The municipality received support from FEMA and the National Park Service to work on a hiking and recreational opportunities project
San Juan, Puerto Rico – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supports the municipality of Ciales in developing opportunities that promote ecotourism, highlight natural and historic resources, and connect outdoor recreational spaces. The agency has facilitated the assistance of several federal entities, such as the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service, in the process of the town’s recovery.
FEMA’s Interagency Recovery Coordination (IRC) has served as a liaison between the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program of the National Park Service (NPS-RTCA), Ciales and other entities to manage a project consisting of a system of green areas and trails that will connect rural and urban zones.
After gathering input from community members, non-profit organizations, government entities and universities, the NPS-RTCA is currently assisting the city in developing a plan and design for the trail system.
“Through this initiative, we reaffirm the agency’s commitment to promoting the resilience of urban spaces. The assistance allowed us to identify strategies to mitigate and maximize the use of natural areas, while expanding the recreational offerings available to residents and visitors,” said Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator José Baquero.
Some of the places that the municipality of Ciales wants to connect through the trails system include the karstic area, facilities of the Grande de Manatí River basin, and historic places such as the urban center, the Mata de Plátano Bridge and the Juan A. Corretjer Walkway. The former received over $53,000 from FEMA to replace concrete, posts, lighting and signs for bikers and pedestrians.
Arlene Pagán Rivera, a merchant whose business is located in the walkway, mentioned that this type of reconstruction initiatives centered in nature and sports, “are important because Ciales has a lot to show: It has caves, bodies of water, it has history, it has indigenous sites and it highlights everything that the town has, from coffee, places to visit, interesting places, many things.”
Likewise, NPS-RTCA’s Outdoor Recreation planner and project lead, Natalia Sánchez, highlighted that, “this project is important to Ciales because it will enhance the conservation of the municipality’s natural and cultural resources and, at the same time, promote outdoor recreation and connectivity amongst all its community residents. By creating a network of trails and green spaces that connect the Grande de Manatí River with the town’s urban center and the Juan A. Corretjer Walkway, Ciales can become the future gateway to the karstic region, one of Puerto Rico’s treasures.”
Meanwhile, the mayor of the municipality, Alexander Burgos Otero, invited the people to visit Ciales’s website and to access a survey where they can share what attractions they want within this project. He also said that “this is one of the emblematic projects” because it deals with “the economic development of our town, by establishing a collaborative agreement with National Park Service and working with what will be the reconstruction and the spearhead of our town’s tourism.”
Furthermore, the executive director of the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), Manuel A. Laboy Rivera, said that “this is the result of teamwork between government agencies, the municipality, nonprofit organizations and the communities. Taking into consideration the residents’ opinion in this project’s design was key because they are the ones who know the potential of the area to be developed. Without a doubt, this work will propel the economic development of the area because it will be of great interest to nature lovers. For our part, in COR3 we will continue supporting the development of this project until its completion, following applicable laws and regulations.”
To date, FEMA has awarded over $30.9 billion for nearly 10,800 Public Assistance projects that will address the reconstruction of a more resilient Puerto Rico. Over $17.7 million of these funds correspond to the municipality of Ciales for the recovery of its town.
For more information about Puerto Rico’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4339, fema.gov/disaster/4473 and recovery.pr. Follow us on our social media at Facebook.com/FEMAPuertoRico, Facebook.com/COR3pr and Twitter @COR3pr.