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EPA, Caribbean Coral Reef Protection Group Host Public Listening Session
By Source Staff — February 2, 2013
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its government partners will hold a public listening session from 1-3:30 p.m. on Feb. 25, at the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Thomas. The sessions will be broadcast via video to locations in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to a press release issued Saturday by the EPA. The Caribbean Coral Reef Protection Group, led by EPA Region 2, was recently formed to facilitate a closer working relationship among its member agencies to coordinate government strategies in protecting coral reefs. During the listening session and at the accompanying broadcast locations, members of the Caribbean Coral Reef Protection Group will solicit input from the public regarding the state of coral reefs throughout Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and how best to protect them.
There are three locations to participate from: (1). The listening session will take place in the first floor conference room at the Administration and Conference Center (ACC) at the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Thomas. (2). The public session will be broadcasted live for the public at the EPA’s offices at City View Plaza II – Suite 7000, No. 48 Road. 165 km 1.2, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. (3). The public session will also be broadcast live for the public at the Great Hall at the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Croix.
Coral reef ecosystems throughout the Caribbean are being damaged by a growing number of problems such as overfishing, sediment runoff, pollution, disease and climate change, which causes the water to become warmer and more acidic. By implementing measures to reduce those stresses that can be addressed locally, coral health can be improved and reefs can become more resilient.
In addition to the EPA, the Caribbean Coral Reef Protection Group includes the following governmental agencies: The Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Coast Guard.
To RSVP and to sign up to speak at the Feb. 25 listening session on St. Thomas or at the public broadcast on St. Croix, contact Keshema Webbe at 714-2333 or [email protected].
Posted : February 4, 2013 3:48 pm