With the official designation of the San Juan Bay Estuary as one of national importance in 1992, the Governor of Puerto Rico convened the Management Conference as a partnership of citizen and governmental entities at the federal, state, and local levels, under the auspices of the federal Clean Water Act. Its focus is on:
- Identify the reasons why the San Juan Bay Estuary system and its water quality are affected.
- Relate hydrodynamic modifications, pollutant loads, and capital improvement projects to the observed effects on uses, water quality, and natural resources of the estuary.
- Prepare the Comprehensive Management and Conservation Plan for the San Juan Bay Estuary with recommendations for priority measures to address and correct the alterations observed in the estuary and the schedules for implementing them.
- Coordinate the implementation of the Comprehensive Management and Conservation Plan for the San Juan Bay Estuary in conjunction with state agencies, municipalities, and citizens.
- Monitor the effectiveness of the implementation of the Comprehensive Management and Conservation Plan for the San Juan Bay Estuary.
- Ensure that the Comprehensive Management and Conservation Plan is aligned with the corresponding federal programs.
The Management Conference is composed of the Policy Committee and the Implementation Committee.
Policy Committee
The Public Policy Committee leads the development of policies and initiatives for the Estuary and supports the implementation of actions to achieve the Estuary's mission. The Policy Committee members represent the San Juan Bay Estuary Conservation Corporation, federal and state agencies, scientists, and the public and private sectors. They are:
George Saint Michael
President
San Juan Estuary Management ConferenceMaría de Lourdes Jiménez
President
San Juan Bay Estuary Conservation CorporationHon. Waldemar Quiles
Secretary
Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental ResourcesHon. Edwin González Montalvo
Secretary
Department of Transportation and Public WorksHon. Hector A. Morales Martinez
President
Puerto Rico Planning BoardHon. Luis González Delgado
President
Water and sewage AuthorityLieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Weander
Commanding
United States Army Corps of Engineers, Caribbean DistrictCarmen Guerrero
Director
United States Environmental Protection Agency in the CaribbeanAriel Lugo
President
Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC)Marisol Jiménez
President
Citizens' Advisory Committee (CAC)Ramón Lloveras San Miguel
Representative of the banking and financial sector
The purpose of the Policy Committee is to define the restoration and conservation needs of the estuary and prioritize the necessary actions, according to their significance and importance, to achieve the mission. Its responsibilities include:
- Promote the restoration and conservation of the estuary under the federal Clean Water Act.
- Define the actions and priorities for restoration and conservation.
- Sharing strategies to achieve efficiency in the implementation of actions.
- Approve the annual work plans for Estuary.
Meeting materials:
May 26, 2021 - Presentation of the twelfth work plan of the PEBSJ
Implementation Committee
In 2022, the Management Conference re-established the Implementation Committee. Once the Policy Committee has defined the actions necessary to restore and conserve the estuary, the Implementation Committee coordinates their implementation according to priority. Therefore, the Implementation Committee is responsible for:
- Conceptualize projects to advance the restoration and conservation actions and priorities defined by the Public Policy Committee.
- To monitor progress in the implementation of actions and priorities, and to present the challenges, opportunities and lessons learned for the consideration of the Public Policy Committee.
- Validate the annual work plans before they are approved by the Board of Directors.
The Implementation Committee includes senior professional and administrative staff from each of the Policy Committee entities, representatives of entities responsible for implementing infrastructure projects, representatives of the business community, and other key stakeholders in land management:
- Municipality of Bayamón
- Municipality of Carolina
- Municipality of Cataño
- Municipality of Guaynabo
- Municipality of Loíza
- Municipality of San Juan
- Municipality of Toa Baja
- Municipality of Trujillo Alto
- Education deparment
- Housing Department
- Department of Natural and Environmental Resources
- Department of Transportation and Public Works
- Water and sewage Authority
- Department of Economic Development and Trade
- Planning Board
- Ports Authority
- United States Army Corps of Engineers
- United States Coast Guard
- United States Environmental Protection Agency
- United States Geological Survey
Meeting materials:
