The National Park Service just issued the following press release. Here it is in its entirety:
Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Park Units to Remain Closed
San Juan, PR. – All National Park Service Units in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands will remain closed. The NPS Eastern Incident Management Team (EIMT) and the Superintendent for the National Parks of the Caribbean reiterate and reinforce the closure of all park units due to continued Hurricane Maria recovery and emergency stabilization efforts.
Under the authority granted the National Park Service and the Superintendent under 36 CFR §1.5 – Closures and public use limits, the closure(s) will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. Unsafe and hazardous conditions continue to exist for both the general public and park employees.
No date to reopen any areas is known at this time. As local conditions improve the Superintendent will evaluate and open specific areas.
Due to the closure all holders of Special Use Permits should consider any current or pending permits to be on hold until the park area re-opens. Permit holders are encouraged to visit https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/severe-weather-response.htm for updates to local conditions and progress of stabilization efforts, or visit the individual park unit website.
Two positives and one negative:
The trees are greening up in your pictures!! and the parks and beaches are
getting a chance to recover.
Negative-I realize survival mode including food, water and shelter
takes priority over beach recovery, but….what kind of debris is in the water and is there a remote plan to remove any hazards.
I would hope that the National Park Service will open the parks and beaches as soon as possible.
We live on the coast in NE Massachusetts and see hurricanes and Nor’easters. The beaches will be fine in weeks. Debris can be cleaned up and no one expects that to be done overnight, but it isn’t a reason to keep the parks and trails closed. Cinnamon Bay is a great place to camp. Again, to pitch a tent, have a cook stove and a cooler is part of the camping experience. All you need is a couple of bathhouses.
I heard rumors that the parks could be closed for a year. Hoping that is not the case.
I worked for the National Park Service in Wyoming in the early 200’s and The goal of all National Parks is to sustain itself for generations to enjoy- not to be ready for the next tourist season and the people who run the show take that very seriously. I wouldn’t be surprised if parts of the park are closed for regrowth for a significant ammont of time but perhaps a beach or 2 would be open maybe South facing beaches. That’s just an opinion not based in any direct knowledge.