{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-c03aa079.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-517835be.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='PRico surf haven at risk of hotel development' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d329d8eafeecae1e78bc' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d329d8eafeecae1e78bc' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nPRico surf haven at risk of hotel development\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eA peaceful beach in a remote part of Puerto Rico which draws surfers from around the world every year is in danger of becoming commercialised.Developers and local officials are eager to transform it into a more traditional tourist...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eA peaceful beach in a remote part of Puerto Rico which draws surfers from around the world every year is in danger of becoming commercialised.Developers and local officials are eager to transform it into a more traditional tourist destination, bringing a hotel and villas to an unspoilt location. Wilderness Beach is a promise of opportunity for the local economy, but for surfers like Paul Schmidt, a 31-year-old from Rockaway, New York, the idea that the beach is going to be transformed into a built up area is a source of worry. \"So many places like this have been ruined by big resorts and people trying to make money off of something so beautiful and so pure,\" said Schmidt.For local pro surfer Lilac Alvarado, who started coming to Wilderness 13 years ago, the development would also be a great loss. \"Wilderness is magical; this beach is incredible,\" said Alvarado. \"The quality of the waves is great, they're large, powerful.\"The place has largely untouched since Christopher Columbus landed nearby on his second voyage to the Western Hemisphere. Battles between development and preservation have long played out worldwide. But the stakes are especially high here because Puerto Rico has already lost so much of its once lush coast in the boom-and-bust economic cycles that defined its modern history. Wilderness Beach, which provides habitat for endangered coral and sea turtles, is a place where many on the island, not just surfers, want to make a stand. \"Everyone assumes we're here defending the beach, but it's not just the beach. It's the biological diversity that exists in this valley,\" said Edgardo Gonzalez, one of the more than dozen protesters arrested in recent weeks for trying to block bulldozers that have begun excavation work near the town of Aguadilla. More than 21,000 people have signed an online petition demanding that the 200 million US dollar project dubbed the Christopher Columbus Landing hotel be halted until new environmental impact studies are done and more public hearings are held for a development originally approved in the mid-1990s. Environmentalists sued this month to halt the project. They argue it will affect a turtle nesting area, cut off public access to the beach known locally as \"Wildo\" and generate runoff that could kill endangered coral. They also question the validity of the permits issued. A judge who reviewed the petition initially ruled that they were not specific enough about potential threats, but scheduled another hearing for next week. Puerto Rico developer Reinaldo Vincenty said he plans a 300-room hotel and nearly 100 villas in the project's first phase. He will develop 50 acres (20 hectares) of the 126 acres (51 hectares) he owns and build an ecotourism park on another 96 acres (39 hectares) featuring a zip line and food kiosks. Vincenty said he will for now wait on original plans to building a shopping centre, casino and condo-hotel given the economic crisis.Aguadilla, Puerto Rico - 16 February 20171. Wide of Wilderness Beach, a haven for surf aficionados, that is at risk of being developed into a 200 million US dollars project dubbed the Christopher Columbus Landing hotel2. Various of surfers carrying their boards at the beach3. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Schmidt, Surfer from Rockaway, New York: \"I was just overwhelmed by how beautiful it was and that there were no surf shops or people trying to sell you things on the beach, it was just pure surfing in its essence; like the soul of what you imaged surfing would've been in the early days, the early history of the sport.\"4. Cutaway of waves crashing on the beach5. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Schmidt, Surfer from Rockaway, New York: \"Yeah, just the fear of losing that at this point, when so many places like this have been ruined by big resorts and people trying to make money off of something so beautiful and so pure.\"6. Various of people surfing in the water 7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Lilac Alvarado, Local pro surfer:\"A big impact on nature, on the sea; for surfing and for the fauna. For all.\"8. Various of people surfing on the water9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Lilac Alvarado, Local pro surfer:\"Wilderness is magical; this beach is incredible. The quality of the waves is wonderful, they're (the waves) large, powerful.\"10. Various of surfers on the water11. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Edgardo \"Pocho\" Gonzalez, Protester against development:\"Up until now, everyone just assumes that we are just here defending the beach; but it's not just the beach, it's the biodiversity you find in this valley. In the water, yes, there are a bunch of things - four reefs in danger of extinction; there are Carey turtles, whales, dolphins, sting rays; there's an endless number of fish and corals. The water, on its own, is a sanctuary.\"12. Cutaway of man surfing in the distance13. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Edgardo \"Pocho\" Gonzalez, Protester against development:\"To come and start developing to create what they want to create, what you'll actually do is, literally, scare off the tourism that is finally making its way to Aguadilla to enjoy its nature, how beautiful and green it is; the fish. That's what they're looking for. That's what makes no sense to us, why they would want to do this.\"14. Wide of surfer on the water\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eCurator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan class=\"star-rating\" aria-label=\"3.5 out of 5 stars\" role=\"img\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star text-action\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid 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