I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3213
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire and manage lands
in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to provide for the protection of
critical aquifers and watersheds that serve as a principal water supply
for Puerto Rico, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 1, 2001
Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA´ (for himself, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mrs.
CHRISTENSEN, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. TOWNS, and Mr. MENENDEZ) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Re-
sources
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire and
manage lands in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to
provide for the protection of critical aquifers and water-
sheds that serve as a principal water supply for Puerto
Rico, 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 ‘‘Puerto Rico Karst
Conservation Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS, PURPOSES, AND DEFINITIONS.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) The Karst Region of Puerto Rico is a
unique geological formation that is critical to the
maintenance of aquifers and watersheds which con-
stitute a principal water supply for much of Puerto
Rico.
(2) The Karst Region is threatened by develop-
ment, which, if unchecked, could permanently dam-
age aquifers supplying fresh water and cause irrep-
arable damage to natural and environmental assets
that are unique to the United States and Puerto
Rico.
(3) Puerto Rico has one of the highest popu-
lation densities in the United States, which further
makes the protection of the Karst Region an impera-
tive for the maintenance of the public health and
welfare of the citizens of Puerto Rico.
(4) The Karst Region possesses extraordinary
ecological diversity, including the habitats of several
endangered and threatened species and tropical mi-
grants and is, therefore, an area of critical value to
research in tropical forest management.
(5) Coordinated efforts at land protection by
the Federal Government and the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico will be necessary to conserve the envi-
ronmentally critical Karst Region.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are to au-
thorize the Secretary of Agriculture, in cooperation with
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, to undertake a pro-
gram of land conservation, acquisition, and research to
protect and manage the geological and ecological values
of the Karst Region, with particular emphasis on the
maintenance of biodiversity within a tropical forest eco-
system and protection of the aquifers which are vital to
the health and well being of the citizens of Puerto Rico.
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act:
(1) KARST REGION.—The term ‘‘Karst Region’’
means those areas in the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico generally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Karst
Region Conservation Area’’ and dated March 2001.
The map shall be on file and available for public in-
spection in the Office of the Secretary, Puerto Rico
Department of Natural and Environmental Re-
sources, and the Office of the Chief of the Forest
Service.
(2) LAND.—The term ‘‘land’’ includes lands,
waters, and interests in lands and waters.
(3) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Puer-
to Rico Karst Conservation Fund’’ established by
section 4.
(4) FOREST
LEGACY
PROGRAM.—The term
‘‘Forest Legacy Program’’ means the program es-
tablished pursuant to section 7 of the Cooperative
Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2103c).
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Agriculture.
SEC. 3. KARST REGION CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES.
(a) LAND ACQUISITION.—
(1) AUTHORIZATION.—In furtherance of the
purposes of this Act, the Secretary may acquire land
in the Karst Region or immediately adjacent to the
Karst Region.
(2) WILLING
SELLERS.—All acquisitions of
land by the Secretary on behalf of the United States
under paragraph (1) shall be for fair market value
on a willing seller basis.
(3) FUNDING SOURCE.—The Secretary may
carry out land acquisition activities under paragraph
(1) using amounts in the Fund, amounts appro-
priated for the Forest Legacy Program, amounts in
the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and any
other moneys made available for such purpose.
(b) MANAGEMENT.—The Secretary shall manage
land acquired under subsection (a) pursuant to this Act,
the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research
Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 620 et seq.), and the laws and
regulations applicable to the National Forest System.
(c) COOPERATIVE APPROACH.—The Secretary may
make grants to and enter into contracts and cooperative
agreements with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, other
Federal agencies, organizations, and corporations for the
acquisition, protection, and management of Federal and
non-Federal land in the Karst Region.
(d) RELATION TO OTHER AUTHORITIES.—Nothing
in this Act shall diminish any other authority that the Sec-
retary may have to acquire, protect, and manage natural
resources in Puerto Rico.
SEC. 4. PUERTO RICO KARST CONSERVATION FUND.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established
on the books of the Treasury an interest bearing account
to be known as the ‘‘Puerto Rico Karst Conservation
Fund’’.
(b) CREDITS TO FUNDS.—There shall be credited to
the Fund the following:
(1) Amounts authorized for and appropriated to
the Fund.
(2) All moneys generated from the Caribbean
National Forest, except the following:
(A) Amounts required to be paid to the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico pursuant to the
sixth paragraph under the heading ‘‘FOREST
SERVICE’’ in the Act of May 23, 1908, or sec-
tion 13 of the Act of March 1, 1911 (16 U.S.C.
500).
(B) Amounts required to be retained for
the construction and maintenance of roads and
trails pursuant to the fourteenth paragraph
under the heading ‘‘FOREST SERVICE’’ in
the Act of March 4, 1913 (16 U.S.C. 501).
(C) Amounts collected under the Recre-
ation Fee Demonstration Program authorized
pursuant to section 315 of the Department of
the Interior and Related Agencies Appropria-
tions Act, 1996 (as contained in section 101(c)
of Public Law 104–134; 16 U.S.C. 460l–6a
note).
(3) All moneys received by the Administrator of
General Services from the disposal of surplus real
property in Puerto Rico pursuant to the Federal
Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949
(40 U.S.C. 471 et seq.).
(4) Interest derived from amounts in the Fund
and any other moneys donated for deposit in the
Fund.
(c) USE OF FUND.—Amounts in the Fund shall be
available to the Secretary until expended, without further
appropriation, for the purchase of land in the Karst Re-
gion and related acquisition management expenses as au-
thorized by section 3.
SEC. 5. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
(a) DONATIONS.—The Secretary may accept for de-
posit in the Fund donations made by public and private
agencies, corporations, organizations, and individuals in
furtherance of the purposes of this Act. The Secretary
may accept such donations even though the donor con-
ducts business with or is regulated by the Department of
Agriculture or any other department or agency of the
United States.
(b) RELATION TO FOREST LEGACY PROGRAM.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—All lands in the Karst Re-
gion shall be eligible for inclusion in the Forest Leg-
acy Program.
(2) COST SHARING.—The Secretary may credit
donations made under subsection (a) to satisfy any
cost sharing requirements of the Forest Legacy Pro-
gram.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000
to be credited to the Fund.
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