[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 114 (Tuesday, September 13, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H7828-H7829]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CARIBBEAN NATIONAL FOREST ACT OF 2005

  Mr. FORTUNO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 539) to designate certain National Forest System land in the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as components of the National Wilderness 
Preservation System, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 539

       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. 1131 et seq.), the approximately 
     10,000 acres of land in the Caribbean National Forest/
     Luquillo Experimental Forest in the Commonwealth of Puerto 
     Rico as generally depicted on 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 generally depicted on 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

[[Page H7829]]

       (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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands 
(Mrs. Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno).

                              {time}  1445


                             General Leave

  Mr. FORTUNO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 539, the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Capito). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Puerto Rico?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FORTUNO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 539 would designate approximately 10,000 acres in the Caribbean 
National Forest as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation 
System.
  This bipartisan proposal is supported by the people of Puerto Rico, 
the administration and a number of national organizations. The 
legislation will ensure that this special land will be available for my 
children and for all the children of Puerto Rico for generations to 
come.
  The El Toro Wilderness will be one of our Nation's most significant 
wilderness areas. Located 25 miles east of San Juan, the forest is 
biologically rich and diverse. The Caribbean National Forest ranks 
number one among all national forests in the number of species of 
native trees with 240. In addition, the Caribbean National Forest has a 
wide variety of orchids and over 150 species of ferns. There are over 
100 species of vertebrates in the forest.
  Of particular note is the endangered Puerto Rican parrot. At the time 
Columbus set sail for the New World, there were approximately one 
million of these distinctive parrots. Today, there are under 50. This 
rich diversity will be protected through wilderness designation, and El 
Toro will be the only tropical rainforest wilderness in our national 
forest system.
  The future of the Caribbean National Forest is of the utmost 
importance to my constituents. For Puerto Ricans, the Caribbean 
National Forest is more than a national forest. It is an integral part 
of our lives. The Spanish Crown proclaimed much of the current 
Caribbean National Forest as a forest reserve in 1824. President 
Theodore Roosevelt reasserted the protection of the Caribbean National 
Forest by designating the area as a forest reserve over 100 years ago. 
The real history of the Caribbean National Forest, however, predates 
those recent actions. The prehistoric Taino Indians considered the area 
a holy place and named it after an Indian spirit, Yuquiye, which means 
``Forest of Clouds.'' Today, it is called, ``El Yunque.''
  The importance of El Yunque continues to modern times. The forest is 
a key component of Puerto Rico's everyday life and economic vitality.
  El Yunque and the proposed El Toro wilderness area are a crucial 
source for the lifeblood of Puerto Rico, fresh water. The forest 
receives up to 240 inches of rainfall each year, more than 100 billion 
gallons of it. This water is crucial for our people and our future. It 
provides clean drinking water to over 800,000 residents and ensures 
adequate water for our economic viability.
  In closing, I would like to thank the gentleman from California 
(Chairman Pombo) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), the 
gentleman from West Virginia (Ranking Member Rahall) and the gentleman 
from Colorado (Mr. Udall) and the committee staff for their support and 
fine work on this measure. I urge my colleagues to join with me in 
supporting the passage of H.R. 539.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, as the majority has explained, H.R. 539 would 
designate approximately 10,000 acres of land in the Caribbean National 
Forest in Puerto Rico as a component of the National Wilderness 
Preservation System to be named the El Toro Wilderness.
  The Caribbean National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the 
National Forest System. It is home to one of the most endangered birds 
in the world, the Puerto Rican parrot.
  The El Toro Wilderness would become the first tropical forest in the 
National Forest Wilderness System, as well as the first wilderness area 
in Puerto Rico. It is, in a host of respects, a natural treasure and a 
national treasure that merits a designation befitting its unique status 
in America.
  Madam Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. 
Fortuno), my colleague and neighbor, for his work in securing the 
passage of this bill. We support adoption of H.R. 539, and I would add 
that the gentleman from West Virginia (Ranking Member Rahall) has 
personally also advocated the consideration of this measure.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FORTUNO. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 539, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to 
designate certain National Forest System land in the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation 
System.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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