[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9076]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                CARIBBEAN NATIONAL FOREST WILDERNESS ACT

  (Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA. Mr. Speaker, today I will introduce the Caribbean 
National Forest Wilderness Act. This legislation is simple. It 
recognizes the vital importance and need for the conservation of the 
Caribbean national forests, the only tropical rainforest in the 
national forest system, and will designate approximately 10,000 acres 
of this forest as the El Toro Wilderness Area.
  This year is the 100th anniversary of the Caribbean National Forest, 
and I can think of no better tribute than protecting the primitive 
nature of this forest for our future generations.

                              {time}  1015

  The Caribbean National Forest, known in Puerto Rico as El Yunque, 
contains many significant ecological and biological assets. The Puerto 
Rican parrot, one of the 10 most endangered birds in the world, calls 
El Yunque its home. In addition, the forest has 240 species of trees 
and 120 terrestrial animals, four of which are listed as endangered 
species. El Yunque sees nearly one million visitors per year and is an 
important provider of environmental education for tourists and Puerto 
Ricans alike.
  Mr. Speaker, this same bill passed the House last year, and I 
appreciate the support of my colleagues. I would like to thank the 
ranking member of the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from West 
Virginia, and the other Members who have joined me as cosponsors of 
this legislation.
  Wilderness is a fitting designation for these 10,000 acres of El 
Yunque, and I look forward to working with the Committee on Resources 
and my other colleagues to move this bill forward.

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