I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3365 

To make funds generated from the Caribbean National Forest in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico available to the Secretary of Agriculture for 

land acquisition intended to protect the integrity of the buffer zone 

surrounding the Caribbean National Forest, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 20, 2005 

Mr. FORTUN ̃O introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Resources 

A BILL 

To make funds generated from the Caribbean National Forest in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico available to 

the Secretary of Agriculture for land acquisition intended 

to protect the integrity of the buffer zone surrounding 

the Caribbean 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 the ‘‘Caribbean National 

5 Forest Preservation Act of 2005’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 
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1 (1) Pressures of increasing population densities 

2 and development are evident in the areas sur3 rounding the boundaries of the Caribbean National 

4 Forest in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 

5 (2) While portions of the Caribbean National 

6 Forest are already in close proximity to highly popu7 lated urban areas, lands adjacent to the National 

8 Forest in the northeastern part of the Common9 wealth are the focus for future housing and tourism 

10 developments. 

11 (3) Given these development pressures, the Sec12 retary of Agriculture needs to promptly implement a 

13 program of land acquisition to consolidate the man14 agement and buffer the urban development to the 

15 Caribbean National Forest. 

16 (4) Potential tracts of land for acquisition have 

17 already been identified and prioritized in a ten-year 

18 acquisition plan that is included in the land and re19 source management plan for the Caribbean National 

20 Forest. 

21 (5) The Secretary needs a reliable source of 

22 funds to support the needed land acquisition. 
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1 SEC. 3. LAND ACQUISITION AUTHORITY, CARIBBEAN 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 intended to 

6 assist in the consolidation of lands within or adjacent to 

7 the boundaries of the Caribbean National Forest in the 

8 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 

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

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

11 the Secretary may use all amounts generated from the 

12 Caribbean National Forest that would, but for this sub13 section, be deposited as miscellaneous receipts in the 

14 Treasury of the United States, but not including amounts 

15 authorized by law for payments to the Commonwealth or 

16 authorized by law for retention by the Secretary for any 

17 other purpose. Amounts made available under this sub18 section shall be available to the Secretary until expended 

19 and without further appropriation. 

20 (c) BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS.—The Secretary shall 

21 adjust the boundaries of the Caribbean National Forest 

22 to include lands acquired under subsection (a). For pur23 poses of section 7 of the Land and Water Conservation 

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

25 the Caribbean National Forest, as adjusted pursuant to 
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1 this subsection, shall be considered to be boundaries of 

2 the National Forest as of January 1, 1965. 

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