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Department a Service DRNA of g P r o t e c t e d N a t u r a l A r e a s o f P u e r to R i c o K E E P I N G C O M M ON S P E C I E S C O M M O N PRGAP ANALYSIS PROJECT William A. Gould, Maya Quiñones, Mariano Solórzano, Waldemar Alcobas, and Caryl Alarcón IITF GIS and Remote Sensing Lab A center for tropical analysis U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry . o c

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rotection of natural areas is essential to conserving and r e u P

maintaining services. Benefits and services provided by natural United ,

Protected areas by management 9

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areas are complex, interwoven, -sustaining, and necessary for a healthy A t l a n t i c O c e a n 1 1 - 6

environment and a sustainable future (Daily et al. 1997). They include 2 9 0 clean and air, sustainable populations and habitats, stable slopes, The Bahamas 0 P ccccccc R P productive , genetic reservoirs, recreational opportunities, and spiritual refugia. , s a

These are benefits that cannot be replaced by existing technology (Cohen and Tilman r d e

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1996, Daily et al. 1997). To best use our , natural management and 29 P

o 22 í protection designation should be based on sound scientific information provided by A t l a n t i c O c e a n R

, a research and experience. Social and historical factors, sustainable uses, existing 49 b i Dominican e C conditions, restoration potential, and future scenarios should be considered to assure

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C a r i b b e a n S e a l l continued benefits, a good quality of life, and economic stability for the communities that a C

1 N N 0 " depend on ecosystem services provided by natural areas. " 2 0 ' 0 ' Isabela 1 0 0

3 , 3 ° &( r ° 8 u 8 1 1

Hatillo S We portray the protected natural areas designated for natural conservation in Camuy 28 &( 40 o c

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Puerto Rico, as well as areas with regulation that have the potential to Quebradilla n á &( San Juan t Arecibo 16 21 o enhance conservation. The designation of protected areas can be very Dorado &( B

&( 48 n Barceloneta 108 Vega Baja 82 &( í dynamic as it is a product of ever-evolving social values. The information shown is a d &( r &( 64 a J compilation of available geospatial data from various local and federal government &(Toa Baja Cataño ,

15 y Aguadilla &( 81 Loíza r Manatí 96 t agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The primary map, "Protected areas &( 11 &( s &( e

55 r by management," shows Puerto Rico’s protected natural lands designated for 11 67 o Vega Alta F 53 71

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conservation and managed by Puerto Rico Commonwealth agencies, U.S. federal c 31 i Moca 97 102 p Icacos Cay o agencies, and NGOs. The areas are identified by a numerical label that matches the &( 11 &( Carolina Canóvanas r 77 T 97 95 Bayamón 112 Aguada 36 &( &( &( f area’s name on the list below. This map also shows Puerto Rico’s marine reserves and Desecheo 60 Río Grande o

39

&( Toa Alta 33 e 78 &( &(Luquillo La Cordillera Reef t marine extensions of terrestrial natural reserves, which are all managed or co-managed u

63 t i Guaynabo 101 Trujillo Alto t &( s by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental (DNER). Some or n

32 &( I 38 &( l parts of the protected areas are owned by a different agency than the one that manages 97 103 a n N N

Palominos " o " Rincón Corozal 98 56 61 i 0 ' t 0 San Sebastián ' Ciales 30

12 0 &( &( a it, so a supplemental map, "Protected areas by ownership," identifies the protected areas 0 38 2

2 &( &( n 110 ° °

Fajardo r Morovis 8 8 e

99 1 1 as either , reserves, or state owned by the DNER or the Puerto Rico National &( &( t 45 n I

24 Parks Company, areas owned by other Commonwealth agencies, federally owned , 46 &( e c

19 i

Naranjito Dewey v land owned by NGOs, and unprotected lands. The second supplemental map, "Regulated r Lares &( 68 e

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land," shows areas with some degree of government regulation, including the 2006 &( t &( 37 s e r

Puerto Rico plan draft (Junta de Planificación 2006) and additional local and 75 o

