Wednesday, December 28, 2011

La Fortaleza – Press Office

787-721-9166

(Two-tier plebiscite will gauge voters’ support of current territorial status, as well as non-territorial status preferences)

Ponce, Puerto Rico – For the first time ever, Puerto Rico’s voters will face in 2012 an up or down vote on their support for the island’s current status as a U.S. territory.  The vote is part of a two-tier status consultation that Puerto Rico Governor Luis G. Fortuño signed into law today, during a ceremony held in the hometown of his Republican predecessor and political mentor, former Governor Luis A. Ferré.

The November 6, 2012 status choice ballot, which will be included as a separate ballot the same day voters also choose their Governor, non-voting Member of Congress, Mayors and legislators, will pose two questions to the island’s electorate.  Voters will first be asked if they agree with maintaining the current territorial political condition, to which they can answer either yes or no. 

Irrespective of voters’ answer to the first question, voters will also be asked to express their preference for one of the three non-territorial status options recognized by Congress, Republican and Democratic presidential administrations as well as the United Nations: statehood, independence or free association.

“By virtue of this status consultation, we will know clearly, first, whether or not our people wish to maintain the current territorial status and second, which of the non-territorial alternatives enjoys the most support among Puerto Ricans,” said Governor Fortuño.

The Governor emphasized that the two-tier configuration of the 2012 status consultation takes into account a series of findings and recommendations from the three most recent reports of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status (2005, 2007 and 2011), as well as previous experiences with both local and federal status initiatives.  “This status consultation also fulfills a pledge we made to voters in 2008, that during this term they would have the opportunity to express their preference for Puerto Rico’s future,” said the Governor.

“The island’s status is an issue that affects every aspect of our daily lives, including employment opportunities, health services, public safety, our children’s education and our very rights as American citizens,” said the Governor.  “The moment has arrived for our people to act decisively to resolve Puerto Rico’s status issue once and for all.  When the people make their historic choice next November, it will then be the turn of elected officials – both in San Juan and Washington – to act upon that mandate,” Fortuño concluded.

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Twelve Professors from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico participate in the agency’s first web-based federal grant writing workshop

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Twelve professors from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico today participated in the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration’s (PRFAA) first web-based federal grant writing workshop for the Island, announced PRFAA Executive Director Nicole Guillemard.

The webinar workshop offered by PRFAA’s Federal Proposals division was held Friday morning, and linked PRFAA’s federal grant experts in D.C. with professors at the Interamerican University.

“PRFAA’s first web-based federal grant writing workshop for the Island will give professors the necessary tools to apply for and secure federal funds for important education programs,” Guillemard said. “Our goal with the webinar is to reach organizations that might not otherwise have access to training to share expertise and practical know-how on how to write competitive federal grant applications.”

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http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/15/us/transportation-projects/index.html 

By Jim Barnett, CNN

December 15, 2011 — Updated 2325 GMT (0725 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Projects range from roadways to light rail systems to bike-share programs
• Applications came from all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.
• A total of 848 applications sought $14.3 billion
• The $511 million available will go for 46 projects in 33 states and Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON (CNN) — All 50 states plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., submitted applications to the Department of Transportation for grants to fund DOT projects, but — in a sign of tough economic times coupled with a shortage of federal dollars — not everyone is finding presents under the federal Christmas tree this year.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Thursday that 46 transportation projects in 33 states and Puerto Rico will receive $511 million in the latest round of Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants.

See the list of projects (PDF)

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Municipality of Guaynabo, DTOP Wins U.S. Dept. of Transportation TIGER III Grant; 828 Applications Received Nationwide & Only 46 Awarded

The Municipality of Guaynabo’s win of $10 million through a nationwide competition is a first for Puerto Rico, Gov. Luis Fortuño said today, underscoring that over 828 applications from the 50 states, U.S. territories and D.C. were submitted but only 46 awarded in the fiercely-competitive third round of the federal transportation grant competition – known as TIGER III.

This is Puerto Rico’s first award through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program announced Thursday. TIGER III provided $511 million nationwide to invest, on a competitive basis, in job-creating transportations projects with a significant national or regional impact. The Governor and Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration staff met and worked with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and other senior Department officials to make the case for Puerto Rico’s projects leading up to application submissions in October.

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Determines Natural Gas Project Would Not Have a Significant Impact on the Environment

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today issued a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for Puerto Rico’s proposed Via Verde natural gas pipeline, determining in its year-long, intensive review that the project will not have a significant impact on the environment and will be constructed in full compliance with all federal and state safety requirements.

“The U.S. Army Corps has taken the time necessary to independently evaluate and confirm that the Via Verde project will not have a significant impact on the environment,” said Puerto Rico Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock. “We will continue to work collaboratively with the Corps toward final approval of the project which will allow Puerto Rico to convert its oil burning plants to natural gas – reducing emissions by as much as 79 percent and substantially lowering electricity rates for consumers.”

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PRFAA’s Federal Proposals personnel will offer 6 workshops in the Ceiba, Guanica, Isabela, Arroyo, Vega Alta, and Añasco municipalities

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Executive Director Nicole Guillemard today announced the opening of registration for the agency’s next round of federal grant writing workshops that will be offered in early December in six municipalities across the Island.

The workshops, conducted by PRFAA’s Federal Proposals division personnel, will be held on Dec. 6 in Ceiba and Guanica, Dec. 8 in Isabela and Dec. 9 in Arroyo and Vega Alta from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m each day.  In addition, PRFAA will host a summit for non-profit organizations from the western part of the Island on Dec. 7-8 in Añasco, where the workshop will be offered from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The workshops are free of charge and registration closes on Dec. 1.

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The American Road and Transportation Builders Association has recognized the Puerto Rico P3 Authority with the Project of the Year Award for 2011. ARTBA’s press release is below:

(WASHINGTON)—Two organizations were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of Public Private Partnerships (P3s) within the transportation construction industry November 15 at the American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) 23^rd Annual P3 Conference in Washington, D.C.

ARTBA’s P3 Awards Program spotlights the important projects and people who bring together private and public resources to help meet the nation’s critical transportation infrastructure needs.  Applicants were judged by members of ARTBA’s P3 Division.

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Farms and ranches in Manati, Arecibo, Lares and Utuado will be visited to explore credit and lending opportunities

San Juan, PR- In their continued effort to incentivize agricultural development in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) and Secretary of Agriculture Javier Rivera Aquino are hosting executives from the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation, known as Farmer Mac, on a fact-finding tour of Puerto Rico’s agricultural industry this week to explore the expansion of credit and lending to the Island’s farmers and ranchers.

Secretary Aquino and PRFAA staff will lead Farmer Mac Executive Vice-President and COO Tom Stenson and Director of Business Development Patrick Kerrigan on a tour of farms and ranches in Manati, Arecibo, Lares and Utuado to assess the potential of buying loans from local institutions, thus freeing much-needed investment capital. Farmer Mac is a public corporation created by Congress to increase the availability of long-term credit for America’s agriculture industry.

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