C.R.S. Section 23-31-316
Colorado forest health council

  • legislative declaration
  • repeal

(1)

Legislative declaration.
The general assembly hereby:

(a)

Finds that:

(I)

The forest health advisory council was created pursuant to House Bill 16-1255 within the Colorado state forest service to provide a collaborative forum to advise the state forester on a range of issues, opportunities, and threats with regard to Colorado’s forests;

(II)

Since then, the council has met regularly to develop forest health priorities and recommendations, provide early and ongoing input on the development of the forest action plan, and convene discussions on issues such as landscape-scale planning, prescribed fires, watershed health, federal funding, and other topics; and

(III)

During the 2020 fire season, Colorado experienced its three largest wildfires in recorded history, with wildfires statewide burning over six hundred twenty-five thousand acres and costing at least two hundred eighty-five million dollars to suppress; and

(b)

Determines that:

(I)

The challenges facing Colorado’s forests, from invasive species to wildfire activity, have become increasingly serious and complex;

(II)

The trend towards larger, more destructive, more frequent wildfires is expected to continue in the years to come as a result of historical fire suppression practices and ongoing climate-change-induced shifts in weather conditions and forest health; and

(III)

Investments in forest health and wildfire mitigation help avoid more expensive fire suppression and recovery costs and provide multiple benefits to individuals as well as society, including protection of lives and property, watersheds, wildlife habitat, livelihoods, and air quality; carbon sequestration; and opportunities for recreation and solace; and

(c)

Declares that:

(I)

As the issues related to forest health and wildfire mitigation have evolved, so has the manner in which the state seeks to address them, and creating a Colorado forest health council within the department of natural resources to report to the governor and the general assembly is the most effective and integrated structure through which to do so; and

(II)

Establishing the Colorado forest health council serves the interest of the state and local communities in developing effective strategies for forest health and wildfire mitigation.

(2)

Council created.
There is hereby created within the division of forestry in the department of natural resources the Colorado forest health council, referred to in this section as the “council”, to provide a collaborative forum to advise the governor and general assembly on a broad range of issues, opportunities, and threats with regard to Colorado’s forests.

(3)

Membership.

(a)

The council consists of the following twenty-six members:

(I)

The following ex officio members or there designees:

(A)

The executive director of the department of natural resources, who is the chair of the council;

(B)

The state forester appointed pursuant to section 23-31-207;

(C)

The director of the division of fire prevention and control appointed pursuant to section 24-33.5-1201;

(D)

The regional forester or deputy regional forester for the United States forest service region 2;

(E)

The forestry program lead for the federal bureau of land management in Colorado;

(F)

The state conservationist for the natural resources conservation service in the United States department of agriculture;

(II)

The following members appointed by the governor:

(A)

An employee of the Colorado office of economic development created in section 24-48.5-101 with a leadership role and expertise in outdoor recreation;

(B)

One member who is an enrolled member of a tribe that has a reservation within Colorado;

(C)

Four county commissioners, two of whom must represent a county west of the continental divide and two of whom must represent a county east of the continental divide;

(D)

One member who is employed or associated with a forest collaborative organization;

(E)

One member who is a forest scientist or is employed in a forest research position and has climate science expertise;

(F)

One member who is employed by a research institution and who has forest policy expertise;

(G)

Two members employed by a water supplier, including a municipal drinking water supplier and an irrigation water supplier, one of whom must reside in a county west of the continental divide and one of whom must reside in a county east of the continental divide;

(H)

One member who is employed by or associated with the timber industry;

(I)

One member who is employed by or associated with a conservation organization;

(J)

One member who is employed by or associated with the insurance industry;

(K)

One member who is employed by a public utility that owns or operates transmission facilities;

(L)

One member who owns a ranch and owns grazing rights on public lands;

(M)

One member who is employed by or associated with a wildlife organization; and

(N)

One member who is employed by or associated with an organization that advocates for motorized recreation; and

(III)

Two members of the general assembly, including a majority and minority representative from the wildfire matters review committee, one appointed by the president of the senate and one appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(b)

The term of each council member is five years; except that the terms of council members appointed pursuant to subsection (3)(a)(II) of this section is three years.

(4)

Powers and duties.

