I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1644 

To protect the critical aquifers and watersheds that serve as a principal 

water source for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, to protect the 

tropical forests of the Karst Region of the Commonwealth, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 14, 2005 

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

Committee on Resources 

A BILL 

To protect the critical aquifers and watersheds that serve 

as a principal water source for the Commonwealth of 

Puerto Rico, to protect the tropical forests of the Karst 

Region of the Commonwealth, 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 ‘‘Puerto Rico Karst 

5 Conservation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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1 (1) In the Karst Region of the Commonwealth 

2 of Puerto Rico there are— 

3 (A) some of the largest areas of tropical 

4 forests in Puerto Rico, with a higher density of 

5 tree species than any other area in the Com6 monwealth; and 

7 (B) unique geological formations that are 

8 critical to the maintenance of aquifers and wa9 tersheds that constitute a principal water sup10 ply for much of the Commonwealth. 

11 (2) The Karst Region is threatened by develop12 ment that, if unchecked, could permanently damage 

13 the aquifers and cause irreparable damage to nat14 ural and environmental assets that are unique to the 

15 United States. 

16 (3) The Commonwealth has 1 of the highest 

17 population densities in the United States, which 

18 makes the protection of the Karst Region imperative 

19 for the maintenance of the public health and welfare 

20 of the citizens of the Commonwealth. 

21 (4) The Karst Region— 

22 (A) possesses extraordinary ecological di23 versity, including the habitats of several endan24 gered and threatened species and tropical mi25 grants; and 
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1 (B) is an area of critical value to research 

2 in tropical forest management. 

3 (5) Coordinated efforts at land protection by 

4 the Federal Government and the Commonwealth are 

5 necessary to conserve the environmentally critical 

6 Karst Region. 

7 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 

8 (1) to authorize and support conservation ef9 forts to acquire, manage, and protect the tropical 

10 forest areas of the Karst Region, with particular em11 phasis on water quality and the protection of the 

12 aquifers that are vital to the health and wellbeing of 

13 the citizens of the Commonwealth; and 

14 (2) to promote cooperation among the Common15 wealth, Federal agencies, corporations, organiza16 tions, and individuals in those conservation efforts. 

17 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

18 In this Act: 

19 (1) COMMONWEALTH.—The term ‘‘Common20 wealth’’ means the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 

21 (2) FOREST LEGACY PROGRAM.—The term 

22 ‘‘Forest Legacy Program’’ means the program es23 tablished under section 7 of the Cooperative For24 estry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2103c). 
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1 (3) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Puer2 to Rico Karst Conservation Fund established by sec3 tion 5. 

4 (4) KARST REGION.—The term ‘‘Karst Region’’ 

5 means the areas in the Commonwealth generally de6 picted on the map entitled ‘‘Karst Region Conserva7 tion Area’’ and dated March 2001, which shall be on 

8 file and available for public inspection in— 

9 (A) the Office of the Secretary, Puerto 

10 Rico Department of Natural and Environ11 mental Resources; and 

12 (B) the Office of the Chief of the Forest 

13 Service. 

14 (5) LAND.—The term ‘‘land’’ includes land, 

15 water, and an interest in land or water. 

16 (6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

17 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

18 SEC. 4. CONSERVATION OF THE KARST REGION. 

19 (a) FEDERAL COOPERATION AND ASSISTANCE.—In 

20 furtherance of the acquisition, protection, and manage21 ment of land and forest resources in and adjacent to the 

22 Karst Region, and in furtherance of the implementation 

23 of related natural resource conservation strategies, the 

24 Secretary may— 
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1 (1) make grants to and enter into contracts and 

2 cooperative agreements with the Commonwealth, 

3 other Federal agencies, organizations, corporations, 

4 and individuals; and 

5 (2) use all authorities available to the Sec6 retary, including— 

7 (A) the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 

8 Resources Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 

9 1641 et seq.); 

10 (B) section 1472 of the National Agricul11 tural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 

12 Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3318); 

13 (C) section 12 of the Stevenson-Wydler 

14 Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 

15 3710a); and 

16 (D) the Cooperative Forestry Assistance 

17 Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.). 

