P.R. Laws tit. 12, § 217a
The Secretary of the [Department of] Natural and Environmental Resources shall establish the regulations of this chapter and shall assure compliance with the same. To this end, the Secretary shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) To establish the corresponding regulations on preservation, protection, conservation, administration and management of natural and environmental resources.
(b) To acquire through any legal means, assignment, conveyance or expropriation, the plots of land included within the designated natural reserve area.
(c) To administer, preserve, conserve and coordinate the management and use of the forest; determining that it may establish a management agreement with the organized community group of Barrio Palos Blancos, Municipality of Corozal, for the forest’s administration, use, protection and conservation. In any management agreement between the Department and the organized community group of Barrio Palos Blancos, Municipality of Corozal, the legal norms and provisions and regulations applicable to the administration and the use of the Forest Program of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources must be included.
(d) To undertake work or study programs with state governmental agencies, federal or foreign, or with public or private organizations leading to fulfillment of the purposes of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’s public policy on natural and environmental resources.
(e) To accept and to receive donations from private or public persons or entities.
(f) To issue all the legal instruments necessary for the exercise of his/her powers.
(g) To perform surveys, topographical, environmental and any other studies that, in his/her judgment are necessary to insure compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
(h) To promulgate and implement the necessary regulations for carrying out the purposes of this chapter.
(i) To determine which activities could be undertaken in the forest and to issue the corresponding permits.
(j) To exercise all powers and faculties conferred by any other law on natural and environmental resources in order to administer, protect, preserve and conserve the designated forest according to this chapter.
(k) To perform all those convenient and necessary acts for implementing the purposes of this chapter.
History —Nov. 21, 2003, No. 295, § 2.