News from the Caño Martín Peña Location
2019
October 21
The RARE project entitled, Green Infrastructure in Puerto Rico, conducted in Caño Martin Peña and completed in February 2019, has been posted in EPA Science Matters
May 2
International Conference: Recovery, Ownership and Displacements: Reflections from Communities
https://www.claridadpuertorico.com/cada-comunidad-debe-evaluar-el-sistema-que-mas-le-conviene/ (SPANISH) Exit
2018
December 4
The Rockefeller Foundation and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced today that the Caño Martín Peña Land Trust is one of 10 winners, out of 1,826 applicants from the United States and its territories, from the “Communities Thrive Challenge” competition. Exit
February 27
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it has provided the San Juan Bay Estuary Program $152,400 in new funding to support Hurricane Maria relief efforts and estuary restoration. The funding, through EPA’s Urban Waters Program, will be used to assess water quality and debris impacts within the 97-square mile urban estuarine watershed and will enhance community preparedness for future storm events. “Restoration of the San Juan Bay Estuary and priority areas, such as the Caño Martín Peña, to its optimal health is crucial to the area’s resiliency, health, and economy,” said Pete Lopez, EPA Regional Administrator.
February 6
The Puerto Rico Professional College of Engineers and Surveyors and the College of Landscape Architects and Architects, in alliance with Proyecto Enlace of Caño Martín Peña and the G-8, announced today the start of the “My Resistant House” project, through which safe homes will be built for families affected by Hurricane Maria.
https://www.elvocero.com/actualidad/nace-proyecto-mi-casa-resistente-para-familias-afectadas-por-mar/article_4f2f1cd2-0c8d-11e8-ac6d-5b4f80981555.html (In SPANISH) Exit
2017
September 20
Puerto Rico was still recovering from Hurricane Irma, a strong hurricane that almost made landfall September 6-7, 2017, when less than fourteen (14) days after, the Island received the direct impact of Hurricane María. Hurricane María was a powerful hurricane (Category 4-5 in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale) that pummeled Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. The island suffered many hours of continuous rain, flooding, tropical storm and hurricane strength gusts, coastal surges, landslides, and even tornados. Caño Martín Peña communities were severely affected by both extreme weather events.
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/hurricane-maria-inside-a-puerto-rican-barrios-fight-to-survive-201428/ Exit
May 1
$750,000 provided in the Federal Funding Agreement will enable the Caño Martín Peña project to proceed to the Preconstruction Engineering & Design (PED) phase, which is the long-awaited next step before construction. The Corps of Engineers will complete the engineering studies and designs for dredging approximately 2.2 miles of the eastern half of the Caño to a width of 100 feet and a depth of 10 feet, with slight variations in channel width and depth at the several bridges that cross the Caño.
2016
October 17th
Martin Pena Community Land Trust Receives UN Habitat Award (article in Spanish). Exit
May 18
Caño Martín Peña Project Moves Forward After Key Decision by Army for Civil Works. article Exit
2015
December 9th
Blog: “El Caño es Tuyo”: EPA Grantee unites with communities to revitalize the Martín Peña Channel and Surrounding Neighborhoods Exit
October 28th
EPA, USACE, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico signed a Memorandum of Understanding that ensures progress in the environmental restoration and dredging of the Martín Peña Channel.
October 26th
US Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Justice, and the Municipality of San Juan reached an agreement to make important investments to the storm sewer systems directly benefiting the Caño Martín Peña and the San Juan Bay Estuary.