Caribbean National Forest Act of 2005
PL 109-118 (H.R.539), enacted 12/01/2005

119 STAT. 2527
PUBLIC LAW 109–118—DEC. 1, 2005
Public Law 109–118
109th Congress
An Act
To designate certain National Forest System land in the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Caribbean National Forest Act
of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map dated April
13, 2004, and entitled ‘‘El Toro Proposed Wilderness Area’’.
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
SEC. 3. WILDERNESS DESIGNATION, CARIBBEAN NATIONAL FOREST,
PUERTO RICO.
(a) EL TORO WILDERNESS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In furtherance of the purposes of the
Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), the approximately
10,000 acres of land in the Caribbean National Forest/Luquillo
Experimental Forest in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as
generally depicted on the map are designated as wilderness
and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation
System.
(2) DESIGNATION.—The land designated in paragraph (1)
shall be known as the El Toro Wilderness.
(3) WILDERNESS
BOUNDARIES.—The El Toro Wilderness
shall consist of the land generally depicted on the map.
(b) MAP AND BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—As soon as practicable after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall—
(A) prepare a boundary description of the El Toro
Wilderness; and
(B) submit the map and the boundary description to
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the
Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives.
(2) PUBLIC
INSPECTION
AND
TREATMENT.—The map and
the boundary description prepared under paragraph (1)(A)—
(A) shall be on file and available for public inspection
in the office of the Chief of the Forest Service; and
16 USC 1132
note.
Caribbean
National Forest
Act of 2005.
Dec. 1, 2005
[H.R. 539]
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119 STAT. 2528
PUBLIC LAW 109–118—DEC. 1, 2005
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 539 (S. 272):
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 109–126 (Comm. on Resources).
SENATE REPORTS: Nos. 109–34 accompanying S. 272 and 109–155 (both from
Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 151 (2005):
Sept. 13, considered and passed House.
Nov. 16, considered and passed Senate.
(B) shall have the same force and effect as if included
in this Act.
(3) ERRORS.—The Secretary may correct clerical and typo-
graphical errors in the map and the boundary description pre-
pared under paragraph (1)(A).
(c) ADMINISTRATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing rights, the Sec-
retary shall administer the El Toro Wilderness in accordance
with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) and this
Act.
(2) EFFECTIVE
DATE
OF
WILDERNESS
ACT.—With respect
to the El Toro Wilderness, any reference in the Wilderness
Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) to the effective date of that Act
shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of the enactment
of this Act.
(d) SPECIAL MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS.—Consistent with
the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), nothing in this Act
precludes the installation and maintenance of hydrologic, meteoro-
logical, climatological, or atmospheric data collection and remote
transmission facilities, or any combination of those facilities, in
any case in which the Secretary determines that the facilities
are essential to the scientific research purposes of the Luquillo
Experimental Forest.
Approved December 1, 2005.
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