Culebra F Utuado federal laws that potentially provide protection of natural resources. It is important to &( A &( Aguas Buenas Ceiba D S note that there are areas not portrayed which were historically designated as part of the Las Marias &( U &( &( Caguas state forests of Boquerón (6), Ceiba (19), and Piñones (81). We were unable to 14 13 &( Gurabo 72 determine their current status. Additionally, there are areas not included in this map that Orocovis Juncos 104 &( Comerío &( have been designated by the commonwealth government as special zoning areas, which Jayuya &( &( 2 Naguabo have some conservation objectives but little enforcement (e.g., a parcel adjacent to the 111 &( 72 Tres Palmas (110). &( Barranquitas 83 Mayagüez Maricao 80 &( 69 &( Las Piedras &( 1 Cidra 107 San Lorenzo N N

&( " Summary. Currently 8 percent of Puerto Rico's land is designated for conservation. This " &( 0 0 ' ' 0 0 65 Adjuntas 23 1 1 ° includes public and private properties classified as state forests, national federal forests, °

&( 8 8 1 1 100 wildlife refuges, natural reserves, natural protected areas, conservation easements, 107 Humacao 84 Isabel II Aibonito &( &( recently acquired lands for conservation, and other lands managed for conservation. Hormigueros &( 70 76 57 &( 25 Villalba 116 109 54 &( Cayey Puerto Rico currently has 116 protected natural areas with 21 marine reserves, of which 76 &( 52 114 94 34 16 are marine extensions of terrestrial reserves. Eight of the 95 protected land areas are 76 105 co-owned by various entities. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico owns and manages the 62 17 Cabo Rojo Vieques &( 47 66 116 greatest area of protected lands (58 percent and 57 percent, respectively), followed by 4 Sábana Grande 20 Coamo 27 5 &( &( 106 &( 34 the federal government (28 percent in both categories) and NGOs (14 and 15 percent, San Germán respectively). However, NGOs manage more individual protected land areas than the Peñuelas &( Juana Díaz federal government (36 vs. 7). Protected areas are concentrated on the high peaks of the 89 Lajas 35 &( 17 &( &(Yabucoa Central and Luquillo Mountains, the wetlands of the coastal plains, and the lesser islands 88 Yauco 79 &( Guayanilla 26 95 and cays of the Puerto Rican Archipelago. These areas are relatively well-protected. &( 8 50 Under protected areas include nonwetlands of the coastal plain, the karst limestone hills Ponce 115 Maunabo N N " "

67°55'0"W 67°50'0"W 0 0 &( ' ' &(

in northwestern Puerto Rico, and the coastal hills and lower slopes. The coastal hills form &( 0 0 Patillas ° ° 8 8 18 1 an important hydrological and ecological link between the upper mountains, the coastal 1 Mona and Monito 58 Salinas Guayama 92 wetlands, and the near-shore marine areas. 86 &( &( N N " A t l a n t i c O c e a n Arroyo

" Guánica

0 42 ' 0 ' 9 Santa Isabel &( 0

0 &(

1 42 1 ° &( ° 8

8 93 Mechanisms other than official designation as a have been established to 1 1 6 87 42 51 promote natural resource conservation, including local and federal laws, zoning 74 90 85 3 regulation, planning, and permit processes for development. The Puerto Rico Land Use 43 44 Plan, an island-wide regulatory obligation of the Puerto Rico Planning Board (Junta de 42 Planificación 2006), has been in development for years although it is still unfinished and 91 unapproved. Local and federal laws and regulations often protect specific landcover N N " types, species habitats, and terrain not appropriate for development, e.g., plains, " 0 s ' 0 ' 10 5

73 5 ° s ° 8 cstcececp slopes, -prone areas, and critical 8 1 59 a 1 7 habitat. However, these mechanisms and the Protected land P ¤ 8% Mona Island processes to enforce them do not always work a 0 2 4 8 12 16 20 n N N " " M o (Fernández-Porto 1994, Lugo 1994, Lugo et al. 0 0 Miles ' ' 0 0 5 5 °

