The Puerto Rico Land Authority will preserve 1,000 acres of wetlands as part of an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Wetlands help prevent flooding and the pollution of rivers, lakes and streams. The wetlands preserved under the settlement, the majority of which are in Loiza just east of San Juan, will now be protected from future commercial and industrial development. The land will be protected through a conservation easement filed under Puerto Rico law to ensure that it will remain undeveloped forever. “Protecting wetlands is a priority for EPA, especially in Puerto Rico where they are increasingly threatened by over development,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “Through EPA’s settlement with the Land Authority, 1,000 acres of vital wetlands will now be preserved forever.”