2009 - USDA Forest Service

January 2009 Interpretation and Conservation Education Master Plan
Finally and most importantly, all tourism development must be predicated
upon an encompassing theme of protection and preservation of those very
natural and cultural resources that are the basis of the attraction. A viable
system of sustainable recreation and tourism development will do much to
encourage preservation and careful use of our unique natural, historic and
cultural environs.
It is extremely important that we adhere strictly to the primary agency
mission when guiding the management and stewardship of public lands.
Over-utilization and resource abuse, the antithesis of natural resource
conservation, can quickly destroy the very foundations of tourism activity;
allowing or encouraging over-utilization of the resource is counterproductive
to the business of recreation/tourism. Respect for the values and
needs of the residents of communities adjacent to the Forest must be
balanced with efforts to preserve and protect natural and cultural resources.
Sustainable, long-term tourism benefits cannot be attained without the
support of residents living in surrounding “gateway” communities. The
public land manager has much to gain through his/her role in the
development and judicious management of environmental tourism. Scenic
beauty and environmental integrity rank as important considerations when
travelers are choosing a potential vacation destination.
Until recently, the Forest Service’s stated mission for national forests has
not focused explicitly on tourism and/or recreation programs and products.
Instead, the accent has been on other vital issues such as watershed
protection and the safeguarding of long-term supplies of natural resources
for a growing nation.
Official Commonwealth statistics for Puerto Rico published in 1989 clearly
pointed to a significant and sustained growth in both outdoor recreation and
tourism, closely tied to an increased demand on “nature-based activities.”
Fortunately, shortly after these statistics were published, visionary thinking
within the Forest and pressure from a concerned public, combined to
highlight the need to build a world class visitor center at the entrance to the
Forest. Ever since it opened to the public in June, 1996 the El Portal Rain
Forest Center has been very effective in serving the needs of our touristvisitors,
and has become a significant magnet for local recreation and
educational interests.
Increased forest visitation throughout the years has been evident and
required that we actively manage traffic flow in our peak summer visitation
period, and in particular in the month of July. Still, concrete and reliable
evidence on the magnitude of the increase in visitation was not available
39 El Yunque National Forest
River Shrimp