° 0 4 8 16 24 32 40

2004, Molina 1994). Development pressure, the 7 7 1 1 politicizing of environmental agencies and 67°55'0"W 67°50'0"W Kilometers decisionmaking processes, and the lack of C a r i b b e a n S e a SCALE: 1:240,000 knowledge and appreciation of the services Lambert Comformal Conic Projection provided by natural areas have historically North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) impaired the ability of these processes to properly protect our land (Lugo 1994). 92% Unprotected land Protected Areas 1 Adjuntas People's Forest 15 Caño Martín Peña Natural Reserve 28 Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve 42 Guánica State Forest 56 La Cordillera Reef Natural Reserve 69 Maricao River Natural Protected Area 82 Pterocarpus Forest of Dorado 95 Recently aquired land in Manatí and 106 Susúa State Forest 2 Aguas Buenas Caverns and Cave Systems Natural Reserve 16 Caño Tiburones Natural Reserve 29 Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve Marine Extent 43 Guánica State Forest Marine Extent 57 La Olimpia Forest 70 83 Pterocarpus Forest Reserve Guayama by IITF 107 Percentage of protected land by island 3 Aguirre State Forest 17 Carite State Forest 30 Culebra National 44 Guayama Reef Natural Reserve 58 La Parguera Natural Reserve 71 Mata de Plátano Field Station Natural Reserve 84 Pterocarpus Forest and Mandry and 96 Recently aquired land in Piñones by DNER 108 Tortuguero Lagoon Natural Reserve 4 Belvedere Natural Reserve 18 Cartagena Lagoon 31 Coastal Natural Marine Reserve 45 Guaynabo River Natural Protected Area 59 La Parguera Natural Reserve Marine Extent 72 Medio Mundo y Daguao Natural Protected Area Santa Teresa Lakes Natural Reserve 97 Recently aquired land in the Northern Karst 109 Tourmaline Reef Natural Reserve 100 5 Belvedere Natural Reserve Marine Extent 19 Ceiba State Forest 32 Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge 46 Guillermeti property 60 Lago Guajataca Wildlife Refuge 73 Mona Island and Monito Natural Reserve 85 Punta Ballenas Natural Reserve region by DNER 110 Tres Palmas Natural Marine Reserve 15% N N " " 6 Boquerón State Forest 20 33 Doña Inés Mendoza Urban Forest 47 Buena Vista Natural Protected Area 61 Lago La Plata Wildlife Refuge 74 Mona Island and Monito Natural Reserve 86 Punta Cucharas Natural Reserve 98 Recently aquired land in the Northeast 111 Tres Picachos State Forest 0 d 0 ' ' 0 13% 0

n 40% 4

80 4

7 Boquerón State Forest Marine Extent 21 Cibuco Swamp Natural Reserve 34 El Buey National Wildlife Refuge 48 Hacienda La Esperanza Natural Reserve 62 Lago Luchetti Wildlife Refuge Marine Extent 87 Punta Cucharas Natural Reserve Marine Extent Ecological Corridor by DNER 112 University of Puerto Rico Botanical Garden ° ° ) 7 a 7 1 l t 10% 1 8 Boquerón Wildlife Refuge 22 Cibuco Swamp Natural Reserve Marine Extent 35 El Convento Caves Natural Protected Area 49 Hacienda La Esperanza Natural Reserve Marine Extent 63 Las Cabezas de San Juan Natural Reserve 75 Monte Choca State Forest 88 Punta Guaniquilla Natural Reserve 99 Río Abajo State Forest 113 Vega State Forest n

d 80% % e 60 3% 0 e

c 9 Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge 23 El Rabanal 36 El Tallonal Natural Reserve 50 Inés María Mendoza (Punta Yeguas) 64 Las Cabezas de San Juan Natural Reserve 76 Monte Guilarte State Forest 89 Punta Guaniquilla Natural Reserve Marine Extent 100 San Cristóbal Canyon Natural Protected Area 114 Vieques Bioluminescent Bay Natural Reserve 0

t 94% r 1 c

e 10 Caja de Muertos Island Natural Reserve 24 Conservation Easement El Tambor 37 National Forest 51 Jobos Bay Estuary National Research Reserve Marine Extent 77 Nuevo Milenio Urban Forest 90 Punta Petrona Natural Reserve 101 San Juan Ecological Corridor 115 Vieques Bioluminescent Bay Natural Reserve e p

t 40

( 1% 11 Cambalache State Forest 25 Conservation Easement Foreman 38 Encantado River Natural Protected Area 52 Jorge Sotomayor del Toro Natural Protected Area 65 Las Mesas Peak 78 Old San Juan Aqueduct 91 Punta Petrona Natural Reserve Marine Extent 102 San Patricio Urban Forest Marine Extent o 53%

