A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning the creation of a work group to study the uses
Page 1, Line 102of state trust lands, and, in connection therewith,
Page 1, Line 103making an appropriation.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The state board of land commissioners (state board) serves as the trustee for lands granted to the state in public trust for the support of public schools (state trust lands). The state board is responsible for the management and protection of the state trust lands, including by protecting and enhancing the natural features, open space, and wildlife habitat of the state trust lands.
The bill requires the executive director of the department of natural resources (department) to convene a state trust lands conservation and recreation work group (work group) to study opportunities to advance conservation and recreation activities on state trust lands as part of the state board's long-term stewardship of the state trust lands while maintaining the state board's fiduciary responsibilities regarding its management of the state trust lands. On or before July 1, 2026, the work group is required to make recommendations to the state board, the governor, the general assembly, and the executive director of the department based on the study.
On or before December 15, 2026, the state board is required to take into consideration the work group's recommendations and adopt an administrative policy or rules to establish a process and policy regarding the state board's implementation of conservation leases while balancing such conservation efforts with the requirement to generate revenue from the state trust lands.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly finds and declares that:
Page 2, Line 3(a) The state board of land commissioners serves as the trustee of
Page 2, Line 4lands granted to the state in public trust by the federal government, lands
Page 2, Line 5acquired in lieu thereof, and additional lands held by the state board in public trust, which lands are commonly referred to as "state trust lands";
Page 2, Line 6(b) The state board of land commissioners manages 2.8 million
Page 2, Line 7surface acres and 4 million subsurface acres, making it the second largest landowner in the state behind the federal government;
Page 2, Line 8(c) As trustee of the state trust lands, the state board of land
Page 2, Line 9commissioners' management of state trust lands provides vital funding for public schools;
Page 2, Line 10(d) Under federal law and under section 10 of article IX of the
Page 2, Line 11state constitution, state trust lands shall be managed exclusively for the
Page 2, Line 12benefit of the designated beneficiaries of the trusts;
Page 3, Line 1(e) Conservation; outdoor recreation; contributions to reducing
Page 3, Line 2emissions and addressing climate change through the development of
Page 3, Line 3transmission and renewable energy generation on state trust lands; and
Page 3, Line 4housing for teachers, educators, school employees, and families with
Page 3, Line 5children may all be identified as forms of benefits to the trust beneficiaries;
Page 3, Line 6(f) In 1996, the registered voters of this state approved
Page 3, Line 7amendments to sections 3, 9, and 10 of article IX of the state constitution
Page 3, Line 8to make changes to the state board of land commissioners' composition
Page 3, Line 9and mandate. Among other matters, the amendments to section 10 of article IX did the following:
Page 3, Line 10(I) Clarified the state board's authority to manage and promote the
Page 3, Line 11long-term yields of state trust lands by changing the state board's mandate to "produc[ing] reasonable and consistent income over time";
Page 3, Line 12(II) Articulated a vision for the state board's management of all
Page 3, Line 13state trust lands, stating that "the economic productivity of all lands held
Page 3, Line 14in public trust is dependent on sound stewardship, including protecting
Page 3, Line 15and enhancing the beauty, natural values, open space[,] and wildlife habitat thereof, for this and future generations";
Page 3, Line 16(III) To fulfill in part the direction to "protect and enhance the
Page 3, Line 17long-term productivity and sound stewardship" of all state trust lands, directed the state board to, among other activities:
Page 3, Line 18(A) Establish and maintain "a long-term stewardship trust of up to 300,000 acres of land";
Page 3, Line 19(B) Manage the development and utilization of natural resources
Page 3, Line 20"in a manner which will conserve the long-term value of such resources,
Page 3, Line 21as well as existing and future uses"; and
Page 4, Line 1(C) Sell or lease "conservation easements, licenses[,] and other similar interests in land".
(2) The general assembly further finds and declares that:
Page 4, Line 3(a) As the state approaches its 150th anniversary on August 1,
Page 4, Line 42026, there are opportunities to further implement the intent of section 10
Page 4, Line 5of article IX of the state constitution by continuing to diversify revenue
Page 4, Line 6streams to the benefit of the trust beneficiaries, both through revenue and
Page 4, Line 7in-kind, in a way that protects Colorado's great outdoors, wildlife, and
Page 4, Line 8recreational opportunities, which are among the state's most treasured
Page 4, Line 9resources, thus enhancing Coloradans' quality of life, bringing prosperity to the state and its residents, and representing the fabric of the state;
Page 4, Line 11(b) It is reasonable to encourage the state board of land
Page 4, Line 12commissioners, in exercising the state board's discretion to determine the
Page 4, Line 13best interests of its beneficiaries, to consider additional
Page 4, Line 14revenue-generating, non-revenue-generating, and in-kind contributions,
Page 4, Line 15including conservation and recreational opportunities, renewable energy siting and energy transmission, housing, and broadband infrastructure;
Page 4, Line 16(c) Furthermore, the state board of land commissioners should
Page 4, Line 17consider opportunities to expand conservation, restoration, and
Page 4, Line 18sustainably managed public access to state trust lands, including for
Page 4, Line 19communities that face systemic barriers to accessing nature, renewable energy siting and energy transmission, and housing, while:
Page 4, Line 20(I) Protecting natural and conservation values;
(II) Maintaining the state board's fiduciary duties; and
Page 4, Line 21 (III) Respecting the rights of existing lessees; and
Page 5, Line 1(d) The state board of land commissioners has generated
Page 5, Line 2significant and important revenue for the public beneficiaries of the state
Page 5, Line 3trust lands. The state board of land commissioners can meet its
Page 5, Line 4constitutional mandates to provide reasonable and consistent revenue to
Page 5, Line 5trust beneficiaries and to preserve the future economic potential of the
Page 5, Line 6treasured underlying asset base by continuing existing uses and protecting
Page 5, Line 7and enhancing the natural values of state trust lands and providing
Page 5, Line 8high-quality, sustainable, and equitable public recreational access,
Page 5, Line 9renewable energy and energy transmission siting, and housing, where appropriate.
