(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: L. 2016: Entire section added, (HB 16-1255), ch. 113, p. 320, � 2, effective April 21. L. 2021: (3) amended, (SB 21-136), ch. 198, p. 1055, � 1, effective September 1; Entire section R&RE (SB 21-237), ch. 288, p. 1704, � 2, effective September 2.
Editor's note: Subsection (3) was amended in SB 21-136. Those amendments were superseded by the repeal and reenactment of this section in SB 21-237, effective September 2, 2021. For the amendments to subsection (3) in SB 21-136 in effect from September 1, 2021, to September 2, 2021, see chapter 198, Session Laws of Colorado 2021. (L. 2021, p. 1055)
23-31-317. Biomass utilization study - legislative declaration - report - definitions - repeal. (1) The general assembly:
(a) Finds and determines that:
(I) Three of the largest wildfires in Colorado's history occurred in 2020, with more than six hundred twenty-five thousand acres burned across the state;
(II) It is estimated that two hundred fourteen million dollars was spent in Colorado in 2020 to fight forest fires;
(III) With almost three million people in Colorado residing in the wildland-urban interface, these wildfires threaten human life as well as private property, public infrastructure, and the environment;
(IV) The forest service has implemented a number of strategies to help mitigate the risk of wildfire, including engaging in educational outreach, providing technical assistance to communities in the WUI with the development of community wildfire protection plans, and treating forested lands to reduce the amount of fuel;
(V) One promising strategy for wildfire mitigation is to increase the utilization of biomass to reduce fuel; and
(VI) Increased biomass utilization would provide other environmental benefits such as:
(A) Using biomass for electric and heat generation as a means to further diversify Colorado's renewable energy portfolio and, in furtherance of the governor's Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap released on January 14, 2021, provide a carbon-neutral alternative energy source to fossil fuels; and
(B) Applying biochar to soil as a means to improve soil health and provide carbon sequestration; and
(b) Declares that it is in the interest of the state for the forest service to administer a grant program to demonstrate biomass utilization as a means to innovate wildfire mitigation, renewable energy development, soil health, climate change mitigation, and carbon sequestration.
(2) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) Biochar means a charcoal that is produced by pyrolysis of biomass and is used as a soil amendment.
(b) Biomass has the meaning set forth in section 40-2-124 (1)(a)(I).
(c) Forest service has the meaning set forth in section 23-31-310 (2)(c).
(d) Fuel has the meaning set forth in section 23-31-310 (2)(d).
(e) Pyrolysis has the meaning set forth in section 40-2-124 (1)(a)(V).
(f) Wildland-urban interface or WUI has the meaning set forth in section 23-31-310 (2)(f).
(3) (a) The biomass utilization grant program is created to demonstrate the utilization of biomass throughout the state. The forest service, at the discretion of the state forester, may implement the grant program by awarding up to two million five hundred thousand dollars in grants for proposed projects that seek to demonstrate the following regarding biomass utilization:
(I) Wildfire prevention and mitigation benefits derived from its utilization;
(II) Energy benefits derived from increasing biomass energy generation; or
(III) Agricultural benefits from increasing its usage as biochar.
(b) The forest service, at the discretion of the state forester, may administer the grant program using money in the healthy forests and vibrant communities fund created in section 23-31-313 (10) and any gifts, grants, or donations received. The forest service may seek and expend gifts, grants, and donations to finance the biomass utilization grant program.
(4) On or before March 1, 2023, and on or before each March 1 after a year in which the forest service awards one or more grants under the biomass utilization grant program, the forest service shall submit a report describing each project for which it has awarded a grant in the previous year, including a description of the type of biomass utilization that the project demonstrates, the geographic area served by the project, and the amount awarded for the project, to the governor and the agriculture, livestock, and water committee of the house of representatives and the agriculture and natural resources committee of the senate, or any successor committees. The forest service shall post the report on its website.
(5) This section is repealed, effective September 1, 2026. Before the repeal, this section is scheduled for review in accordance with section 24-34-104.
Source: L. 2021: Entire section added, (HB 21-1180), ch. 469, p. 3374, � 1, effective September 7.
