[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2488 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2488

  To provide for the protection of the tropical forests of the Karst 
    Region of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the aquifers and 
watersheds of this region that constitute a principal water source for 
              much of Puerto Rico, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 17, 2003

Mr. Acevedo-Vila (for himself, Mr. Duncan, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Udall 
 of Colorado, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Towns, Mr. Grijalva, and Ms. Bordallo) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                               Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for the protection of the tropical forests of the Karst 
    Region of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the aquifers and 
watersheds of this region that constitute a principal water source for 
              much of Puerto Rico, 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 ``Puerto Rico Karst Conservation Act 
of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS, PURPOSES, AND DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Karst Region of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 
        contains some of the largest areas of tropical forests in 
        Puerto Rico with a higher density of tree species than any 
        other area on the island.
            (2) The Karst Region has unique geological formations that 
        are critical to the maintenance of aquifers and watersheds that 
        constitute a principal water supply for much of Puerto Rico.
            (3) The Karst Region is threatened by development that, if 
        unchecked, could permanently damage aquifers supplying fresh 
        water and cause irreparable damage to natural and environmental 
        assets that are unique to the United States and Puerto Rico.
            (4) Puerto Rico is one of the most densely populated areas 
        of the United States, which makes the protection of the Karst 
        Region an imperative for the maintenance of the public health 
        and welfare of the citizens of Puerto Rico.
            (5) The Karst Region possesses extraordinary ecological 
        diversity, including the habitats of several endangered and 
        threatened species and tropical migrants, and is, therefore, an 
        area of critical value to research in tropical forest 
        management.
            (6) Coordinated efforts at land protection by the Federal 
        Government and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico will be 
        necessary to conserve the environmentally critical Karst 
        Region.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to authorize and support conservation efforts to 
        acquire, manage, and protect the tropical forest areas of the 
        Karst Region of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, with 
        particular emphasis on protecting water quality and the 
        aquifers which are vital to the health and well being of the 
        citizens of Puerto Rico; and
            (2) to promote cooperation among the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, Federal Agencies, corporations, organizations, and 
        individuals in such conservation efforts.
    (c) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Commonwealth.--The term ``Commonwealth'' means the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
            (2) Karst region.--The term ``Karst Region'' means those 
        areas in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico generally depicted on 
        the map entitled ``Karst Region Conservation Area'' and dated 
        March, 2001. The map shall be on file and available for public 
        inspection in the Office of the Secretary, Puerto Rico 
        Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, and the 
        Office of the Chief of the Forest Service.
            (3) Land.--The term ``land'' includes lands, waters, and 
        interests in lands and waters.
            (4) Forest legacy program.--The term ``Forest Legacy 
        Program'' means the program established pursuant to section 7 
        of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 
        2103c).
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.

SEC. 3. CONSERVATION OF KARST REGION, COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO.

    (a) Federal Cooperation and Assistance.--The Secretary may--
            (1) make grants to, and enter into contracts and 
        cooperative agreements with, the Commonwealth, other Federal 
        agencies, organizations, corporations, and individuals for the 
        purposes of furthering the acquisition, management, and 
        protection of land in and adjacent to the Karst Region and 
        implementing related natural resources conservation strategies; 
        and
            (2) utilize all authorities available to the Secretary, 
        including the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research 
        Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1641 et. seq.), section 1472 of the 
        National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 
        Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3318), and section 12 of the Stevenson-
        Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710a), for 
        such purposes.
    (b) Funding Sources.--The activities authorized by this section may 
be carried out using amounts in the Puerto Rico Karst Conservation 
Fund, the fund established by section 4(b) of the Forest and Rangeland 
Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1643(b)), funds 
appropriated from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, funds 
appropriated for the Forest Legacy Program, and any other funds made 
available for this section.
    (c) Management of Acquired Lands.--
            (1) Management purpose.--Land acquired under the authority 
        of this section or using funds made available under this 
        section shall be managed in a manner to protect and conserve 
        the water quality and aquifers and the geological, ecological, 
        fish and wildlife, and other natural values of the Karst 
        Region. Any Federal land within the Karst Region acquired 
        pursuant to this section or the Forest Legacy Program shall be 
        managed by the Secretary pursuant to the Forest and Rangeland 
        Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1641 et. 
        seq.).
            (2) United states interest.--In deeds, grants, contracts, 
        and cooperative agreements implementing this section and the 
        Forest Legacy Program in Puerto Rico, the Secretary may require 
        that title to land acquired by the Commonwealth or other 
        cooperating entity under the authority of this section or using 
        funds made available under this section will vest, at the 
        discretion of the Secretary, in the United States if the land 
        is sold or conveyed whole or part, or is not managed in 
        conformity with paragraph (1).
    (d) Willing Sellers.--Any land acquisition by the Secretary within 
the Karst Region under the authority of this section and using funds 
made available under this section shall be on a willing seller basis.
    (e) Relation to Other Land Authorities.--Nothing in this Act shall 
diminish any other authority that the Secretary may have to acquire, 
manage, and protect lands and natural resources in the Commonwealth.
    (f) Relation to Commonwealth Water Laws.--Nothing in this section 
shall constitute an express or implied claim or denial on the part of 
the Federal Government as to exemption from Commonwealth water laws.

SEC. 4. PUERTO RICO KARST CONSERVATION FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established on the books of the 
Treasury an interest bearing account to be known as the ``Puerto Rico 
Karst Conservation Fund''.
    (b) Credits to Funds.--There shall be credited to the Fund the 
following:
            (1) Amounts appropriated to the Fund.
            (2) All moneys donated to the Fund.
            (3) All moneys generated from the Caribbean National Forest 
        which would otherwise be deposited as miscellaneous receipts in 
        the Treasury of the United States, but not including those 
        moneys authorized by law for payments to the Commonwealth of 
        Puerto Rico or authorized by law for retention by the Forest 
        Service for any purpose.
            (4) All moneys received by the Administrator of General 
        Services from the disposal of surplus real property in Puerto 
        Rico pursuant to title 40, United States Code, or any other 
        provision of law.
            (5) Interest derived from amounts in the Fund and any other 
        moneys donated for deposit in the Fund.
    (c) Use of Fund.--Amounts in the Fund shall be available to the 
Secretary until expended, without further appropriation, to carry out 
section 3.
    (d) Donations.--
            (1) Acceptance.--The Secretary may accept donations, 
        including land and money, made by public and private agencies, 
        corporations, organizations, and individuals in furtherance of 
        the purposes of this Act. The Secretary may accept such 
        donations even though the donor is regulated by, conducts 
        business with, or seeks to conduct business with, the 
        Department of Agriculture or any other department or agency of 
        the United States.
            (2) Treatment of donations.--Public Law 95-442 (7 U.S.C. 
        2269) shall apply to donations accepted by the Secretary under 
        this subsection.

SEC. 5. RELATION TO FOREST LEGACY PROGRAM.

    (a) Inclusion of Karst Region.--All lands in the Karst Region shall 
be eligible for inclusion in the Forest Legacy Program.
    (b) Cost Sharing.--The Secretary may credit donations made under 
section 4(d) to satisfy any cost sharing requirements of the Forest 
Legacy Program.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Puerto Rico Karst 
Conservation Fund such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
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