P.R. Laws tit. 12, § 139
An Advisory Committee is hereby created that shall be chaired by the Secretary and shall be composed of the following permanent members or a representative designated by them: the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works, the Chairperson of the Planning Board, the Director of Land Administration, the Director of the Municipal Revenues Collection Center, the mayors of the municipalities of Jayuya, Ciales, Orocovis, Peñuelas, Adjuntas, Yauco, Sabana Grande, San Germán, Maricao, Guánica, Guayanilla, Arecibo and Utuado; one or two (2) members of the scientific or academic community, and any other member that the Secretary deems is needed, whose function is related to the purposes of this chapter, and is empowered to render the technical and professional advice needed to implement the same, voluntarily; and by two (2) persons from the private sector and nonprofit entities that are selected by the Secretary.
The main function of this Committee shall be to draft a master plan that shall include the following:
(a) The identification of lands between the state forests of Maricao, Susúa, and Guánica; and between the Guilarte, Pueblo de Adjuntas and Toro Negro forests that comprise the tracing of two (2) biological corridors and the buffer zones to be established;
(b) the demarcation of needed borders in the buffer zones;
(c) a clearing plan for the biological corridors and buffer zones;
(d) an inventory of the existing flora and fauna; tracings for the biological corridors and buffer zones;
(e) proposed trails for the area;
(f) the creation of incentives for the owners of the identified lands to be comprised [of] the biological corridors or buffer zones;
(g) the design of an educational and promotional campaign for the protection and knowledge of the forest system of the Central Mountain Ridge and the coast;
(h) a design for the identification of possible recreational areas in the forest system;
(i) the rezoning of the areas that comprise the forest system and buffer zones;
(j) a diversified plan to stimulate the economic activity of forest products for the neighboring communities of the [forest] system;
(k) identify the sources of income for the execution of this chapter, and
(l) an itinerary of acquisitions or agreements with the landowners for the conversion of these private lands to biological corridors [and] buffer zones.
The master plan drafted by the Advisory Committee shall be submitted to the Secretary, who shall use it as a guide, preserving, in the last instance, the power to modify it, if he/she deems it is necessary for the proper exercise of his/her powers and duties under this chapter.
History —Jan. 9, 1999, No. 14, § 7.