23-31-318. Wildfire mitigation incentives for local governments - grant awards - fund - reporting - definitions - repeal. (1) As used in this section:
(a) Dedicated revenue source means one of the following revenue sources, singularly or in combination, adopted by a local government, that is intended to be used for forest management or wildfire mitigation efforts at the local level:
(I) An existing or new tax imposed by the local government;
(II) An existing or new mill levy approved by the voters of the local government; or
(III) Approval by the voters of the local government of the retention on a permanent basis of excess revenue of the local government in accordance with section 20 (7)(d) of article X of the state constitution.
(b) Eligible recipient means a local government that is eligible to receive a grant through the grant program.
(c) Forest service means the Colorado state forest service identified in section 23-31-302.
(d) Fund means the wildfire mitigation incentives for local government grant program fund created in subsection (7)(a) of this section.
(e) Grant program means the wildfire mitigation incentives for local government grant program established in subsection (2) of this section.
(f) Local government means a municipality, whether home rule or statutory, county, city and county, or special district.
(2) The wildfire mitigation incentives for local government grant program is hereby established in the forest service. The grant program is established to provide state assistance in the form of grant awards to local governments to either match revenue raised by such governments from a dedicated revenue source or to expand existing programs administered by the local government on a long-term basis, which efforts at the local level are intended to be used for forest management or wildfire mitigation efforts at the local level. Such efforts include, without limitation, projects that promote fuel breaks, forest thinning, a reduction in the amount or extent of fuels contributing to wildfires, outreach and education efforts directed at property owners and other members of the public, and any other means of forest management or wildfire mitigation as determined appropriate for funding by the forest service.
(3) (a) The forest service shall administer the grant program.
(b) In connection with its administration of the grant program, the forest service shall create a process that ensures that grants are awarded after an open competition among eligible grant recipients.
(4) (a) On or before March 1, 2023, the forest service shall adopt policies, procedures, and guidelines for the grant program that include, without limitation:
(I) Procedures and timelines by which an eligible recipient may apply for a grant;
(II) Criteria for determining grant eligibility and grant amounts; and
(III) Reporting requirements for grant recipients.
(b) All funding under the grant program must either match revenues raised by the local government from a dedicated revenue source or to supplement long-term programs administered by the local government, which efforts are intended to be used for forest management or wildfire mitigation efforts at the local level in accordance with policies, procedures, and guidelines developed by the forest service.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a local government is eligible for funding under the grant program even in the absence of a dedicated revenue source if the local government has created and administers an existing program, project, or funding mechanism that creates long-term funding at the local level for wildfire mitigation or forest health or has created and administers other creative and innovative approaches for promoting wildfire mitigation and forest health.
(5) In awarding grants, the forest service shall give preference to the following:
(a) Eligible recipients that make available a dedicated revenue source for wildfire mitigation or forest health;
(b) Eligible recipients with territorial boundaries located within priority areas for wildfire mitigation as determined by the forest service;
(c) Funding that is intended to benefit people residing in a community that ranks high on the social vulnerability index developed by the forest service;
(d) Eligible recipients that make available dedicated and full-time employees to collaborate with private landowners to implement wildfire mitigation measures;
(e) Initiatives of a longer duration that are intended to give eligible recipients a stable source of revenue for forest management and wildfire mitigation efforts;
(f) Initiatives emphasizing a regional approach to promoting forest management and wildfire mitigation; and
(g) Eligible recipients that have attempted unsuccessfully to create a dedicated revenue source for wildfire mitigation or forest health.
(6) (a) An eligible recipient receiving funding from the grant program shall dedicate money received from the award to the same purpose for which the eligible recipient adopted the revenue source that qualified the eligible recipient for the award.
(b) Eligible recipients may apply for funding from the grant program, and the recipient's application for funding may be approved by the forest service, before the local government has created a dedicated revenue source that forms the basis for the match if the electors of the local government approve a ballot issue creating the revenue source at an election that takes place in the same calendar year in which the funding is awarded.
(c) The terms of any award under the grant program must be memorialized in a memorandum of understanding or similar form of agreement between the forest service and the eligible recipient.
(d) Nothing in this section precludes a local government from using all or any portion of a grant awarded under this section from working with a community organization, a home owners association, or a similar organization or entity operating at the local level in administering a project supported by the grant program.
