C.R.S. Section 23-31-320
Timber, forest health, and wildfire mitigation industries workforce development program

  • creation
  • policies and procedures
  • legislative declaration
  • definitions

(1)

The general assembly finds, determines, and declares that:

(a)

Finding qualified and trained employees is a significant challenge for the state’s timber, forest health, and wildfire mitigation industries, and it is especially difficult to provide training to and opportunities to gain experience for younger workers who are interested in beginning careers in the timber, forest health, and wildfire mitigation industries;

(b)

The barriers to entry for younger workers who are interested in beginning a career in the timber, forest health, and wildfire mitigation industries are significant, including access to training programs that provide real-world work experience;

(c)

Internships are a recognized way to build a talent pipeline and career pathway to align education, training, and work-based learning; and

(d)

By offering incentives to timber businesses and forest health and wildfire mitigation entities to create internships, there will be more opportunities for students to obtain work experience with timber businesses or with forest health or wildfire mitigation entities.

(2)

As used in this section:

(a)

“Forest health or wildfire mitigation entity” means a for-profit or nonprofit entity located or operating in Colorado that engages in or focuses resources on forest health or wildfire mitigation activities, including prescribed burning as defined in section 24-33.5-1202, or other science-based forest management practices.

(b)

“Forest service” means the Colorado state forest service identified in section 23-31-302 and the division of forestry created in section 24-33-104.

(c)

“Program” means the timber, forest health, and wildfire mitigation industries workforce development program created in subsection (3) of this section.

(d)

“Timber business” means a for-profit business entity incorporated or located in Colorado that engages in or focuses resources on forestry; logging; the timber trade; or the production of wood products, such as furniture or secondary products, including wood pulp for the pulp and paper industry.

(3)

The timber, forest health, and wildfire mitigation industries workforce development program is hereby created in the forest service to provide incentives to timber businesses and forest health or wildfire mitigation entities to hire interns through partial reimbursement of the costs to such businesses and entities for hiring and employing interns. Not later than January 1, 2024, the forest service shall adopt policies and procedures for administering the program. The policies and procedures must specify, at a minimum:

(a)

The criteria for selecting a timber business or forest health or wildfire mitigation entity for participation in the program, including the ability of the business or entity to effectively supervise an intern and the opportunity for an intern to gain meaningful work experience;

(b)

The criteria for an internship to qualify under the program, including the following:

(I)

That the internship must provide an intern at least one hundred thirty hours of work experience; and

(II)

That the internship cannot exceed six months in duration per intern;

(c)

Best practices for a timber business or forest health or wildfire mitigation entity to use in recruiting and selecting interns to participate in internships who represent historically underrepresented communities in the timber, forest health, and wildfire mitigation industries. In developing best practices, the forest service shall specifically consider how to extend opportunities to individuals who have acquired experience in wildland fire services through the inmate disaster relief program created in section 17-24-124 (3).

(d)

The criteria for a timber business or forest health or wildfire mitigation entity to use in selecting interns to participate in its internship, including the educational experience required of an intern and the ability of the intern to perform meaningful work for the business or entity;

(e)

The process and timeline for selecting timber businesses and forest health or wildfire mitigation entities to participate in the program and for participating businesses and entities to select interns to participate in their internships;

(f)

The accounting requirements for tracking internship costs; and

(g)

The process a timber business or forest health or wildfire mitigation entity must use when applying to the program for reimbursement for a portion of its costs incurred in employing an intern.

(4)

Subject to available appropriations, the forest service may reimburse a participating timber business or forest health or wildfire mitigation entity an amount not to exceed fifty percent of the actual cost to the business or entity to employ an intern. The actual cost includes the wages paid to the intern, a reasonable allocation of fixed overhead expenses, and all incidental costs directly related to the internship. Based on the annual appropriation for the program, the forest service shall determine how many internships may be approved, the amount of reimbursement per internship, and whether a timber business or forest health or wildfire mitigation entity may be reimbursed for more than one intern in a single state fiscal year. However, a timber business or forest health or wildfire mitigation entity shall not be reimbursed for more than three internships in a single state fiscal year.

Source: Section 23-31-320 — Timber, forest health, and wildfire mitigation industries workforce development program - creation - policies and procedures - legislative declaration - definitions, 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

§ 23-31-320’s source at colorado​.gov