On April 22, 2004, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) introduced S. 2334, the Caribbean National Forest Act of 2004. The bill is co-sponsored by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and would create the country’s first tropical forest wilderness. The measure is nearly identical to the House version of the bill introduced last year by Representative Acevedo-Vilá (PR).

In a floor statement, Sen. Clinton said the Caribbean National Forest (CNF), “provides valuable water to the people of Puerto Rico. The CNF receives over 10 feet of rain each year. As a result, the major watersheds in the CNF are able to provide water to over 800,000 residents. In addition, the CNF provides a variety of recreational opportunities to over 700,000 Puerto Ricans and tourists each year. Families, friends and school groups come to the forest to hike, bird watch, picnic, swim and enjoy the scenic vistas.

Wilderness Society President Bill Meadows praised Senator Clinton for her leadership on this issue and said, “The designation of the El Toro Wilderness this year will recognize the 100th anniversary of this forest, which was established by Theodore Roosevelt, and protect this special place for future generations.”

Background
The Caribbean National Forest located on the eastern part of the island of Puerto Rico is commonly known at “El Yunque.” It is the only tropical rainforest in the National Forest System and is home to the endangered Puerto Rican parrot and the largest number of native tree species with over 240 including some tress that are 1,000 years old.

There are currently no designated Wilderness Areas in Puerto Rico. The revised land and resource management plan for the Caribbean National Forest/Luquillo Experimental Forest, approved in April 1997, recommended wilderness designation for the 10,000-acre El Toro area.

A bill to designate the El Toro area as Wilderness was passed by the House in 2002 but failed to pass the Senate, largely because the measure lacked a Senate sponsor. Representative Acevedo-Vilá (PR) reintroduced the Caribbean National Forest Wilderness Act (H.R. 1723) in the current Congress and the House Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held a hearing on the bill on July 24, 2003. The Bush Administration testified in favor of the measure.

For More Information

• Larry Romans, The Wilderness Society/Wilderness Support Center, 202-547-0538