I 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4131 

To facilitate land acquisition for the consolidation of lands located within 

the boundaries of, or abutting the boundaries of, El Yunque National 

Forest in Puerto Rico, and to further the protection of the ecological 

integrity and biological diversity of the National Forest, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 1, 2012 

Mr. PIERLUISI (for himself, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mrs. 

CHRISTENSEN, Ms. BORDALLO, and Mr. SABLAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To facilitate land acquisition for the consolidation of lands 

located within the boundaries of, or abutting the boundaries of, El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, 

and to further the protection of the ecological integrity 

and biological diversity of the National Forest, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as ‘‘El Yunque National Forest 

5 Preservation Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. LAND ACQUISITION AUTHORITY, EL YUNQUE NA2 TIONAL FOREST, PUERTO RICO. 

3 (a) AUTHORITY TO ACQUIRE LANDS.—The Secretary 

4 of Agriculture is authorized to acquire, by donation or 

5 purchase from willing sellers, tracts of land or interests 

6 in land, not in Federal ownership as of the date of the 

7 enactment of this Act, that— 

8 (1) are located within the established bound9 aries of El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico; 

10 or 

11 (2) abut the boundaries of El Yunque National 

12 Forest. 

13 (b) SOURCE OF FUNDS FOR LAND ACQUISITION.— 

14 To fund the land acquisition authorized by subsection (a), 

15 the Secretary may use all amounts generated from El 

16 Yunque National Forest that are deposited in the National 

17 Forest Fund, except those amounts required by law to be 

18 paid to Puerto Rico. Amounts made available to the Sec19 retary under this subsection shall remain available until 

20 expended and without further appropriation. 

21 (c) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT.—To the extent the 

22 Secretary acquires land described in subsection (a)(2), the 

23 Secretary shall adjust the boundaries of El Yunque Na24 tional Forest to include the acquired lands. For purposes 

25 of section 7 of the Land and Water Conservation Fund 

26 Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l–9), the boundaries of El 


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1 Yunque National Forest, as adjusted pursuant to this sub2 section, shall be considered to be boundaries of the Na3 tional Forest as of January 1, 1965. 

4 (d) RELATION TO OTHER LAND ACQUISITION AU5 THORITY.—The creation of a dedicated source of funds 

6 under subsection (b) for the acquisition of land under sub7 section (a) within or abutting the boundaries of El Yunque 

8 National Forest shall not be construed to prohibit or limit 

9 the use of amounts in the Land and Water Conservation 

10 Fund to finance land acquisition associated with El 

11 Yunque National Forest. The land acquisition authority 

12 provided by subsection (a), and funds provided under sub13 section (b), are intended to supplement, and not supplant, 

14 other sources of funds for land acquisition associated with 

15 El Yunque National Forest. 

Æ 


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