(7) (a) The wildfire mitigation incentives for local government grant program fund is hereby created in the state treasury. The fund consists of money appropriated to the fund by the general assembly and any gifts, grants, or donations from any public or private sources, including governmental entities, that the forest service is hereby authorized to seek and accept.
(b) The fund must only be used for the purpose of funding awards under the grant program less the administrative costs of the forest service, not to exceed five percent of the balance in the fund at any one time, in administering the grant program.
(c) Except as otherwise required by this subsection (7), all money not expended or encumbered, and all interest earned on the investment or deposit of money in the fund, must remain in the fund and shall not revert to the general fund or any other fund at the end of any fiscal year. The money in the fund is continuously appropriated to the forest service for the purposes of this section.
(d) On July 1, 2022, the state treasurer shall transfer ten million dollars from the general fund to the fund. The forest service shall use the money transferred pursuant to this subsection (7)(d) in accordance with the requirements of subsection (7)(b) of this section.
(8) (a) On or before November 1, 2024, and on or before November 1 of each year thereafter, the forest service shall publish a report summarizing the use of all of the money that was awarded under the grant program in the preceding fiscal year. At a minimum, the report shall specify the names of the local governments that have been awarded grants, the amount of funding distributed to each grant recipient, a description of each grant recipient's use of the grant money, and any other information deemed beneficial for inclusion in the report in the discretion of the forest service. The report must be posted on the website of the forest service.
(b) In its presentation to the joint committees of reference pursuant to section 2-7-203, the department of higher education shall summarize the information contained in the report published by the division pursuant to subsection (8)(a) of this section.
(9) The forest service shall prepare educational materials concerning the grant program, including examples of and guidelines for long-term investments in wildfire mitigation or forest health, and shall display such materials on its official website. In addition, the forest service shall undertake outreach activities to inform local governments located in priority areas for wildfire mitigation of the grant program.
(10) This section is repealed, effective September 1, 2027. Before the repeal, the department of regulatory agencies shall review the grant program pursuant to section 24-34-104.
Source: L. 2022: Entire section added, (HB 22-1011), ch. 340, p. 2444, � 1, effective June 3.
23-31-319. Forest service seedling tree nursery - necessary upgrades and improvements - definition - funding - reports - repeal. (1) Definition. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, nursery means the Colorado state forest service seedling tree nursery located on the foothills campus of Colorado state university in Fort Collins and operated by the Colorado state forest service.
(2) Greenhouses. To upgrade greenhouses and expand their capacity, the nursery shall:
(a) Repair existing structures as needed;
(b) Add square footage to existing structures or construct new structures;
(c) Replace pumps and other equipment with equipment that is calibrated for current nutrient delivery standards;
(d) Implement energy efficiency measures;
(e) Implement modern pest control measures; and
(f) Upgrade water delivery systems, including irrigation systems.
(2.5) Field upgrades. To upgrade the fields where the nursery grows bare-root trees and shrubs, the nursery shall:
(a) Install a new pump and pump house;
(b) Overhaul the irrigation system; and
(c) Grade and improve the roads to and within the fields.
(3) Shade house structures. To improve and expand shade house structures, the nursery shall:
(a) Remove and replace existing rotted structures;
(b) Refill and level sunken or eroded ground;
(c) Install new foundations;
(d) Install new irrigation lines; and
(e) Add square footage to existing structures, construct new structures, or both.
(3.5) Seed storage cooler. To improve the capacity, security, and energy efficiency of seed storage, the nursery shall purchase a new seed storage cooler.
(4) Containers and shipping supplies. To prepare for increased production, the nursery shall:
(a) Purchase sufficient containers and shipping materials to serve the nursery's storage and shipping needs; and
(b) Purchase a pressure washer to clean and sterilize containers for reuse.
(4.5) Delivery trucks. To improve the timeliness of deliveries and eliminate the cost of renting delivery trucks, the nursery shall purchase two refrigerated box trucks.
(5) Capacity, expertise, and infrastructure analysis. To guide further investment in the modernization of the nursery, the nursery shall contract with nursery management and reforestation professionals to conduct an analysis of priority capacity and knowledge investments that are necessary to address reforestation needs in response to more frequent and intense wildfire, flood, insect, and disease incidents.
