[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10911]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE CONSERVATION TRUST FUND OF PUERTO RICO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MATT SALMON

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 28, 2013

  Mr. SALMON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Conservation Trust 
Fund of Puerto Rico and specifically one of their renowned scientists, 
Lee Ann Rodriguez. Since it was established in 1971 with a Memorandum 
of Understanding between the Secretary of the Interior and the Governor 
of Puerto Rico, the Conservation Trust Fund of Puerto Rico has been 
dedicated to conservation efforts throughout the island. The Secretary 
and the Governor jointly appoint the trustees. Since that time they 
have become one of the preeminent conservation groups the Western 
Hemisphere and the leader in the Caribbean.
  Under the leadership of Fernanado Lloveras, the Trust Fund has 
continued the legacy started by the original Executive Director, 
Francisco Javier Blanco. On an island that is only 35 miles wide and 
100 miles long and is home to over four million people they have been 
able to carve out some magnificent examples of both historical and 
ecological conservation. The Trust currently has over 18,000 acres 
under protection and collaborates on a number of projects with 
government agencies.
  The Las Cabezos de San Juan Nature Preserve near Fajardo is a 
wonderful example of both nature and historical preservation. The site 
has a bioluminescent lagoon as well as a mangrove forest that allows 
for visitors to walk through it on a series of boardwalks without 
disturbing the natural habitat. It also has one of the original Spanish 
lighthouses, which has been restored and serves as a museum and 
dormitory for visiting research students.
  The Hacienda Buena Vista outside of Ponce is a testament to man's 
imagination. Built in the 1850's as a coffee plantation it is run on 
hydropower where the water is drawn from the mountain stream, used to 
power the plantation, and returned to the stream. It contains a 
wonderful water turbine engine that was manufactured in West Point, NY 
and shipped to Puerto Rico.
  The Trust is currently restoring a sugar plantation near Manati. It 
totals 2300 acres and gives a glimpse into the past of Puerto Rico when 
the sugar industry was a vibrant part of the economy.
  Ms. Lee Ann Rodriguez has been a leader at the Trust in educating 
others on the importance of land preservation and particularly the 
importance of having clean water. She is being honored, along with 
three other scientists, for her leadership in developing citizen 
science groups under a program funded by the National Science 
Foundation.
  Both Ms. Rodriguez and the Conservation Trust Fund of Puerto Rico are 
to be commended for their exemplary work in the field of conservation.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit an article from the Caribbean Business noting 
this honor for Ms. Rodriguez.

                  PR Scientist Honored at White House

       Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico development manager Lee 
     Ann Rodriguez is among four scientists who lead citizen 
     science groups funded by the National Science Foundation 
     (NSF) being honored in a White House ceremony on Tuesday.
       Rodriguez is currently training hundreds of residents of 
     Puerto Rico to lead citizen groups that will study the 
     impacts of urbanization on the biodiversity and cultural 
     resources of the Manati River watershed.
       Ultimately, Rodriguez's trainees, who range in age from 
     teenagers to retirees, will cumulatively lead thousands of 
     other citizen scientists, many of whom would otherwise have 
     minimal exposure to science. The data they produce will 
     support long-term watershed monitoring and inform land use 
     decision-making in Puerto Rico.
       Rodriguez, the other three NSF-funded Champions of Change, 
     along with eight other Citizen Scientist Champions of Change 
     will be recognized for their exemplary leadership in 
     involving the broader, non-expert community in research on 
     science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).
       The Citizen Science Champions of Change are leaders in a 
     field that is currently exploding in popularity--partly 
     because the Internet and new applications afford quick and 
     effective communication between citizen scientists and 
     scientists. More than 600 citizen science groups are 
     currently engaging more than 100,000 worldwide volunteers.
       In addition, data from citizen scientists has been 
     incorporated into more than 1,000 scientific papers in peer 
     reviewed journals. In fact, much of our current understanding 
     about the distribution of plants and animals, the quality of 
     water in streams and rivers, observed astronomy and the 
     evidence of global climate changes was derived from data 
     produced by citizen science projects.
       Operating as a private, nonprofit organization, the 
     Conservation Trust manages a number of the island's 
     environmentally sensitive areas, while promoting the concepts 
     of conservation to schools and the general public through 
     volunteer programs, reforestation projects and various 
     community workshops and events. In this way, the Conservation 
     Trust, founded more than 40 years ago, works toward its goal 
     of protecting and enhancing the precious natural resources of 
     Puerto Rico.

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