Esta ley crea un comité interagencial para diseñar y construir un plan de conservación y desarrollo para la Reserva Natural Cueva del Indio en Arecibo, Puerto Rico. El plan incluirá análisis de condiciones actuales, instalaciones físicas, áreas verdes, estacionamiento, museos, secciones educativas y la posibilidad de expropiación de propiedades adyacentes. También se encargará de buscar fondos para el proyecto.
To create an interagency working group to be in charge of the design and construction of a plan for the conservation and development of the Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve; to establish its organization, an to determine its purposes, functions and duties.
Cueva del Indio, located in Barrio Islote Ward, in the municipality of Arecibo, in addition to its high archaeological value, possesses a scenic beauty which constitutes one of the most spectacular geographical views of the Puerto Rican northern coast. The natural elements forming this environmental scene create an impressive panorama representative of the Island's northern coast with formative characteristics of the Pleistocene era. The people of Puerto Rico must know, enjoy and appreciate this asset. The rupestrian engravings one finds there evidence a rich indigenous legacy and its importance in the origins of Puerto Rican culture.
Cueva del Indio was so named because of the great amount of indigenous rupestrian engravings, generally known as petroglyphs, which are in mostly found interior stone murals. These engravings were identified at the end of the $19^{ ext {th }}$ Century by the prestigious antiquarian and scholar of Prehispanic Cultures, the Frenchman Alphonse Pinart, during his travel to the Antilles, which is the first reference made to Cueva del Indio.
In 1988, the archaeologist Ovideo Dávila made the first formal archaeological evaluation of Cueva del Indio. He determined that it constitutes one of the locations with the largest concentration of rupestrian engravings and he recommended that it be kept on the list of natural reserves of the Puerto Rico Management of the Coastal Zone Program with the strong likelihood of becoming a place of great educational recreational attraction.
In 1999, the Department of Natural Resources prepared the designation document for Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve and it was submitted for the consideration of the Planning Board. In 1992, the latter issued the corresponding resolution declaring it a natural reserve. In this manner, the foundations were established to protect an area that is a part of our natural and cultural patrimony and which must be preserved for the benefit of present and future generations.
However, the steps taken are not enough, and it is necessary to create a committee to be in charge of the design and structuring of a conservation and development plan for the area.
For the purpose of achieving the goal of conserving and developing Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve, the present working committee is hereby created, which shall be in charge of designing and structuring the Conservation and Development Plan.
This Act shall be known as the "Act for the Creation of the Interagency Committee for the Conservation and Development of Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve."
Section 2.- Duration
This Committee shall have a temporary duration until the objectives for which it has been created are attained.
Section 3.- Integration, Composition The Interagency Committee for the Conservation and Development of Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve, hereinafter called the "Committee", shall be formed by the following agencies, which shall delegate their representation upon high level officials to ensure that same can effectively implement the determinations and action to be taken: The Department of Transportation and Public Works, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the National Parks Trust, the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, the Tourism Company, the Arecibo municipality and one (1) representative of the community neighboring to the area to be developed, to be chosen in the first official meeting of the Committee.
The Committee shall be presided by the Secretary of Transportation and Public Works.
Section 4.- Duties and Functions It shall be the duty of the Committee to structure an action plan to protect, condition and develop the area. This plan shall include, without limitation, an initial analysis of the present conditions, physical facilities to be built, possible streets, green areas, rest areas, parking, sanitary facilities, museums, cafeteria, educational sections and information booths.
Additionally, it shall include the possible extension of the Project, identify adjoining property requiring expropriation, and estimate a cost for same.
It shall study the possibility of obtaining funds, whether federal or local, from the private sector, or a combination of same, for the development of the project.
Section 5.- Meetings The Committee shall meet as many times as necessary. A majority of Committee members shall constitute quorum.
Section 6.- Effectiveness This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 175 (H.B. 2649) of the $5^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to create an interagency working group to be in charge of the design and construction of a plan for the conservation and development of the Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve; to establish its organization, an to determine its purposes, functions and duties, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $28^{ ext {th }}$ of May of 2004.
Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director