(6) Appropriation. For the 2022-23 and 2023-24 state fiscal years, the general assembly shall appropriate money to the Colorado state university system for allocation to and expenditure by the Colorado state forest service for the purposes specified in this section. Any money appropriated by the general assembly pursuant to this subsection (6) that is not expended before the end of the fiscal year for which it is appropriated remains available for expenditure for the same purposes until the close of the 2026-27 state fiscal year.
(7) Reporting. No later than June 1, 2023, and no later than June 1 of any other year in which the Colorado state forest service expends money appropriated to the Colorado state university system pursuant to this section, the state forester shall submit a report concerning the use of money received by the Colorado state forest service pursuant to this section to the wildfire matters review committee created in section 2-3-1602 (1)(a).
(8) Repeal. This section is repealed, effective June 30, 2027.
Source: L. 2022: Entire section added, (HB 22-1323), ch. 434, p. 3058, � 2, effective August 10. L. 2023: (2.5), (3.5), and (4.5) added and (6) and (8) amended, (HB 23-1060), ch. 185, p. 904, � 1, effective August 7. L. 2025: (6) and (8) amended, (SB 25-115), ch. 4, p. 10, � 1, effective February 27.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 22-1323, see section 1 of chapter 434, Session Laws of Colorado 2022.
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: L. 2023: Entire section added, (SB 23-005), ch. 172, p. 843, � 2, effective May 12.
23-31-321. Wildfire mitigation and preparedness - rural grant navigator grant program - creation - administration - reporting - definitions. (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) Department means the department of local affairs created in section 24-1-125.
(b) Forest service means the Colorado state forest service identified in section 23-31-302.
(c) Nongovernmental organization or NGO has the meaning set forth in section 24-37.5-102 (20).
(d) Rural grant navigator grant program or competitive grant program means the competitive grant program authorized under subsection (2)(a) of this section.
(2) (a) The forest service shall establish a rural grant navigator grant program to provide grant money for nongovernmental organizations providing outreach and technical assistance, including grant writing assistance, to rural communities seeking to apply for federal or state grants related to wildfire mitigation and preparedness.
(b) On or after March 1, 2025, an NGO assisting one or more rural communities with obtaining federal or state grants related to wildfire mitigation or preparedness may apply to the forest service for grant money in accordance with application and eligibility guidelines that the forest service establishes pursuant to subsection (3) of this section for the competitive grant program.
(3) (a) The forest service shall consult with NGOs that currently assist or are seeking to assist Colorado communities with wildfire mitigation and preparedness to develop criteria and guidelines for the competitive grant program.
(b) The criteria and guidelines developed pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section must:
(I) Be completed and posted on the website of the forest service on or before February 28, 2025; and
(II) Include criteria and guidelines for at least the following aspects of the competitive grant program:
(A) Eligibility requirements for NGO applicants assisting rural communities in seeking federal or state grant money for wildfire mitigation and preparedness efforts;
(B) Application requirements; and
(C) Participation requirements for selected NGOs, including requirements for coordination between selected NGOs to ensure nonduplication of efforts and for periodic reporting.
(c) (I) After the forest service has created the competitive grant program, the forest service, to the best of its ability, shall consult on effective uses of the grant money and successful outcomes with:
(A) The department;
(B) The division of fire prevention and control created in section 24-33.5-1201 (1)(a);
(C) The governor's office;
(D) A rural county on the western slope;
(E) A rural county on the eastern plains; and
(F) A rural county in the southern part of the state.
(II) The forest service, in consultation with selected NGOs, shall develop metrics to help the forest service assess the success of the competitive grant program.
(4) (a) On or before March 1, 2026, and on or before March 1 each year thereafter, the forest service shall submit a written report summarizing the competitive grant program to the wildfire matters review committee created in section 2-3-1602 (1)(a) or, if the committee no longer exists, to both the house of representatives agriculture, water, and natural resources committee and the senate agriculture and natural resources committee, or their successor committees. The forest service shall post copies of the reports on its website.
(b) Notwithstanding section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), the written report specified in subsection (4)(a) of this section continues indefinitely.
Source: L. 2024: Entire section added, (HB 24-1006), ch. 209, p. 1284, � 1, effective August 7.