House passes González-Colón’s bill to designate Fort San Gerónimo in Puerto Rico as an affiliated area of the National Park System

Washington, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 359, the Fort San Gerónimo Preservation Act, legislation sponsored by Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón to establish Fort San Gerónimo del Boquerón in San Juan, Puerto Rico as an affiliated area of the National Park System.

Affiliated areas are sites managed and owned by nonfederal entities but for which the National Park Service (NPS) provides technical or financial assistance under the terms of a formal agreement. While they are not units of the National Park System, affiliated area designation recognizes the significance of the sites' resources and affirms that they are being managed consistent with standards that apply to NPS units.

"Fort San Gerónimo is a gem in our military history, having played a leading role repelling the British attack during the 1797 Battle of San Juan, the last attack on Puerto Rico by a major European power. Its preservation is invaluable to the cultural and historical legacy of the Island. When the hardships of rehabilitating and maintaining the property were brought to my attention by local entities managing the site, I partnered with them to seek federal assistance for its conservation," said González-Colón. "By designating the Fort as an affiliated area, H.R. 359 provides an alternative to preserve its historical legacy through direct access to technical and financial assistance from the National Park Service. I thank colleagues in the House for their support and I look forward to continuing working together to get this important legislation across the finish line."

"Respecting, honoring, and conserving the history of our lands is some of the most essential work that we do in Congress. Protecting Fort San Gerónimo through H.R. 359 will help maintain this important historical site for decades, creating opportunities for visitors to learn and honor those who fought and worked at Fort San Gerónimo. I want to thank Representative González-Colón for her hard work on this bill, and I hope to see it eventually signed into law shortly," said Congressman Bruce Westerman, Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Congresswoman González-Colón highlighted the historic and military importance of Fort San Gerónimo on the House floor earlier.

You can watch her full remarks here.

The Fort San Gerónimo Preservation Act would:

• Establish Fort San Gerónimo del Boquerón as an affiliated area of the National Park System-the first in Puerto Rico.
• Authorize the National Park Service to enter into cooperative agreements with the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture to provide technical and financial assistance for the fort's preservation, without placing the site under federal ownership.
• Bring national recognition to Fort San Gerónimo's role, in turn helping better interpret the full story of the San Juan National Historic Site and that of the oldest and largest Spanish fortification system in the United States.

The House Natural Resources Committee considered and unanimously approved the Fort San Gerónimo Preservation Act in both the 117th and the 118th Congress. During a hearing on the legislation, the NPS testified in support of designating Fort San Gerónimo as an affiliated area of the National Park System.

H.R. 359 is supported by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and the Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office.

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