18 (b) FUNDING SOURCES.—The activities authorized 

19 by this section may be carried out using— 

20 (1) amounts in the Fund; 

21 (2) amounts in the fund established by section 

22 4(b) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Re23 sources Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1643(b)); 

24 (3) funds appropriated from the Land and 

25 Water Conservation Fund; 
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1 (4) funds appropriated for the Forest Legacy 

2 Program; and 

3 (5) any other funds made available for those ac4 tivities. 

5 (c) MANAGEMENT.— 

6 (1) PRINCIPAL MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.— 

7 Land acquired under the authority of this section or 

8 using funds made available under this section shall 

9 be managed in a manner to protect and conserve the 

10 water quality and aquifers and the geological, eco11 logical, fish and wildlife, and other natural values of 

12 the Karst Region. 

13 (2) OTHER USES.—The resulting owner of land 

14 acquired under the authority of this section or using 

15 funds made available under this section shall permit 

16 public recreation and other uses of the acquired land 

17 to the extent that the owner determines that the 

18 recreation or other use is compatible with the prin19 cipal management objectives specified in paragraph 

20 (1). 

21 (3) FAILURE TO MANAGE AS REQUIRED.—In 

22 any deed, grant, contract, or cooperative agreement 

23 implementing this Act and the Forest Legacy Pro24 gram in the Commonwealth, the Secretary may re25 quire that, if land acquired by the Commonwealth or 
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1 other cooperating entity under this Act is sold or 

2 conveyed in whole or part, or is not managed in con3 formity with paragraph (1), title to the land shall, 

4 at the discretion of the Secretary, vest in the United 

5 States. 

6 (4) FEDERALLY OWNED LAND.—Any federally 

7 owned land acquired by the Secretary in the Karst 

8 Region shall be managed by the Secretary in accord9 ance with paragraphs (1) and (2) and the Forest 

10 and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act 

11 of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1641 et seq.). 

12 (d) WILLING SELLERS.—Any land acquired by the 

13 Secretary in the Karst Region shall be acquired only from 

14 a willing seller. 

15 (e) RELATION TO OTHER AUTHORITIES.—Nothing in 

16 this Act— 

17 (1) diminishes any other authority that the Sec18 retary may have to acquire, protect, and manage 

19 land and natural resources in the Commonwealth; or 

20 (2) exempts the Federal Government from 

21 Commonwealth water laws. 

22 SEC. 5. PUERTO RICO KARST CONSERVATION FUND. 

23 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 

24 Treasury an interest bearing account to be known as the 

25 ‘‘Puerto Rico Karst Conservation Fund’’. 
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1 (b) CREDITS TO FUNDS.—There shall be credited to 

2 the Fund— 

3 (1) amounts appropriated to the Fund; 

4 (2) amounts donated to the Fund; 

5 (3) amounts received by the Administrator of 

6 General Services from the disposal of surplus real 

7 property in the Commonwealth under subtitle I of 

8 title 40, United States Code; and 

9 (4) interest derived from amounts in the Fund. 

10 (c) USE OF FUND.—Amounts in the Fund shall be 

11 available to the Secretary until expended, without further 

12 appropriation, to carry out section 4. 

13 SEC. 6. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. 

14 (a) DONATIONS.— 

15 (1) AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT.—The Secretary 

16 may accept donations, including land and money, 

17 made by public and private agencies, corporations, 

18 organizations, and individuals in furtherance of the 

19 purposes of this Act. 

20 (2) TREATMENT OF DONORS.—The Secretary 

21 may accept donations even if the donor conducts 

22 business with or is regulated by the Department of 

23 Agriculture or any other Federal agency. 

24 (3) TREATMENT OF DONATIONS.—A donation 

25 of land, property and money accepted by the Sec-
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1 retary under the authority of this Act shall be con2 sidered as a gift, bequest, or devise to the United 

3 States in the same manner as provided in Public 

4 Law 95–442 (7 U.S.C. 2269). 

5 (b) RELATION TO FOREST LEGACY PROGRAM.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—All land in the Karst Region 

7 shall be eligible for inclusion in the Forest Legacy 

8 Program. 

9 (2) COST SHARING.—The Secretary may credit 

10 donations made under subsection (a) to satisfy any 

11 cost-sharing requirements of the Forest Legacy Pro12 gram. 

13 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

14 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

15 as are necessary to carry out this Act. 

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