustees of the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico.
The three new members will each have a three year term and work on behalf of the people of Puerto Rico, according to a July 6 DOI news release.
“For more than 50 years, the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico has preserved Puerto Rico’s rich and diverse ecosystems, biodiversity and natural resources," Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau said in the release. "The new members of the board of trustees will continue this long legacy and will serve as shepherds of the Trust’s mission to protect and conserve Puerto Rico’s lands and waters, inspire stewards of natural and historical heritage and promote conservation across the archipelago.”
The new members of the board of trustees are Dr. Ana Maria Garcia Blanco, Roberto Serralles and Blas Fonalledas, the release reported. Blanco and Serralles are new members, and Fonalledas is beginning a second term. These members were appointed by Interior Secretary Deb Halaand and Gov. Pedro Pierluisi.
The Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico has a mission to “secure functional and healthy ecosystems in the islands of Puerto Rico, and to instill in the inhabitants a sense of responsibility toward the conservation of our natural resources, so that we may count on the ecosystem services that will help us achieve our social, economic, and quality of life goals,” according to the trust’s website.
The Trust was established in 1968, through an agreement between the Department of the Interior and the government of Puerto Rico, the organization’s website said. Two years later, it was officially established as a charitable trust.
Beaudreau’s two day visit included a roundtable in Rio Pedras with community leaders and federal partners, as well as a visit to Cabezas de San Juan Nature Preserve in Fajardo, the release reported. Much of the nature preserve’s land and waters came to the Trust’s control in 1975. Visitors can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities at the nature preserve.
It was also an opportunity to highlight the recovery of the Puerto Rican boa and Palo de Rosa, a tree that was brought back from near extinction and listed as endangered in 1990, according to the release.
The Puerto Rican boa’s status on the list of Endangered and Threatened Species was proposed for a change in July 2022, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The snake is described as “a large nonvenomous snake native to Puerto Rico.” This nocturnal snake loves trees, and can be found in a variety of habitats, from coastal forests to rural, urban and suburban areas.
It was originally listed as endangered in October 1970 and has been on the list ever since, FWS reported. In July 2022, there were an estimate of more than 30,000 Puerto Rican boas across Puerto Rico.
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks and Streams Shannon Estenoz accompanied Beaudreau on the trip, the DOIE release reported. It also noted Estenoz was appointed as the department's liaison to the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico's Advisory Council.