Projects to Restore Lost Recreational Beach Use - A number of projects were reviewed and one was selected to address lost beach use as a result of the oil spill. This project was chosen based on public input, chance of success, and scientific support.

• The Trustees determined that acquiring lands for conservation purposes would best address lost recreational beach use. Several potential sites were evaluated, after which the Trustees selected a 270-acre privately-owned shoreline property. Led by The Trust for Public Land, these funds, combined with settlement funds from the reef injury, were used to purchase the 270-acre parcel titled the San Miguel Natural Reserve, part of Puerto Rico's Northeast Ecological Corridor. The San Miguel Natural Reserve is a mosaic of coastal habitats including near shore coral reefs, more than a mile of beachfront, intertidal areas, wetlands, coastal dry forests, and mangroves. The reserve is home to 16 federally listed threatened and endangered species, including the endangered leatherback turtle which nests here. The land will be managed as a Natural Reserve under the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and the public will have access for low-impact recreational activities.

  The San Miguel Natural Reserve is home to 16 federally listed threatened and endangered species. Protecting these beaches is identified in Recovery Plans for both Leatherback and Hawksbill sea turtles (National Marine Fisheries Service [NMFS] 1992, NMFS 1993).    Photo Credit: NOAA Restoration Center