r 62% 1% P 20 12 Camuy River Caves 26 Conservation Easement Montes Oscuros 39 Espíritu Santo River Natural Reserve 53 José Santiago property 66 Las Piedras del Collado Natural Reserve 79 Pandura Range Natural Protected Area 92 Punta Tuna Natural Reserve 103 Seven Seas Natural Reserve 116 Vieques National Wildlife Refuge 4% 20% 13 Caño La Boquilla Natural Reserve 27 Conservation Easement 40 Espíritu Santo River Natural Reserve Marine Extent 54 Joyuda Lagoon Natural Reserve 67 Los Frailes property 80 Paraíso de las Lunas Natural Protected Area 93 Punta Yeguas Natural Reserve Marine Extent 104 Shapiro property 4% 0 14 Caño La Boquilla Natural Reserve Marine Extent Tropical Forest 41 Guajataca State Forest 55 La Ciénaga Las Cucharillas Natural Reserve 68 Luis Peña Channel Natural Reserve 81 Piñones State Forest 94 Ratones Cay Natural Reserve 105 Sun Bay Main Vieques* Mona and Culebra* Cays island Monito 67°30'0"W 67°20'0"W 67°10'0"W 67°0'0"W 66°50'0"W 66°40'0"W 66°30'0"W 66°20'0"W 66°10'0"W 66°0'0"W 65°50'0"W 65°40'0"W 65°30'0"W 65°20'0"W Region

Unprotected areas Nongovernmental Federal Commonwealth * Region includes surrounding cays. Administrative Hydrography Bathymetry (meters below sea surface) Protected areas by ownership Regulated land &( Urban centers High : 159.245 Lakes/reservoirs Percentage of Percentage Number of Management classes Hectares Marine protected areas protected lands of island protected areas Rivers/ Low : -4607.2 Protected in Puerto Rico Commonwealth 41 376 57 5 52 Commonwealth Nongovernmental Federal 20 655 28 2 7 Lands managed by Puerto Rican government agencies (i.e., Department of Natural Lands managed by nongovernmental entities (e.g., Casa Pueblo Foundation, and Environmental Resources, Land Administration, National Parks Company of Ciudadanos del Karso, Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico, Luis Muñoz Marín Nongovernmental 10 709 15 1 36 Puerto Rico, and University of Puerto Rico) and . Foundation, among other nonprofit and private organizations). Federal Unprotected areas Protected 72 740 8

Lands managed by U.S. federal government agencies (i.e., U.S. and Wildlife Lands with no known current legal protection for conservation. Unprotected 821 022 92 Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. ).

