P.R. Laws tit. 23, § 7036
Through an integrated planning process, the Department of Agriculture, in coordination and collaboration with the Planning Board, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and the Agricultural Sciences College of the University of Puerto Rico, shall draft and implement a plan for the agricultural development of the Lajas Valley. This integrated development plan shall adopt the following criteria:
(1) Exactly identify the territorial boundaries of all the land located within the Lajas Valley.
(2) Establish the specific demarcation of the geographic area that shall be designated for agricultural use.
(3) Establish the programmatic standards and directives needed to achieve the development of the Lajas Valley pursuant to the purposes provided in this chapter.
(4) Develop agricultural incentives according to the public policies promulgated for the agriculture and livestock sector.
(5) Provide any assistance and incentives that the Agriculture and Livestock Services Development Administration may have available and that may be used for the agricultural development of this zone.
(6) Integrate the private sector organizations that group supermarkets, food distribution centers and others, in order to create marketing guarantees for agricultural produce.
(7) Stimulate the farmers of the area to foster and participate in the organization of the sectors or agricultural enterprises pursuant to the provisions of §§ 3051 et seq. of Title 5.
(8) To seek the participation of farmer organizations, of those private citizens who have a special interest in the agricultural preservation of the Lajas Valley and of the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture in the process of designing the agricultural development plan.
(9) Coordinate with the Department of the Treasury, the granting of tax incentives to the agricultural projects to be developed and those already established, that intend to make improvements or expansions in the Lajas Valley area, according to the provisions of §§ 10401 et seq. of Title 13, known as the “Puerto Rico Tax Incentives Act”.
(10) Give priority attention and approval to those petitions for the development of agricultural irrigation and drainage infrastructure, pursuant to the criteria established in the Agricultural Infrastructure Development Program, created under Joint Resolution 597 of December 1, 1995, as amended, and whose purpose is to benefit new agricultural projects and perform improvements or expansions to the irrigation infrastructure system which is owned by the Electric Power Authority in the Lajas Valley.
(11) Re-establish the irrigation connections to properties that have been affected by segregations and coordinate their access to the irrigation system.
(12) Encourage the farmers of the area to assume their individual responsibilities for their land in matters such as rights of way, irrigation, drainage and housing for owners and employees.
(13) Integrate the Agricultural Experimental Station in the development and use of state-of-the-art technology that will serve as model for other areas of the Commonwealth.
History —Aug. 20, 1999, No. 277, § 7.