5294486
Public Comment on proposed Remote Amateur Radio Expedition on Desecheo NWR

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking comments on the Draft Compatibility Determination (CD) for conducting a remote radio amateur expedition at Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The draft CD will be available for public review and comment for 14 calendar days following the publication of the notice. 

To ensure consideration of your comments in the development of final decisions on these proposed actions, please submit comments prior to August 27, 2025. The Draft CD are available online at the refuge鈥檚 website: /refuge/desecheo. A hard copy of this document will be posted at the Cabo Rojo Salt Flats Visitor Center located at Road 301 Km 11, Cabo Rojo. Please let us know if you need the documents in an alternative format. To ensure consideration of your comments in the development of final decisions, please submit comments by one of the listed methods.

You can find the Compatibility Determination and the Information Bulletin in the refuge Library

268530
This refuge is closed to the public

Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge is closed to the public due to the presence of unexploded military ordnance. Future access will be limited and will be contingent on cleanup of ordnance and certification that the area is safe for use.

Visit Us

Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge is closed to the public.  Since the surrounding waters are designated as a Marine Reserve by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and are not part of the refuge, visitation to the waters surrounding this small island refuge is regulated by the Department of National and Environmental Resources.  

El Refugio est谩 cerrado al p煤blico. Dado que las aguas circundantes son designadas como Reserva Marina por el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico y no forman parte del Refugio, las visitas a las aguas que rodean esta peque帽a isla est谩n reguladas por el Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales. 

Other Facilities in the Complex

Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge is one of many refuges that make up the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Each refuge in the complex plays vital role to conserving our unique, endemic species and resources in the Caribbean.

A lighthouse at the top of a hill overlooking a body of water
Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge
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Aerial view of a beach with the sun setting in the background
Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge
The Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 when 587 acres of land were obtained as a potential habitat for migratory birds. In 1999 an additional 1,269 acres (Cabo Rojo Salt Flats) were added to the refuge through a conservation easement. The Cabo Rojo Salt Flats is the first...
National Wildlife Refuge
Boqueron,PR
Blue waters lapping up on a beach at Culebra NWR
Culebra National Wildlife Refuge
Welcome to Culebra National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), a vital part of the Caribbean Islands NWR Complex, established in 1909. As the first of the nine refuges within the Complex, Culebra NWR holds the distinction of being the first site in the Caribbean designated as a federal wildlife reserve for the...
Conservation Office
Culebra,PR
Sunset behind mountains that overlook a marsh framed by low vegetation.
Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge
Established in 1989, Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most important freshwater habitats for migrating and resident aquatic birds in Puerto Rico. Establecido en el 1989 Laguna Cartagena es uno de los h谩bitats de agua dulce m谩s importantes para las aves nativas y...
National Wildlife Refuge
Boqueron
A great frigatebird flies towards the photo. It's red throat is extended out. Behind him is another great frigatebird with its throat extended, sitting in a bush. White red-footed boobies sit in the bushes too.
Navassa Island National Wildlife Refuge
Established in 1999, Navassa Island National Wildlife Refuge is an uninhabited, 5 km虏 island in the Caribbean Sea between Haiti and Jamaica.
National Wildlife Refuge
Boqueron
Beach shoreline with a crisp blue ocean waves
Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge
Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge provides crucial nesting habitat for endangered leatherback sea turtles and hawksbill sea turtles as well as for the threatened green sea turtle. Hundreds of volunteers help with the turtle recovery program.
National Wildlife Refuge
Frederiksted,VI
Caracas beach ocean view with bright blue sky and clear blue waters
Vieques National Wildlife Refuge
Vieques National Wildlife Refuge created by Congress with lands formerly managed by the Navy in 2001 and 2003. The refuge consists of approximately 17,771 acres of land (3,100 acres on the west and 14,671 acres on the east). Vieques National Wildlife Refuge is considered one of the most...
National Wildlife Refuge
Vieques,PR

Locations

Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge
(305) 587-7856
C/O Carribean Islands RefugesCarr 301, Km 5.1, Bo CorozoBoqueron,PR00622
Hours
Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge
Year-round
The refuge is closed to public access