RFP for the Condado Lagoon restoration/ Press conference on Caiman study/ Citizen's Agenda

Weekly update for October 2, 2010 to October 8, 2010:

RFP Announcement on the Benthic Restoration of the Condado Lagoon set for Sunday, October 10, 2010: Next Sunday the San Juan Bay Estuary Program will release this key RFP geared to obtain proposals on the filling of the artificial depressions of the Condado Lagoon. The RFP was drafted by Dr. Jorge Bauzá and was reviewed by our STAC and EPA. The RFP will be published on the newspaper on Sunday and on our website.

Press conference on invasive species Caiman crocodile set for next Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010: Due to the great responsibility the findings of the study places on the San Juan Bay Estuary Program, the organization decided to make public the study in a Press Conference to take place at the SJBEP’s offices next Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 10:00am. The staff will meet with Miguel García from the Wildlife Division of the DNER at 1:00pm that same day in order to discuss urgent management actions.

Full media coverage on the Feasibility Study of the Martín Peña Channel’s dredging: Proyecto Enlace released to the media their recent contract with PBS&J to perform the feasibility study of the dredging of the Channel as required by the USACE. After the feasibility study is submitted, it is expected that the Government of Puerto Rico will be able to access over $100 million dollars as authorized by the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) for this key public work for the restoration of the San Juan Bay Estuary flushing and water circulation. The announcement was covered by all key local media, as an example we present the Primera Hora newspaper coverage:

http://www.primerahora.com/largocaminoporrecorrerantesdeldragadodelcano-430100.html


SAVE THE DATE!! Estuary’s Green Cinema: NEXT SCREENING WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2010 AND WE WILL BE PRESENTING “TWILIGHT”. We expect a great turnout so please, get there on time!! 7:00pm at the Condado Lagoon Park.

Team of experts to lead our Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) revision: Instead of contracting a single person or firm to lead the revision of our CCMP, our entity is approaching several experts on fields such as herpetology, oceanography, limnology, ecology, environmental planning, and oceanography to draft the recommended new actions of our master plan. Javier Laureano has been interviewing several specialists interested in collaborating with the revision process. The announcement was published on our website:

http://estuario.org/rfp_pdf/ContratoCCMP.pdf

Press Conference to announce Eco Cantera documentary set for October 19, 2010 at 10:00am: The SJBEP met with personnel of the Corporation for the Integral Development of the Cantera Peninsula and with Prensa Comunitaria, and is very glad to announce that the documentary on the new sanitary infrastructure of the Cantera community is ready. Prensa Comunitaria performed a very good job thanks to the direction of Carla Cavina.

SJBEP on the Environmental Citizen’s Agenda Meeting: Javier Laureano participated all day Friday, October 8, 2010 on this initiative, lead by CAPECOM and El Nuevo Día newspaper, to think and draft several actions and proposals to improve sustainability in Puerto Rico. On the meeting participated the head of several government agencies, including Jorge Ortiz Vázquez, PRASA’s President, as well as Pedro Nieves, EQB President, EPA, community leaders, including Rosa Hilda Ramos, Gretchen Guzmán (our CAC President), NGOs (such as the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust), and private sector representatives, including PRMA and Triple-S. The proposals to improve sustainability will be published on a special publication of El Nuevo Día newspaper.