107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3954
AN ACT
To designate certain waterways in the Caribbean National
Forest in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as compo-
nents of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives 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, CARIB-
BEAN NATIONAL FOREST, PUERTO RICO.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(1) In the revised land and resource manage-
ment plan for the Caribbean National Forest/
Luquillo Experimental Forest, approved April 17,
1997, and the environmental impact statement pre-
pared as part of the plan, the Secretary of Agri-
culture 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 val-
ues, 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 add-
ing at the end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(ll) RIVERS OF CARIBBEAN NATIONAL FOREST,
PUERTO RICO.—
‘‘(A) RIO MAMEYES.—The segment of approxi-
mately 4.5 miles from its headwaters in the Ban˜o 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 Ban˜o de Oro Research Natural Area to the
crossing point of Trail No. 24/11 (approxi-
mately 500 feet upstream from the confluence
with the Rio de La Mina), a total of approxi-
mately 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 ac-
cess 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 ap-
proximately 2.1 miles from its headwaters to its con-
fluence with the Rio Mameyes, to be administered by
the Secretary of Agriculture as follows:
‘‘(i) As a recreational river from its head-
waters in the El Yunque Recreation Area down-
stream to La Mina Falls, a total of approxi-
mately 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 approxi-
mately 2.3 miles from its headwaters to the bound-
ary of the Caribbean National Forest, to be adminis-
tered by the Secretary of Agriculture as a scenic
river.’’.
(c) SPECIAL MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS.—
(1) CERTAIN PERMITTED ACTIVITIES.—Subject
to paragraph (2), the amendment made by the sub-
section (b) and the applicability of the Wild and Sce-
nic 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 con-
strued to prevent any of the following activities with-
in the boundaries of the river segments:
(A) Installation and maintenance of hydro-
logic, meteorological, climatological, or atmos-
pheric data collection and transmission facili-
ties, or any combination of such facilities, when
the Secretary of Agriculture determines that
such facilities are essential to the scientific re-
search purposes of the Luquillo Experimental
Forest.
(B) Construction and maintenance of nest-
ing structures, observation blinds, and popu-
lation monitoring platforms for threatened and
endangered species.
(C) Construction and maintenance of trails
to such facilities as necessary for research pur-
poses and for the recovery of threatened and
endangered species.
(2) CONDITIONS.—The activities authorized by
paragraph (1) shall be subject to such conditions as
the Secretary considers desirable. The Secretary
shall ensure that the scale and scope of such activi-
ties within the boundaries of a river segment added
to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System by
the amendment made by the subsection (b) are not
detrimental to the characteristics of the river seg-
ment that merited its designation as a wild, scenic,
or recreational river.
(d) PRESERVATION OF COMMONWEALTH AUTHOR-
ITY.—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.
Passed the House of Representatives May 7, 2002.
Attest:
Clerk.