Palmas del Mar Conservation Easement
Humacao, Puerto Rico

The Palmas del Mar Conservation Easement (PMCE) consists of several isolated patches of secondary subtropical forest, mangrove, and Pterocarpus forest totaling 144.5 acres of land. Set within the urban matrix of a private resort and residential property in the municipality Humacao (Eastern Region), the easement’s secondary forest presents a notable population of Ortegón (Coccoloba rugosa), an endemic species considered a critical element of Puerto Rico.

Two patches of Pterocarpus forest—one of the most important freshwater ecosystems in the Caribbean—are also protected through this conservation easement, providing important ecosystem services to the region, such as reducing the effects of severe floods and maintaining water quality. The scientific community has also recognized an important ecological area located just south of this conservation easement. Known as Punta Guayanés, it

presents a unique composition of flora related to that of the Virgin Islands.