[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 10 (Thursday, February 3, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S980]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. CLINTON (for herself and Mr. Schumer):
  S. 272. A bill to designate certain National Forest System land in 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as components of the National 
Wilderness Preservation System; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.
  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Caribbean 
National Forest Act of 2005 along with Senator Schumer.
  The Caribbean National Forest Act designates approximately 10,000 
acres of the Caribbean National Forest, CNF, as the El Toro Wilderness. 
The El Toro Wilderness would be the only tropical forest wilderness in 
the U.S. National Forest system.
  The CNF has long been recognized as a special area, worthy of 
protection. The Spanish Crown proclaimed much of the current CNF as a 
forest reserve in 1824. Just over 100 years ago, President Theodore 
Roosevelt reasserted the protection of the CNF by designating the area 
as a forest reserve.
  Located 25 miles east of San Juan, the CNF is a biologically diverse 
area. Although it is the smallest forest in the national forest system, 
the CNF ranks number one in the number of species of native trees with 
240. In addition, the CNF has 50 varieties of orchids and over 150 
species of ferns. The area is also rich in wildlife with over 100 
species of vertebrates, including the endangered Puerto Rican parrot. 
The only native parrot in Puerto Rico, they numbered nearly one million 
at the time that Columbus set sail for the New World. Today there are 
fewer than 100 of these parrots. The Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service and Puerto Rico's Department of Natural Resources and 
the Environment have initiated a recovery program for the Puerto Rican 
Parrot. Wilderness designation will ensure that the forest home to the 
parrot will remain protected and the ongoing recovery efforts, 
consistent with the Wilderness Act, will continue.
  The CNF also provides valuable water to the people of Puerto Rico. 
The CNF receives over 10 feet of rain each year. As a result, the major 
watersheds in the CNF are able to provide water to over 800,000 
residents. In addition, the CNF provides a variety of recreational 
opportunities to almost one million Puerto Ricans and tourists each 
year. Families, friends and school groups come to the forest to hike, 
bird watch, picnic, swim and enjoy the scenic vistas.
  Wilderness designation of the El Toro will protect approximately one 
third of the forest. During a House hearing on this measure in 2003 the 
U.S. Forest Service stated its support for the designation of the El 
Toro Wilderness Area. Those views were reconfirmed last July, when Mark 
Rey, the Department of Agriculture's Under Secretary for Natural 
Resources and Environment, supported my legislation during his 
testimony before the Senate Energy and National Resources Subcommittee 
on Public Lands and Forests.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the legislation be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 272

       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 
     Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 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.

     SEC. 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.
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