Data sources: Protected land distribution by management Number of protected areas distribution by management ¤ ¤ Bathymetry: This data set was created with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration nautical chart points References: 15% (10 709 ha) Hydrography 0 10 20 Hydrography 0 10 20 compiled by Antonio González of the University of Turabo, Ana G. Méndez System. The Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Cohen, J.E.; Tilman, D. 1996. 2 and biodiversity: the lessons so far. Science. 274: 1150-1151. Nongovernmental Nongovernmental Lakes/reservoirs Miles Lakes/reservoirs Miles was created at the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and 57% 0 30 60 0 30 60 Daily, G.C.; Alexander, S.; Ehrlich, P.R.; Goulder, L.; Lubchenco, J.; Matson, P.A.; Mooney, H. A.; Postel, S.; 38% Rivers/streams Rivers/streams Remote Sensing Lab. The points were interpolated to a 30-meter raster file using the Spline interpolation in ArcGIS 9.2, Schneider, S.H.; Tilman, D.; Woodwell, G.M. 1997. Ecosystem services: benefits supplied to societies by (41 376 ha) (36) Kilometers Kilometers Spatial Analyst extension. A hill was calculated from the DEM using ArcGIS 9.2. natural . Ecological Society of America, Issues in . 2: 2-16. 55% Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources [DRNA]. 2009. Hoja de nuestro ambiente: (52) Coastline: The coastline data set is mainly based on 2007 digital aerial photographs, with small areas based on 2004 Federal 14% Los Manglares. P-037. San Juan, PR. 2 p. Commonwealth Protected Land Ownership in Puerto Rico Some of Puerto Rico's laws and regulations that impact the conservation of natural resources digital aerial photographs, IKONOS and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps owing to geometric errors Commonwealth Fernández-Porto, J. 1994. El Impacto sobre las comunidades de la administración de los terrenos y otros bienes 46% or range issues in the 2007 photos. The data set was developed by a collaborative effort between the Conservation públicos. Acta Científica. 8(1-2): 37-43. Commonwealth forests, parks, and reserves Agriculture valleys Riverbanks Trust of Puerto Rico and the IITF GIS and Remote Sensing Lab. 28% Protected lands for conservation owned by Puerto Rican government The agriculture valleys are areas regulated for the conservation of agriculture activities. Each valley Law number 49 of January 2003 "Ley para Establecer la Política Pública sobre la Gould, W.A.; Alarcón, C.; Fevold, B.; Jiménez, M.E.; Martinuzzi, S.; Potts, G.; Solórzano, M.; Ventosa, E. (20 655 ha) 28% 2007. Puerto Rico Gap Analysis Project–final report. Moscow, ID: U.S. Geological Survey, and Río Piedras, PR: U.S. Federal agencies (i.e., DNER, National Parks Company of Puerto Rico) is protected under a specific mandate: Lajas valley, Law number 277 of the year 1999; Coloso valley, Prevención de Inundaciones y Conservación de Ríos y Quebradas" establishes the Hydrography: The hydrography data set was derived and generalized from The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) protection and designation of public use for at least 5 meters of land to each side Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry. 159 p. and 8 appendices. Law number 142 of the year 2000; Guanajibo valley, Law number 184 of the year 2002; Cibuco published in 2005, Reston, Virginia. The NHD was originated by the USGS in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental 7% (7) valley, Law number 398 of the year 2004; Yabucoa valley, Law number 49 of the year 2009. of a river. This law was established to protect the integrity of Puerto Rico's rivers. Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, and other federal, state, and local partners. Junta de Planificación. 2006. Plan de uso de terrenos de Puerto Rico: borrador preliminar para vistas públicas. San Commonwealth institutions, , and utilities Municipalities can designate more than 5 meters for protection within their This data set is presented as vector digital data generally developed at 1:24,000/1:12,000 scale. Juan, PR. 88 p. jurisdiction. The Department of Agriculture Forest Service has developed this information for the guidance of its employees, its contractors, and its cooperating Federal and Protected lands for conservation owned by Puerto Rican government Maritime terrestrial zone Lugo, A.E. 1994. Terrenos públicos, fragmentación y la biodiversidad de Puerto Rico. Acta Científica. 8(1-2): 31-35. State agencies. It is not responsible for the interpretation or use of this information by anyone except its own employees. The use of trade, firm, corporation, or association institutions, municipalities, and utility companies 12% The maritime terrestrial zone is that part of the coast designated as public domain. Its use is Protected areas: Updated from Gould et al. 2007. Marine reserves were added from data provided by the Department Wetlands and Lugo, A.E.; Ramos-Álvarez, A.; Mercado, A.; La Luz Feliciano, D.; Cintrón, G.; Márquez D'Acunti, L.; names in this publication is for the information and convenience of the reader and does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of any product or service. This regulated by various laws and regulations, including: "Ley de Muelles y Puertos de Puerto Rico," of Natural and Environmental Resources of Puerto Rico. Some boundaries were updated with more recent data provided product is reproduced from geospatial information prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Geographic Information System (GIS) data and product Chaparro, R.; Fernández Porto, J.; Peisch, S.J.; Rivera Santana, J. 2004. Cartilla de la zona marítimo-terrestre. "Ley de Aguas," "Reglamento para el Aprovechamiento, Vigilancia, Conservación y Administración de by the agency or organization responsible for said areas, whereas other areas that were missing in the original file were accuracy may vary. They may be developed from sources of differing accuracy, accurate only at certain scales, based on modeling or interpretation, or incomplete while Federal agencies, forests, parks, and reserves Number of las Aguas Territoriales, los Terrenos Sumergidos bajo estas y la Zona Marítimo-Terrestre," Freshwater Pterocarpus swamp Salt and mudflats Acta Científica. 