Conservation Security Program (CSP)

Updated 06/13/2008

2008 Watersheds Announced for the Caribbean Area

One Puerto Rico watershed was selected for the 2008 Conservation Security Program sign-up. The Culebrinas-Guanajibo Puerto Rico 8 – Digit Hydrologic Unit: 21010003 has an extension of about 504 sq. mi. (322,560 acres), which covers about 14.5 percent of the main Island of Puerto Rico. The watershed encompasses 16 municipalities extending from Aguadilla in the northwest to Cabo Rojo in the southwest, and to Adjuntas in the west-central interior (see Figure 1). This watershed represents a large diversity of land uses such as: urban land, grazingland, cropland, wetland, recreational land and forest land. Soil erosion, water quality, and wildlife are major concerns in the watershed.

There are 163,863 acres of farm land in this watershed. The slopes range from near leveled land to over 60%. Most of the farming is performed in small farms in the mountainous areas. The economy of these municipalities is based on agriculture, manufacturing industries and tourism. From the 16 municipalities within the watershed, 2 are not considered for statistical purposes as most of their lands do not drain to the watershed. Fifty three percent of the total farmland is devoted to cropland and grassland, and 47% is under woodland, forestland, idle or used for cropland conservation. Eighty-five percent of the total farms and 65% of the total acreage have full ownership. Only 5% of the farms have part owners or tenants. Crops and livestock are common within the area. Coffee production and grazing lands are important resources for the economy and welfare of Puerto Rico. There are about 10,000 farms and 60,000 acres devoted to coffee orchards in this area with an average production of 14,000 tons (280 hw), and an approximated market value of $42 million.

Click on the map thumbnail below for a larger version of each image.

Watershed Coverage	Municipalities in the Watershed	Map of Puerto Rico showing Western watershed in yellow.

For contact information about the USDA Field Service Center nearest you where you may submit your Conservation Security Program application, use the table below to determine your Service Center area and locate the contact information in the Caribbean Area Field Office Directory.

CSP Publications

These documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader

CSP Self Assessment Workbook (1.79 MB)
 Puerto Rico Application Steps (11 KB)
Watershed Proposal Documentation (859 KB)
Presentation on CSP 2008 Program purpose, eligibility, application process & payment components (1.84 MB)
CSP 2008 Payment Schedule (101 KB)
CSP 2008 Fact Sheet (51 KB)
CSP Enhancement Activities (13 KB)
 Initial Questionnaire

Contact

Jaime Valentin, State Resource Conservationist,
Telephone: 787-766-5206, extension 229

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