Governor González-Colón's June 30, 2025 emergency declaration activates coordinated government response, mandates DNER leadership of nearshore interception efforts, and establishes the policy environment in which Reclaim Nature's infrastructure operates. The order directed DNER to coordinate with all relevant agencies and municipalities, and delegated to the DNER Secretary authority to designate additional affected areas requiring urgent attention. Reclaim Nature's three priority sites in Fajardo fall within the operational zones identified as critical under this mandate. The expedited permitting provisions of Section 2 apply to DNER and Puerto Rico government agencies. Reclaim Nature's federal USACE Section 10 permit is an independent federal requirement that Reclaim Nature is actively pursuing through the standard USACE Caribbean District Regulatory Office process, consistent with and in support of the Commonwealth emergency response.
View Executive Order OE-2025-037 (Official PDF) →Reclaim Nature is pursuing all required federal and Commonwealth authorizations before deploying any infrastructure. This page reflects the current status of each regulatory pathway in real time.
No permits have been formally submitted as of May 2026. The pre-application package is complete and Reclaim Nature is in the final stage of consolidating Letters of Intent and supporting documents before formal submission. A pre-application meeting with USACE Caribbean District was completed on May 5, 2026. Permit documentation will be published on this page upon issuance.
| Authority / Framework | Filing | Status |
|---|---|---|
| USACE Section 10 (Rivers and Harbors Act) | ENG Form 4345 pre-application package | Pre-application package complete. Consolidating final supporting documents. Formal submission pending. |
| DNER Regulation 4860 | Coastal works authorization | Parallel coordination initiated with Ricardo J. Colón, DNER East Region. Authorization required prior to USACE submission. |
| NMFS: Endangered Species Act | Section 7 consultation pathway | Section 7 consultation to be initiated following USACE pre-application guidance. Biological Assessment process not yet begun. |
| Executive Order 2025-037 | State of emergency mandate alignment | Operating in direct alignment |
The DESMI Sea Turtle MKII is a hydraulically driven floating collection unit that removes sargassum directly from the water surface with no seabed or substrate contact and no sand entrainment. Collected biomass and co-entrained water are transferred as a slurry through an 8-inch discharge hose to the shore-side staging area. Rated capacity: 20 to 30 metric tons per hour. Operational reach: up to approximately 240 meters from shore. Seawater co-collected with biomass is returned to the marine environment at or near the point of collection without chemical addition or process inputs. The system has been deployed across more than 72,100 feet of Caribbean coastline as of September 2025.
DESMI Sea Turtle Sargassum Remover models. Left: DESMI Tri-Turtle. Right: DESMI E-Turtle. Displayed with permission from DESMI A/S. Source: DESMI A/S technical documentation.
Learn more about DESMI technology at desmi.comA 2024 peer-reviewed study published in Marine Policy (León-Pérez et al.) identified the lack of clarity in Puerto Rico's sargassum legal framework as the primary barrier to effective mitigation, with boom placement specifically cited as one of the most complex and time-consuming regulatory processes. The study co-developed a permitting flowchart with agency and academic representatives to map U.S. federal and Puerto Rico Commonwealth laws and regulations that apply to sargassum removal and barrier placement. Reclaim Nature's pre-application submission to USACE and parallel coordination with DNER Regulation 4860 directly addresses the regulatory pathway identified in this research.
León-Pérez, M.C., McLaughlin, R.J., Gibeaut, J.C., Carrubba, L., Colón-Rivera, R.J., et al. (2024). First steps towards untangling the sargassum legal regime in Puerto Rico. Marine Policy. Open Access. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106081
Section 10 Rivers and Harbors Act permit authority for nearshore boom placement and mooring systems in navigable waters.
Pre-application submitted April 30, 2026.Contact: Nelson Colon, nelson.r.colon@usace.army.mil
Federal scientific authority on sargassum as a Harmful Algal Bloom. Funds Puerto Rico emergency response activities. Governs Essential Fish Habitat classification of sargassum under federal fisheries law. Active funder of heavy metals testing and reuse strategy evaluation in Puerto Rico through 2026.
Coordination initiated through USACE pre-application process.NOAA NCCOS is actively funding sargassum heavy metals and reuse strategy research in Puerto Rico through the same DNER partnership Reclaim Nature coordinates with. Source: NOAA NCCOS, September 2025.
ESA Section 7 consultation authority for four listed sea turtle species present in the project area: leatherback, green, hawksbill, and Kemp's ridley.
Formal consultation to be initiated following USACE pre-application meeting guidance.Contact: NMFS Caribbean Field Office
Source: Periodismo Investigativo 2023, DNER officials confirmed Puerto Rico's mitigation strategies must concur with requirements established by USFWS, USACE, and NOAA. NOAA NCCOS Harmful Algal Bloom Event Response Program, September 2025.
| Site | Coordinates | Operator / Steward |
|---|---|---|
| Puerto Chico Marina | 18°20′55″N, 65°38′06″W | Grand Caribbean Marinas |
| Las Croabas | 18°21′54″N, 65°38′12″W | Municipality of Fajardo / DNER |
| Sardinera Beach | 18°20′00″N, 65°38′00″W | Grand Caribbean Marinas |
