Ley 148 del 2001
Resumen
Esta ley enmienda la Ley Núm. 277 de 20 de agosto de 1999 para extender por ciento veinte (120) días el plazo para promulgar la "Resolución de Zonificación Especial de la Reserva Agrícola del Valle de Lajas". El propósito es proteger y dedicar las tierras del Valle de Lajas a la producción y desarrollo agrícola mediante una zonificación especial.
Contenido
(No. 148)
(Approved October 18, 2001)
AN ACT
To amend Section 2 of Act No. 277 of August 20, 1999, in order to extend the deadline to promulgate the "Lajas Valley Agricultural Reserve Special Zoning Resolution" for one hundred and twenty (120) days.
STATEMENT OF MOTIVES
Act No. 277, which became effective on August 20, 1999, established as the public policy of the Government of Puerto Rico, to designate and protect as an Agricultural Reserve, the lands comprised within the Valle de Lajas (Lajas Valley) located in the Municipalities of Cabo Rojo, Guánica, Sabana Grande and Yauco.
One of the mechanisms established in this Act to stimulate agricultural development and devote this land to such use, was to direct the Planning Board, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture, to conduct the necessary studies of the farms comprised within the denominated "Valle de Lajas," for the regulation thereof through the promulgation and adoption of a Special Zoning Resolution. For these purposes, Act No. 277 provided a term of two (2) years, for the abovementioned agencies to comply with this objective. This term expired on August 20, 2001.
Due to various circumstances, including the change in government administration, to the present, the Planning Board has not been able to date,
to promulgate the Special Zoning Resolution of the Lajas Valley Agricultural Reserve.
The Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy Committee of the Senate of Puerto Rico, upon discussing with officials of the Planning Board and the Department of Agriculture on the progress made in the process directed by the Act, advises the Legislature to extend the deadline to promulgate the Special Zoning Resolution of the Lajas Valley Agricultural Reserve by one hundred and twenty (120) days, it being understood that this extension is sufficient to satisfactorily achieve this objective.
This Legislature, being aware of the need to protect our best soils suitable for agricultural purposes and understanding the complexity of the mandate set forth in Act No. 277 of August 20, 1999, deems it necessary and adequate to extend the deadline to promulgate the Special Zoning Resolution for one hundred and twenty (120) days.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF PUERTO RICO:
Section 1.- Section 2 of Act No. 277 of August 20, 1999, is hereby amended to extend the deadline to promulgate the Special Zoning Resolution of the "Lajas Valley Agricultural Reserve," for one hundred and twenty (120) days, to read as follows: "Section 2.- The Planning Board, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture, shall conduct all necessary studies of the properties comprised in the denominated Lajas Valley, for the regulation of said lands through the promulgation and adoption of a Special Zoning Resolution, in order to reserve and devote the farms of said Valley to agricultural production and development. For this purpose, every government or private entity may be required to have expert or field support. The Special Zoning provisions shall include the lands that presently have access to irrigation, in
addition to those that may have it in the future, and are identified as having agricultural value. Likewise, those lands abutting to those identified as having agricultural value and that serve as buffer zones, must be incorporated in the Special Zoning.
Said Special Zoning Resolution shall be promulgated no later than two (2) years and one hundred and twenty (120) days after the approval of this Act."
Section 2.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 148 (S.B. 765) of the $1^{ ext {st }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend Section 2 of Act No. 277 of August 20, 1999, in order to extend the deadline to promulgate the "Lajas Valley Agricultural Reserve Special Zoning Resolution" for one hundred and twenty (120) days, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $8^{ ext {th }}$ of October of 2004.
Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director