Ley 149 del 2001
Resumen
Esta ley enmienda la Ley Núm. 142 de 4 de agosto de 2000 para extender por ciento veinte (120) días el plazo para promulgar la "Resolución de Zonificación Especial de la Reserva Agrícola del Valle del Coloso". La ley original estableció como política pública designar y proteger como Reserva Agrícola los terrenos del Valle del Coloso en Aguada, Aguadilla y Moca, y encargó a la Junta de Planificación, en coordinación con el Departamento de Agricultura y el Municipio de Aguada, la realización de estudios y la adopción de una Resolución de Zonificación Especial para regular estos terrenos y dedicarlos a la producción y desarrollo agrícola. La enmienda extiende el plazo original de un año para cumplir con este objetivo.
Contenido
(No. 149)
(Approved October 26, 2001)
AN ACT
To amend Section 2 of Act No. 142 of August 4, 2000, in order to extend the deadline to promulgate the "Valle del Coloso (Coloso Valley) Agricultural Reserve Special Zoning Resolution" for one hundred and twenty (120) days.
STATEMENT OF MOTIVES
Act No.142, which became effective on August 4, 2000, established as the public policy of the Government of Puerto Rico to designate and protect as an Agricultural Reserve, the land comprised within the Valle del Coloso (ColosoValley,) located in the Municipalities of Aguada, Aguadilla and Moca.
One of the mechanisms established in this Act to promote agricultural development and to devote these lands to this use, was to direct the Planning Board, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and the Municipality of Aguada, to conduct all necessary studies of the properties comprised within the "Valle del Coloso," for the regulation thereof through the promulgation and adoption of a Special Zoning Resolution. For these purposes, Act No. 142 provided a term of one (1) year for the abovementioned agencies to comply with this objective. Thus, this term expired August 4, 2000.
Due to different circumstances, including the change in government administration, the Planning Board has been unable to date, to promulgate the Coloso Valley Agricultural Reserve Special Zoning Resolution.
The Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy of the Senate of Puerto Rico, upon discussing with officials of the Planning Board and the Department of Agriculture the progress made in the process directed by the Act, advises the Legislature to extend the deadline to promulgate Special Zoning Resolution, of the Coloso 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. 142 of August 4, 2000, 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. 142 of August 4, 2000, is hereby amended to extend the deadline to promulgate the Special Zoning Resolution of the "Coloso 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 and the Municipality of Aguada, shall perform all the studies regarding the properties comprised in the denominated Coloso Valley, for the regulation of those lands through the promulgation and adoption of a Special Zoning Resolution, in order to reserve and devote the farm of the said Valley to agricultural production and development. The Special Zoning shall include, in addition to the lands that presently have access to irrigation,
those which could have it in the future, and that are identified as having agricultural value. Likewise, the lands abutting 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 one (1) year 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. 149 (S.B. 764) of the $2^{ ext {nd }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend Section 2 of Act No. 142 of August 4, 2000, in order to extend the deadline to promulgate the "Valle del Coloso (Coloso 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