The scene in Rincón, Puerto Rico, is intense right now as hundreds of people from local and surrounding communities are rallying against the construction of an ill-conceived paved bike path along two miles of coastline, from Dome’s Beach to Rincon Public Beach.
The proposed path runs along the beach of Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, a federally registered and community-created marine protected area and one of Surfrider’s first ocean protection victories nearly 20 years ago. The reserve protects habitat for hawksbill turtles, elkhorn coral, and an abundance of other marine wildlife, and is home to one of the most iconic surf breaks in Puerto Rico. The path also runs through Bosque Comunitario La Armonía, a community-led reforestation project that plays a key role in controlling erosion, managing stormwater, and capturing carbon.
The community of Rincón recently established a well-used and loved coastal trail that runs along the coastline in harmony with the local ecosystems and shoreline dynamics. It is nature-based, without pavement, and adaptable to a changing shoreline. Now, the trail and the shoreline of Rincón are in grave danger of being forever altered by an unnecessary and much less resilient option.
The Surfrider Rincón chapter became aware of plans for the project nearly 17 years ago! Since 2007, the chapter and the local community have been critical of efforts to unnecessarily pave the coast. At that time we criticized the current plans and also suggested solutions. Both the problems and solutions remain largely the same today.
The idea of a bike path is not a bad one, but in this case the plan will harm the very area it is providing access to. The project seeks to irreversibly convert portions of Rincón’s natural shoreline into paved and fortified access infrastructure. Surfrider, our coalition partners, and the local community are strongly opposed to this project as planned and demand it be halted because it will:
- Destroy significant portions of Bosque Comunitario La Armonía and 20 years of community reforestation efforts including the planting of 1,500 trees.
- Pave segments of the shoreline at Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, disrupting sand flow and other natural coastal processes.
- Remove trees and pave areas within the Maritime Terrestrial Zone at Domes Beach, a popular venue for local and international surf competitions.
- Construct six-foot seawalls in two critical areas within the Maritime Terrestrial Zone, which will negatively impact access and accelerate beach erosion.
According to Paseo Responsable:
“This is a federally funded project … but its design—developed nearly 30 years ago—poses a threat to sensitive coastal ecosystems and local economic resources. The current design raises serious concerns. It threatens coastal habitats, protected ecosystems, and local biodiversity, including Tres Palmas Marine Reserve and Bosque Comunitario La Armonía. The plan lacks updated environmental reviews, overlooks recent coastal changes, and may violate federal laws like the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act.”
Additionally, the plan appears to rely on federal permits from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) that seem to be in conflict with a 2024 Coastal Storm Risk Management Study for Puerto Rico, conducted by the USACE. The study, equipped with a coastal retreat plan, rejects shoreline hardening as an ineffective and environmentally damaging approach.
In Isabella, 35 miles northwest of Rincón, a bike path built too close to the shoreline is already failing, as it erodes into the ocean (rather than fortify the remaining portions with revetment, Surfrider is working towards more sustainable solutions, such as relocation of failed segments). Across the country, at Surfers Point in Ventura, California, final steps are underway, after 35 years of advocacy, to relocate another failing bike path and parking lot. It's critical that we learn from past experiences, and not make the same mistakes on our coasts and our ability to enjoy them.
The Isabela bike path built too close to the beach now falling into the ocean. Credit: Chad Nelsen/Surfrider
Surfrider is deeply concerned about the project in Rincón and demands that construction be stopped and plans are modified to eliminate all impacts on Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, Bosque Comunitario La Armonia, and Rincón’s precious shoreline.
The solution is straightforward: Work with, instead of against, the local community to design a coastal bike path that meets the community’s needs. Surfrider guarantees that in doing so, it will be one that is harmonious with the coastal environment and enhances, instead of harms, the amazing coastal and ocean resources of Rincón and Puerto Rico.
For more information and to take action, please visit our friends at Paseo Responsable.
*Featured Image by: @WorkForAvocados