By The Star Staff
Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón announced Tuesday that she has filed House Resolution 359, which seeks to convert Fort San Gerónimo del Boquerón in San Juan into the first area in Puerto Rico to be affiliated with the National Park System (NPS), and the 31st in the nation.
“Nothing in this section authorizes the Secretary (of the Interior) to acquire property in the affiliated area or assume managerial or financial responsibility for the operation, maintenance, or administration of the affiliated area,” the measure says.
By being designated as an affiliated area, the NPS could provide technical and financial assistance for the site’s preservation.
The resident commissioner said she has teamed with entities such as the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, the State Office of Historic Preservation and the organization Friends of Fort San Gerónimo to preserve the historic structure, which is included in the National Register of Historic Places of the United States.
Built in 1796, Fort San Gerónimo del Boquerón is the last waterline fortification in its original state in the Americas, as well as the most threatened property in the military heritage of San Juan, especially after the impact of Hurricane Maria.
Comments