Bosque del Pueblo (''People's Forest'') is one of the 20 forest units that make up the
public forest system of
Puerto Rico. The 738-acres forest is located in the municipality of
Adjuntas and it comprises a preserved zone which was endangered of being developed as a
quarry between the years 1980 and 1995. The forest is located in lands shared by the Adjuntas barrios or districts of
Vegas Arriba,
Vegas Abajo
Vegas Abajo is a rural barrio in the municipality of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico.
History
Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became an unincorporated territo ...
and
Pellejas de Adjuntas. In addition to preserving the forest, the reserve is important to the preservation of the hydrological basins of the
Pellejas and
Viví Rivers, and many of the tributaries of the
Arecibo River
Arecibo (; ) is a city and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about west of San Juan, t ...
have their sources in the forest lands. The forest also functions as an ecological corridor between the
Guilarte
Guilarte is a rural barrio in the municipality of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico.
History
In the 19th century, Guilarte was a large coffee producer.
Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Tre ...
,
Río Abajo and
Toro Negro Forests.
History
The area where the forest was established is rich in
gold,
silver and
copper deposits and was intended to be developed as an open-air mine. Between the years 1980 and 1995 the cultural and environmentalist community group ''Taller de Arte y Cultura-
Casa Pueblo'' lobbied against the construction of quarries in the area, and in 1995 the
Puerto Rico government agreed to prevent mining from being developed in the forest lands. The forest was established and is managed by both the
Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the Community Management Agreement Group and
Casa Pueblo, now a non-profit environmental watchdog community-based organization in
Adjuntas, Puerto Rico.
Ecology
The forest reserve is an important breeding site for the
migratory black-whiskered vireo (
''Vireo altiloquus'').
The forest is also home to several endangered species including the Puerto Rican broad-winged hawk (''
Buteo platypterus brunnescens''), and the Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk (
''Accipiter striatus venator'').
Recreation
The forest reserve is open to the public and offers interpretative trails, a recreational and picnic area, a plant nursery, and a realistic replica of a native
Taíno ceremonial court and
batey. The non-profit organization Casa Pueblo also hosts a butterfly house, a store that sells traditional arts and crafts, a small antiquities museum, and a café. Casa Pueblo also offers educational tours, classes and talks on environmental issues, and cultural workshops.
Camping is allowed in the forest under certain restrictions and reservations must be made beforehand.
See also
*
Casa Pueblo
*
List of Puerto Rico state forests
This article lists state forests in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico state forests
The following are Puerto Rico state forests. Note on the area: As of August 2013, the Government of Puerto Rico is engaged in an ongoing plan of land ...
References
External links
Casa Pueblo(non-profit organization, Spanish and English)
{{Protected areas of Puerto Rico
Tourist attractions in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico state forests
Forestry in Puerto Rico
Nature conservation organizations based in Puerto Rico
Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
1995 establishments in Puerto Rico
Protected areas established in 1995