(a)

The mission of the council is to improve forest health in Colorado through an integrated, science-based, statewide approach focused on collaboration among federal, state, and local governments, and private and nonprofit partners, to mitigate wildfire, restore ecological health, safeguard communities and water supplies, mitigate and adapt to climate change, support local economies, and protect recreational settings, as appropriate, across all jurisdictional boundaries.

(b)

In furtherance of its mission, the council shall engage in at least the following activities:

(I)

Making recommendations for forest health and wildfire mitigation capacity building and funding;

(II)

Development of, and recommendations for, attaining a thirty-year vision for forest health in Colorado, including developing goals and both annual and multi-year recommendations for actions to improve forest health and reduce fire risk through increased funding and capacity building;

(III)

Landscape-scale planning to identify state-level priorities for forest restoration, wildfire risk reduction, and related management; key barriers inhibiting the achievement of those priorities; and solutions to overcome those barriers;

(IV)

Monitoring trends related to forest ecosystem health, including those related to climate adaptation, and advising on opportunities for state-level action;

(V)

Monitoring and identifying opportunities to support and promote synergy across forest-based collaboratives in the state, including coordinating state funding sources and sharing best practices;

(VI)

Identification of strategies for building sustained capacity to conduct forest restoration and wildfire mitigation work at scale through collaboration across multiple agencies, organizations, and jurisdictions; public-private partnerships; innovative public and private funding vehicles; shared stewardship; and other solutions, with emphasis on leveraging and maximizing the impact and reach of state funding;

(VII)

Identification of workforce development challenges and opportunities, as well as potential regional and statewide economic benefits, associated with a significant increase in wildfire mitigation and forest restoration activities;

(VIII)

Development and support of solutions to manage and utilize woody material produced by mitigation work, including consideration of climate change and ecological impacts;

(IX)

Development of legislative and regulatory recommendations for policies that could support wildfire mitigation and forest restoration goals; and

(X)

Providing technical expertise and recommendations to inform the general assembly, the executive branch, and federal and local agencies on forest health and wildfire mitigation issues.

(5)

Staff support.
The division shall provide office space, equipment, and staff services as may be necessary to implement this section.

(6)

Reports.
At a minimum, the council shall annually brief the wildfire matters review committee created in section 2-3-1602 and submit an annual report to the governor.

(7)

Repeal.
This section is repealed, effective September 1, 2026. Before the repeal, this section is scheduled for review in accordance with section 2-3-1203.

Source: Section 23-31-316 — Colorado forest health council - legislative declaration - repeal, https://leg.­colorado.­gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-23.­pdf (accessed Oct. 20, 2023).

