P.R. Laws tit. 12, § 5029
(a) It is hereby prohibited for any person to possess, sell, cultivate or transport Melaleuca quinquenervia tree seeds. Furthermore, the Department shall prepare a Plan for the Removal and Disposition of the Melaleuca quinquenervia tree. This Plan shall include, but shall not be limited to, a program that motivates the owners of these trees to substitute them with the collaboration of the Department.
(b) The Secretary may impose an administrative fine of two hundred dollars ($200) for any infraction to the provisions of this section. To ensure compliance with this section, the Natural and Environmental Resources Rangers Corps shall have the functions conferred thereto by the Natural and Environmental Resources Rangers of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources Act, §§ 1201 et seq. of this title, such as: to issue subpoenas and tickets, file complaints and conduct interventions, among others.
(c) The sums collected from fines shall be covered into the Special Fund in favor of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, as provided by §§ 1115–1115v of this title, known as the “Act for the Conservation, Development and Use of the Water Resources of Puerto Rico”, and shall be deposited in a special account.
(d) The Secretary of Natural and Environmental Resources is hereby empowered to adopt the rules and regulations needed for the implementation of this section.
(e) Persons who at the time of effectiveness of this act have this tree in their homes shall be exempted from the fines; provided that there are no infractions to the provisions set forth in subsection (a) of this section. In collaboration and with the technical assistance of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, these persons shall remove, dispose of and substitute those trees as is deemed convenient.
History —Mar. 18, 2008, No. 28, §§ 2–6.