[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6456]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING FRANCISCO JAVIER BLANCO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 7, 2003, the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Acevedo-Vila) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to recognize Mr. 
Francisco Javier Blanco, a man whose commitment and service to Puerto 
Rico and the environment has resulted in countless achievements and a 
legacy that will last for generations.
  Mr. Blanco recently retired as director of the Conservation Trust of 
Puerto Rico. During his more than 30 years of dedicated service, Mr. 
Blanco was responsible for guiding the conservation trust through its 
formation stage and into the impressive organization that exists today.
  The Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico, which was created in 1968 
through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Interior Department 
and the Commonwealth Government, is now recognized as a leader among 
the Nation's land trusts in the area of environmental conservation and 
preservation.
  Under Mr. Blanco's direction, the trust has protected 17,000 acres of 
land as reserves of incalculable natural, aesthetic, and cultural 
value. Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Blanco, the trust continues to make 
significant contributions to protect Puerto Rico's environment and 
important history. The efforts and commitment of Mr. Blanco have left a 
legacy for Puerto Rico to enjoy for generations to come, and for that 
we are grateful.
  As Resident Commissioner, I am building upon the strong conservation 
and historic preservation efforts of Mr. Blanco.

                              {time}  1245

  The partnership between the Trust, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 
and the United States Government has brought about important protection 
and restoration of limited resources on a small island, like Puerto 
Rico, with a high population density.
  Last year, thanks to the support of my colleagues, I was able to 
designate portions of three rivers in Puerto Rico as wild and scenic. 
Soon I will introduce legislation that will protect, through a 
partnership between the Federal Government and the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, critical water resources in the karst region of Puerto 
Rico. Furthermore, I will also introduce legislation to designate the 
El Toro Wilderness Area in the Caribbean National Forest, known in 
Puerto Rico as El Yunque. These efforts, I am proud to say, are of the 
spirit and dedication of Francisco Javier Blanco.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask for the Chair's consideration in these endeavors, 
and hope to work with the bipartisan support in Congress to enact these 
bills into law.

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