23‑31‑101
University established - role and mission
23‑31‑102
Name changed
23‑31‑103
Board to control college and lands
23‑31‑104
Who shall constitute faculty
23‑31‑105
Duty of faculty
23‑31‑106
President - duties
23‑31‑107
President may remove officers
23‑31‑108
President may be professor
23‑31‑109
Report of experimental operations
23‑31‑110
Pledge of income from facilities or equipment
23‑31‑111
Rents or charges for buildings and facilities for research
23‑31‑112
Research building revolving fund - appropriation of fund
23‑31‑113
Anticipation warrants
23‑31‑114
Purchase of anticipation warrants
23‑31‑115
Warrants as security - when
23‑31‑116
Tax exemption
23‑31‑117
Borrowing funds
23‑31‑118
Advancement of moneys and pledge of income
23‑31‑119
Plant breeding programs
23‑31‑120
Cooperation with other agencies
23‑31‑121
Providing personnel, supplies
23‑31‑122
Agricultural extension service furnished counties
23‑31‑201
Transfer to board of governors of the Colorado state university system - exceptions
23‑31‑202
Powers and duties of board of governors of the Colorado state university system
23‑31‑205
Provisions of act of congress accepted
23‑31‑206
Cooperative agreements
23‑31‑207
Employees and personnel
23‑31‑208
Rights by succession to state board of land commissioners - transfers to division of fire prevention and control
23‑31‑301
Legislative declaration
23‑31‑302
Forestry function named
23‑31‑303
Funds available
23‑31‑310
Forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grant program - technical advisory panel - legislative declaration - definitions - repeal
23‑31‑311
Watershed protection projects and forest health projects
23‑31‑312
Community wildfire protection plans - biomass utilization plans - county governments - guidelines and criteria - legislative declaration - definitions
23‑31‑313
Healthy forests - vibrant communities - funds created - outreach working group - legislative declaration - definition - repeal
23‑31‑316
Colorado forest health council - legislative declaration - repeal
23‑31‑317
Biomass utilization study - legislative declaration - report - definitions - repeal
23‑31‑318
Wildfire mitigation incentives for local governments - grant awards - fund - reporting - definitions - repeal
23‑31‑319
Forest service seedling tree nursery - necessary upgrades and improvements - definition - funding - reports - repeal
23‑31‑320
Timber, forest health, and wildfire mitigation industries workforce development program - creation - policies and procedures - legislative declaration - definitions
23‑31‑401
Definitions
23‑31‑402
Owner’s permission required - when
23‑31‑403
Proof of ownership required - when
23‑31‑404
Violation - penalty - defense
23‑31‑501
Acceptance of congressional grant of 1862
23‑31‑502
Board of governors of the Colorado state university system to control fund
23‑31‑503
Acceptance of congressional act of 1883
23‑31‑504
Control, investment, and expending of funds
23‑31‑505
Other funds - investment
23‑31‑506
Report on condition - appropriation
23‑31‑507
Management of funds
23‑31‑508
Purpose of sections
23‑31‑509
Acceptance of congressional act of 1928
23‑31‑510
Control of funds
23‑31‑511
Congressional act of 1914 accepted
23‑31‑512
Board to receive and expend funds
23‑31‑513
Acceptance of congressional act of 1935
23‑31‑514
Control of funds from 1935 act
23‑31‑601
Acceptance of congressional act of 1862
23‑31‑602
Control of fund
23‑31‑603
Acceptance of congressional act of 1906
23‑31‑604
Board to control fund
23‑31‑605
Board to cooperate with counties
23‑31‑606
Employees and specialists
23‑31‑607
Stations established
23‑31‑608
Board to secure lands
23‑31‑609
Board to supervise
23‑31‑610
Objects of stations
23‑31‑611
Proceeds from station
23‑31‑612
Expenses - how paid
23‑31‑701
Short title
23‑31‑702
Acknowledgment of related federal laws
23‑31‑703
Responsibility and objectives
23‑31‑704
Organization - cooperative relationships
23‑31‑705
Authority to accomplish purposes of part
23‑31‑706
Reporting and accountability
23‑31‑707
Colorado AgrAbility project - extension program - creation - appropriation - legislative declaration
23‑31‑801
Colorado water institute - creation
23‑31‑802
Advisory committee on water research policy
23‑31‑803
Water research fund
23‑31‑804
Republican river groundwater economic study - reporting - legislative declaration - definitions - repeal
23‑31‑901
Legislative declaration
23‑31‑902
Annual project report - national western center trust fund - creation - use
23‑31‑903
Authorization for financed purchase of an asset or certificate of participation agreements
23‑31‑904
Cooperative agreements for regional economic development not limited
23‑31‑905
National western center partnership - open meetings and open records laws apply - audit
23‑31‑1001
Legislative declaration
23‑31‑1002
Definitions
23‑31‑1003
State veterinary education loan repayment council - creation - membership
23‑31‑1004
State veterinary education loan repayment program - creation - purpose
23‑31‑1005
Council powers and duties
23‑31‑1006
Program applicant eligibility - criteria
23‑31‑1007
Designated veterinary shortage areas - criteria
23‑31‑1008
Release from contract obligation
23‑31‑1009
Loan repayment
23‑31‑1010
Veterinary education loan repayment fund - creation - gifts, grants, and donations
23‑31‑1101
Legislative declaration
23‑31‑1102
Colorado food systems advisory council - created - membership - terms - vacancies
23‑31‑1103
Council - purpose and duties
23‑31‑1104
Subcommittees of the council
23‑31‑1105
Fund - acceptance of gifts, grants, or donations
23‑31‑1106
Reports - recommendations
23‑31‑1107
Repeal of part
Green check means up to date. Up to date

Current through Fall 2024

§ 23-31-316’s source at colorado​.gov