109 HR 539 IH: Caribbean National Forest Act of 2005 U.S. House of Representatives 2005-02-02 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 109th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 539 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 2, 2005 Mr. Fortuño (for himself, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Serrano, Ms. Velázquez, and Mr. Gutierrez) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources A BILL To designate certain National Forest System land in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Caribbean National Forest Act of 2005.

2.

Definitions

In this Act: (1)

Map

The term map means the map dated April 13, 2004, and entitled El Toro Proposed Wilderness Area. (2)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.

3.

Wilderness designation, caribbean national forest, Puerto Rico

(a)

El Toro Wilderness

(1)

In general

In furtherance of the purposes of the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1113 et seq.), the approximately 10,000 acres of land in the Caribbean National Forest/Luquillo Experimental Forest in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico described in the map are designated as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. (2)

Designation

The land designated in paragraph (1) shall be known as the El Toro Wilderness. (3)

Wilderness boundaries

The El Toro Wilderness shall consist of the land described in the map. (b)

Map and boundary description

(1)

In general

As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— (A)prepare a boundary description of the El Toro Wilderness; and (B)submit the map and the boundary description to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives. (2)

Public inspection and treatment

The map and the boundary description prepared under paragraph (1)(A)— (A)shall be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the Chief of the Forest Service; and (B)shall have the same force and effect as if included in this Act. (3)

Errors

The Secretary may correct clerical and typographical errors in the map and the boundary description prepared under paragraph (1)(A). (c)

Administration

(1)

In general

Subject to valid existing rights, the Secretary shall administer the El Toro Wilderness in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and this Act. (2)

Effective date of Wilderness Act

With respect to the El Toro Wilderness, any reference in the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) to the effective date of that Act shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of the enactment of this Act. (d)

Special management considerations

Consistent with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), nothing in this Act precludes the installation and maintenance of hydrologic, meteorological, climatological, or atmospheric data collection and remote transmission facilities, or any combination of those facilities, in any case in which the Secretary determines that the facilities are essential to the scientific research purposes of the Luquillo Experimental Forest.