108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2334
To designate certain National Forest System land in the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 22, 2004
Mrs. CLINTON (for herself and Mr. SCHUMER) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
A BILL
To designate certain National Forest System land in the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
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 2004'.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
(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.
(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).
(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.
END
