[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3954 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3954
To designate certain waterways in the Caribbean National Forest in the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as components of the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 13, 2002
Mr. Acevedo-Vila (for himself, Mr. Udall of Colorado, and Mr. Rahall)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To designate certain waterways in the Caribbean National Forest in the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as components of the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.
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 Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act of 2002''.
SEC. 2. WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATIONS, CARIBBEAN NATIONAL FOREST,
PUERTO RICO.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) In the revised land and resource management plan for
the Caribbean National Forest/Luquillo Experimental Forest,
approved April 17, 1997, and the environmental impact statement
prepared as part of the plan, the Secretary of Agriculture
examined the suitability of rivers within the Caribbean
National Forest/Luquillo Experimental Forest for inclusion in
the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
(2) Based on such examination, the Rio Icacos, Rio Mameyes,
and Rio de La Mina were found to be free flowing waterways and
to possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational,
geological, hydrological, biological, historical, and cultural
values, and, therefore, to qualify for addition to the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
(b) Designations.--Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
(16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(____) Rivers of Caribbean National Forest, Puerto Rico.--
``(A) Rio mameyes.--The segment of approximately 4.5 miles
from its headwaters in the Bano de Oro Research Natural Area to
the boundary of the Caribbean National Forest, to be
administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as follows:
``(i) As a wild river from its headwaters in the
Bano de Oro Research Natural Area to the crossing point
of Trail No. 24/11 (approximately 500 feet upstream
from the confluence with the Rio de La Mina), a total
of approximately 2.1 miles.
``(ii) As a scenic river from the crossing point of
Trail No. 24/11 to the access point of Trail No. 7, a
total of approximately 1.4 miles.
``(iii) As a recreational river from the access
point of Trail No. 7 to the national forest boundary, a
total of approximately 1.0 miles.
``(B) Rio de la mina.--The segment of approximately 2.1
miles from its headwaters to its confluence with the Rio
Mameyes, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as
follows:
``(i) As a recreational river from its headwaters
in the El Yunque Recreation Area downstream to La Mina
Falls, a total of approximately 0.9 miles.
``(ii) As a scenic river from La Mina falls
downstream to its confluence with the Rio Mameyes, a
total of approximately 1.2 miles.
``(C) Rio icacos.--The segment of approximately 2.3 miles
from its headwaters to the boundary of the Caribbean National
Forest, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a
scenic river.''
(c) Map and Description.--
(1) Preparation and submission.--As soon as practicable
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Agriculture shall prepare maps and a legal description of the
river segments added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers
System by the amendment made by subsection (b) and submit the
maps and description to the Committee on Resources of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate. The maps and legal description shall
be on file and available for public inspection in the office of
the Chief of the Forest Service.
(2) Treatment.--The maps and legal description prepared
under paragraph (1) shall have the same force and effect as if
included in this Act. The Secretary may correct clerical and
typographical errors in the map and description.
(d) Special Management Considerations.--The amendment made by the
subsection (b) and the applicability of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
(16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.) to the river segments added to the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers System by the amendment shall not be construed
to prevent any of the following activities, subject to such conditions
as the Secretary of Agriculture considers desirable, within the
boundaries of the river segments:
(1) Installation and maintenance of hydrologic,
meteorological, climatological, or atmospheric data collection
and transmission facilities, or any combination of such
facilities, when the Secretary determines that such facilities
are essential to the scientific research purposes of the
Luquillo Experimental Forest.
(2) Construction and maintenance of nesting structures,
observation blinds, and population monitoring platforms for
threatened and endangered species.
(3) Construction and maintenance of trails to such
facilities as necessary for research purposes and for the
recovery of threatened and endangered species.
(e) Preservation of Commonwealth Authority.--Nothing in this
section or the amendment made by this section shall be construed to
limit the authority of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico over waters and
natural channels of public domain pursuant to the laws of the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
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