2009 - USDA Forest Service

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Lepantes orchid January 2009 Interpretive and Conservation Education Master Plan For many children this will be a first experience in the forest, - we want it to be pleasurable. For this reason it would be best to provide the children (and their guardians) with sleeping facilities and not require them to “camp-out”. Over the long term there are some forest structures which are not being used at present that could be rehabilitated for this purpose. Meanwhile, we could always work out an agreement to use the Concilio Caribe Girl Scout camp located on our forest for this purpose. This experience would be especially suited to the needs of fifth to seventh graders. Participants would have to pay to cover lodging and food and we would have to get partners to cover other expenses such as transportation, materials and to recruit/provide volunteer support staff. Insurance coverage must also be considered even when we collect parental permits and releases of responsibility. Pack-it-In, Pack-it Out Recycling saves energy and resources. The EL Yunque National Forest receives over a million visitors a year, leaving behind tons of garbage that impact our ecosystems and adversely affects their ability to enjoy the forest. A comprehensive program, reinforced with a strong educational component, will be used to educate our visitors and involve surrounding communities by encouraging them to “Pack it in and Pack it out;” taking everything that they bring into the Forest with them when they leave. Through the use of sign graphics, visitors will be shown how to recycle and properly dispose of leftover garbage. Financial participation from our partners will ensure that the El Yunque National Forest design and install the components necessary to complete this important public service project. Cost: $60,000 Table 16 - Conservation Education Priorities Project 1st Tier Criteria El Yunque National Forest 78 2nd Tier Criteria Totals Ranking Tropical Forest Trunk 34 13 47 1 Pack-it-In, Pack-it-Out 31.1 14 45.1 2 Rent-A-Ranger Special Offer 33.6 11 44.6 3 More Kids in the Woods 33.8 10 43.8 4 Puerto Rican Parrot Elementary School Module 32.5 11 43.5 5
January 2009 Interpretation and Conservation Education Master Plan Project 1st Tier Criteria 2nd Tier Criteria Totals Ranking Educational brochures 25.6 9 34.6 6 Educational Fairs 28.6 5 33.6 7 Overnight Forest Experiences Accessibility 17.5 8 25.5 8 During the formulation of the ICE-Master Plan, selected El Yunque NF visitor information sites were thoroughly evaluated to determine their present level of accessibility. The sites were evaluated using the USDA Forest Service Exhibit Accessibility Checklist (based on the Smithsonian Institution Exhibition Accessibility Checklist); additional site-specific accessibility requirements were derived from the results of an “accessibility walkthrough” of the El Portal Visitor Center conducted during the February, 2008 ICE-Master Plan Core Team Workshop. The following sites were evaluated: El Portal Rain Forest Center, Yokahú Tower Interpretive Site, Palma de Sierra Recreational Area and Palo Colorado Visitor Center. Accessibility Factors • Due to the Forest’s location within the rugged Luquillo mountain range accessible terrain is limited; • The Yokahu Tower Interpretive site was built in the early 1960’s before ABA and ADA federally mandated guidelines were established and enforced; • The Palo Colorado and Palma de Sierra Visitor Information Sites were constructed in the 1930s, before ABA and ADA federally mandated guidelines were established and enforced; • Over the years, minor accessibility improvements have been made to the parking areas and restrooms at these sites. • The El Portal Rain Forest Center, which was opened to the public in 1996, was the last major construction project to be completed on the Forest; accessibility was a major factor in the design of this facility, its exhibits and displays. • Picnic shelters, swimming pools and trails have not been considered accessible in the past because they are constructed on rugged, 79 El Yunque National Forest Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis
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2009 - USDA Forest Service

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