Conservation of El Samán forest came after an extensive struggle to prevent the construction of a drugstore
Ponce - A community struggle that lasted more than a decade ended recently with a resounding victory for environmental protection, resulting in the first acquisition of an urban forest by the conservationist organization Para la Naturaleza (PLN) and the rescue of an important lung near the urban center of this municipality.
Sandra Molina Colón, professor of Ecology and one of the spokespersons of the Friends of the Trees Committee (Coamar), the group that led the battle for the natural space, today known as El Samán forest, said, "It has been more than 10 years since the process of reclaiming this space began, so that it would be preserved as a forest and a Walgreens would not be built, which was what was planned for this place".
El Samán is a piece of land of approximately two acres, just steps away from a factory of the manufacturing giant Medtronic, in the Sabanetas neighborhood. Because of its relatively small size, the forest can easily go unnoticed by those who take the Luis A. Ferré Highway (PR-52) exit towards PR-1, in the direction of the urban center of La Perla del Sur.
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