18(1-3): 1940-1148 Ownership Hectares Percentage added. The coastline of the original data was updated to match a newer coastline based primarily on 2007 digital ortho- being created or revised. Using GIS products for purposes other than those or for which they were created may yield inaccurate or misleading results. This information was protected areas "Reglamento de Zonificación de la Zona Costanera y de Acceso a Playas y Costas de Puerto Rico" Molina, M. 1994. Introducción al concepto de los terrenos y bienes públicos, y su marco legal. Acta Científica. 8(1-2): Protected lands for conservation owned by U.S. government federal Mangrove forest and shrubland Herbaceous wetlands rectified aerial photographs, developed by the IITF GIS and Remote Sensing Lab. These are the most recent available released on the indicated date. The data in this research map reflect data available at the moment of publication. The Forest Service reserves the right to correct, update, (Lugo et al. 2004). 3-29. agencies data as of October 2010. modify, or replace GIS products without notification. Commonwealth forest, reserves and parks 33 704 46 40 Mangrove forests and the wetlands of Puerto Rico are protected by various local and Suggested citation: Gould, William A.; Quiñones, Maya; Solórzano, Mariano; Alcobas, Waldemar; Alarcón, Caryl. Puerto Rico Land Use Plan 2006 draft federal laws and regulations to protect the integrity of the coast and other water bodies, The Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the principle of multiple use management of the Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of th Topography: The elevation data were derived from the USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED) DEM. This data set is a 2011. Protected natural areas of Puerto Rico. 1:240,000. IITF-RMAP-02. Río Piedras, PR: U.S. Department of Nongovernmental organizations Commonwealth institutions, counties, utilities 8554 12 23 including Law number 23 of the 20 of June of 1972 “Ley Orgánica del Departamento de , water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with the States and private forest owners, and management of the National Forests and Recursos Naturales y Ambientales,” Law number 133 of 1 of June of 1975 “Ley de raster product assembled by the USGS. The NED is designed to provide national elevation data in a seamless form with Agriculture, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry. Specially protected rustic terrain Other classifications National Grasslands, it strives— as directed by Congress— to provide increasingly greater service to a growing Nation. Protected lands for conservation owned by nonprofit and private Bosques,” Law 241 of 15 of August of 1999 “Nueva Ley de Vida Silvestre,” Law 150 of 4 of a consistent datum, elevation unit, and projection. NED has a resolution of one arc-second (approximately 30 meters) Federal agencies, forests, parks, reserves 20 443 28 7 organizations The Planning Board of Puerto Rico is required by law to create a land use plan for Puerto Rico. The last August of 1988 “Ley del Programa de Patrimonio Natural,” law 314 of 24 December of for the contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico and a resolution of two arc-seconds for Alaska. The hillshade Acknowledgments: This research was supported by the USGS Biological Resources Division National Gap Program The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where finished draft was done in 2006 but was not approved. The Planning Board is currently working on a new 1988 “Política Pública sobre Humedales y designación de Caño Tiburones como Reserva was calculated by using ArcGIS 9.2, Spatial Analyst extension. cooperative agreement 01HQPG0031 (01-IA-111201-002). Special thanks to Brick Fevold and the Conservation Trust of applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an Nongovernmental organizations 10 039 14 33 version. In the 2006 draft, the category of Specially Protected Land referred to land that because of its Natural,” Regulation number 17 “Reglamento de Zonificación de la zona costanera y acceso Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, William Hernández and the Fish and individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means Unprotected areas location; topography; aesthetic, archaeological, ecological, and agricultural values; and unique natural a las playas y costas de Puerto Rico,” and the Federal Clean Water Act (DRNA, 2009). Urban centers: This data set was developed by the IITF GIS and Remote Sensing Lab using visual interpretation of Wildlife Service, Luis Jorge Herrera and Ciudadanos del Karso, Coralys Ortiz and the Coastal Zone Management Program for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a Lands with no known current legal protection for conservation Total 72 740 100 resources, among other attributes, should never be used as urban land (Junta de Planificación 2006). existing maps. Each point in the data set represents the approximate urban center for each . of the DNER, and reviewers for information and critical reviews of this map. This research was conducted in complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico. 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Publication date: 2011