[109th Congress Public Law 118]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


[DOCID: f:publ118.109]

[[Page 119 STAT. 2527]]

Public Law 109-118
109th Congress

                                 An Act


 
To designate certain National Forest System land in the Commonwealth of 
   Puerto Rico as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation 
              System. <<NOTE: Dec. 1, 2005 -  [H.R. 539]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress <<NOTE: Caribbean National Forest 
Act of 2005.>> 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 <<NOTE: 16 USC 1132 note.>> 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
                    (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

[[Page 119 STAT. 2528]]

                    (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.

    Approved December 1, 2005.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 539 (S. 272):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 109-126 (Comm. on Resources).
SENATE REPORTS: Nos. 109-34 accompanying S. 272 and 109-155 (both from 
Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 151 (2005):
            Sept. 13, considered and passed House.
            Nov. 16, considered and passed Senate.

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