[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3954 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3954

To designate certain waterways in the Caribbean National Forest in the 
  Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as components of the National Wild and 
             Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 13, 2002

 Mr. Acevedo-Vila (for himself, Mr. Udall of Colorado, and Mr. Rahall) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To designate certain waterways in the Caribbean National Forest in the 
  Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as components of the National Wild and 
             Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Caribbean National Forest Wild and 
Scenic Rivers Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATIONS, CARIBBEAN NATIONAL FOREST, 
              PUERTO RICO.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) In the revised land and resource management plan for 
        the Caribbean National Forest/Luquillo Experimental Forest, 
        approved April 17, 1997, and the environmental impact statement 
        prepared as part of the plan, the Secretary of Agriculture 
        examined the suitability of rivers within the Caribbean 
        National Forest/Luquillo Experimental Forest for inclusion in 
        the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
            (2) Based on such examination, the Rio Icacos, Rio Mameyes, 
        and Rio de La Mina were found to be free flowing waterways and 
        to possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, 
        geological, hydrological, biological, historical, and cultural 
        values, and, therefore, to qualify for addition to the National 
        Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
    (b) Designations.--Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
    ``(____) Rivers of Caribbean National Forest, Puerto Rico.--
            ``(A) Rio mameyes.--The segment of approximately 4.5 miles 
        from its headwaters in the Bano de Oro Research Natural Area to 
        the boundary of the Caribbean National Forest, to be 
        administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as follows:
                    ``(i) As a wild river from its headwaters in the 
                Bano de Oro Research Natural Area to the crossing point 
                of Trail No. 24/11 (approximately 500 feet upstream 
                from the confluence with the Rio de La Mina), a total 
                of approximately 2.1 miles.
                    ``(ii) As a scenic river from the crossing point of 
                Trail No. 24/11 to the access point of Trail No. 7, a 
                total of approximately 1.4 miles.
                    ``(iii) As a recreational river from the access 
                point of Trail No. 7 to the national forest boundary, a 
                total of approximately 1.0 miles.
            ``(B) Rio de la mina.--The segment of approximately 2.1 
        miles from its headwaters to its confluence with the Rio 
        Mameyes, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as 
        follows:
                    ``(i) As a recreational river from its headwaters 
                in the El Yunque Recreation Area downstream to La Mina 
                Falls, a total of approximately 0.9 miles.
                    ``(ii) As a scenic river from La Mina falls 
                downstream to its confluence with the Rio Mameyes, a 
                total of approximately 1.2 miles.
            ``(C) Rio icacos.--The segment of approximately 2.3 miles 
        from its headwaters to the boundary of the Caribbean National 
        Forest, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a 
        scenic river.''
    (c) Map and Description.--
            (1) Preparation and submission.--As soon as practicable 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
        Agriculture shall prepare maps and a legal description of the 
        river segments added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 
        System by the amendment made by subsection (b) and submit the 
        maps and description to the Committee on Resources of the House 
        of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
        Resources of the Senate. The maps and legal description shall 
        be on file and available for public inspection in the office of 
        the Chief of the Forest Service.
            (2) Treatment.--The maps and legal description prepared 
        under paragraph (1) shall have the same force and effect as if 
        included in this Act. The Secretary may correct clerical and 
        typographical errors in the map and description.
    (d) Special Management Considerations.--The amendment made by the 
subsection (b) and the applicability of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.) to the river segments added to the National 
Wild and Scenic Rivers System by the amendment shall not be construed 
to prevent any of the following activities, subject to such conditions 
as the Secretary of Agriculture considers desirable, within the 
boundaries of the river segments:
            (1) Installation and maintenance of hydrologic, 
        meteorological, climatological, or atmospheric data collection 
        and transmission facilities, or any combination of such 
        facilities, when the Secretary determines that such facilities 
        are essential to the scientific research purposes of the 
        Luquillo Experimental Forest.
            (2) Construction and maintenance of nesting structures, 
        observation blinds, and population monitoring platforms for 
        threatened and endangered species.
            (3) Construction and maintenance of trails to such 
        facilities as necessary for research purposes and for the 
        recovery of threatened and endangered species.
    (e) Preservation of Commonwealth Authority.--Nothing in this 
section or the amendment made by this section shall be construed to 
limit the authority of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico over waters and 
natural channels of public domain pursuant to the laws of the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
                                 <all>