Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee
The Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) advises Estuary throughout the decision-making process regarding what and how to restore and conserve the estuary. This ensures that actions are aligned with and updated according to the most advanced scientific and technical knowledge. The STAC is responsible for:
- Validate the scientific and technical basis of Estuary decisions.
- Validate the scientific and technical basis of the restoration and conservation projects included in the annual work plans of Estuary.
The following members of the scientific community make up STAC:
- Ariel E. Lugo — Hanael Asociados, Inc. — President
- Angel Meléndez — Water Quality Manager, Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources
- Autumn Oczkowski — Research Scientist, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Christa Von Hillebrant — International Tsunami Information Center / Caribbean Office, U.S. National Weather Service
- Estrella Santiago — Environmental Affairs Manager, Martin Peña Channel Link Project Corporation
- Evelyn Huertas — San Juan Bay Estuary Project Officer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Ivan Llerandi — Supervising Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Jorge Ortiz — Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, Río Piedras Campus, University of Puerto Rico
- Jorge Rivera Santos — Professor, Mayagüez Campus, University of Puerto Rico
- José Rivera — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Julieta M. Gómez Fragoso — United States Geological Survey
- Tischa Muñoz-Erickson — Adjunct Professor, Río Piedras Campus, University of Puerto Rico
- Wilberto Cubero — Task Force VIPR, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Meeting materials:
Citizens' Advisory Committee
The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is a forum that brings together the diverse voices of local communities, as part of Estuary's direct commitment to them. During the 2022 strategic planning process, the CAC integrated representatives from sectors that do not necessarily reside in the region encompassing the estuarine system (study area), but who have a particular interest in the estuary's conservation and restoration. This includes, for example, local business leaders, especially from the tourism and fishing sectors, as well as workers and visitors. This ensures that the CAC has greater representation of stakeholders in the watershed.
The purpose of the CAC is to ensure that Estuary has the knowledge and understanding of stakeholders when deciding what and how to restore and conserve the estuary. Its role is to advise Estuary throughout the decision-making process, as needed, to ensure that estuary restoration and conservation are carried out in a culturally competent manner and integrate stakeholder knowledge and understanding of the challenges and actions required to achieve the mission. The CAC is responsible for:
- Sharing real and practical contextual observations from all stakeholders to validate the scientific and technical basis of Estuary decisions.
- Channeling and amplifying the voices of all stakeholders throughout the Estuary decision-making process to ensure that actions are not only based on science, but are also culturally appropriate and correct.
- Validate the strategies that will support stakeholder participation in the restoration and conservation of the estuary, included in the Estuary's annual work plans, before submitting them to the Implementation Committee.
The CAC is composed of the following members of the estuarine community:
- Marisol Jiménez — Friends of the County Lagoon — County, San Juan — President
- Ana D. Hernández — Puerto Rico Canoeing Federation — Condado, San Juan
- Ana Laura Soto Ducos — Venus Gardens Urbanization Residents Association, Inc. — Venus Gardens, San Juan
- Betzaida López — Municipal Administration — Loíza
- Cynthia Manfred — Guarda Río — University Gardens, San Juan
- Federico Cintrón Moscoso — The Bridge — Río Piedras and Santurce, San Juan
- Gertrudis Calderón Hernández — Cantera Peninsula Neighborhood Council — Cantera Peninsula, San Juan
- Joyce Kim — Machuchal, Santurce, San Juan
- Laura Teresa Magruder — Friends of the County Lagoon — County, Santurce, and Miramar, San Juan
- Lucy Cruz — G-8 — Caño Martín Peña, San Juan
- Manuel Minero González — Friends of Fort San Jerónimo — Boquerón and Laguna del Condado, San Juan
- Mariana Reyes Sanglero — La Goyco Community Workshop — Santurce, San Juan
- Michael Fernández — Faces with a Cause — Cataño and Guaynabo Norte
- Nilsa Medina — Lake View Neighborhood Association — Las Curías, Cupey, San Juan
- Paco López Mujica — Arrecifes Pro Ciudad — Isla Verde, Carolina
- Wanda Ivelisse González-Vélez — Toabajeños en Defensa del Ambiente / Al rescate de mi escuela — Levittown, Toa Baja
Meeting materials:
