[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2334 Referred in House (RFH)]
2d Session
S. 2334
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 16, 2004
Referred to the Committee on Resources
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AN ACT
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.
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. 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).
(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.
Passed the Senate October 10, 2004.
Attest:
EMILY J. REYNOLDS,
Secretary.