Page 5, Line 10SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 36-1-100.3, amend
Page 5, Line 11the introductory portion; and add (1.5), (1.7), (2.4), (2.5), (2.6), (2.7), (5.5), and (8) as follows:
Page 5, Line 1236-1-100.3. Definitions. As used in this
articlePage 5, Line 13(1.5) "Department" means the department of natural resources created in section 24-33-101 (1).
Page 5, Line 14(1.7) "Division of parks and wildlife" means the division of parks and wildlife created in section 33-9-104 (1).
Page 5, Line 15(2.4) "Long-term benefits and returns to the state" means, with regard to the long-term stewardship trust:
Page 5, Line 16(a) Benefitting future generations in recognition of the perpetual, intergenerational public trust obligations;
Page 5, Line 17(b) Protecting the underlying natural resource base and
Page 5, Line 18asset value to ensure returns for future generations of beneficiaries and achieve intergenerational equity; and
Page 5, Line 19(c) Utilizing sound stewardship to maintain long-term value.
Page 6, Line 1(2.5) "Long-term productivity" means sustainable
Page 6, Line 2economic potential, productivity, and value of state trust lands.
Page 6, Line 3(2.6) "Long-term stewardship trust" or "stewardship
Page 6, Line 4trust" means the long-term stewardship trust established by
Page 6, Line 5the state board of land commissioners pursuant to section 10
Page 6, Line 6(1)(b)(I) of article IX of the state constitution and section 36-1-107.5 (1).
Page 6, Line 7(2.7) "Long-term value" means the option to preserve a
Page 6, Line 8natural benefit for a future economic use or productivity, even
Page 6, Line 9if the natural benefit is not currently in use or being monetized or if the likelihood of future use or monetization is unknown.
Page 6, Line 10(5.5) "Sound stewardship" means the use of natural
Page 6, Line 11resources on state trust lands in manners that produce
Page 6, Line 12reasonable and consistent income over time and that will
Page 6, Line 13protect the long-term economic value and long-term
Page 6, Line 14productivity of the state trust lands for future generations of beneficiaries.
Page 6, Line 15(8) "Work group" means the state trust lands
Page 6, Line 16conservation and recreation work group convened pursuant to section 36-1-152.3.
Page 6, Line 17SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 36-1-152.3, 36-1-152.5, and 36-1-152.7 as follows:
Page 6, Line 1836-1-152.3. State trust lands conservation and recreation work
Page 6, Line 19group - creation - membership - study - interim report. (1) The
Page 6, Line 20executive director of the department shall convene a state
Page 7, Line 1trust lands conservation and recreation work group to
Page 7, Line 2conduct a study to identify opportunities to advance
Page 7, Line 3conservation; climate resilience; biodiversity; and sustainable,
Page 7, Line 4equitable, and low-conflict recreation on state trust lands in
Page 7, Line 5accordance with Colorado's outdoors strategy stewarded by
Page 7, Line 6the division of parks and wildlife. The work group shall conduct
Page 7, Line 7the study in a manner consistent with the state board of land
Page 7, Line 8commissioners' fiduciary responsibility to produce reasonable and consistent revenue for trust beneficiaries.
Page 7, Line 9(2) (a) The work group shall:
Page 7, Line 10(I) Meet as often as necessary, but no fewer than four
Page 7, Line 11times, to evaluate the state trust lands and the opportunities for recreation, conservation, and agriculture;
Page 7, Line 12(II) Make recommendations on or before September 1, 2026,
Page 7, Line 13to the governor; the house of representatives agriculture,
Page 7, Line 14water, and natural resources committee and the senate
Page 7, Line 15agriculture and natural resources committee, or their
Page 7, Line 16successor committees; the state board of land commissioners; and the executive director of the department;
Page 7, Line 17(III) Be assisted by a professional facilitator;
Page 7, Line 18(IV) Engage specialists or subject matter experts as
Page 7, Line 19needed, including experts on the economy, landscape ecology,
Page 7, Line 20agriculture, mineral leasing and development, reclamation,and climate resilience; and
Page 7, Line 21(V) Make all reasonable efforts to reduce the fiscal
Page 7, Line 22impact of the work group, including by allowing remote
Page 7, Line 23participation.
Page 8, Line 1(b) On or before March 16, 2026, the work group shall
Page 8, Line 2provide an interim report to the parties listed in subsection
Page 8, Line 3(2)(a)(II) of this section, which interim report includes, at a
Page 8, Line 4minimum, information on potential recommendations for the
Page 8, Line 5long-term stewardship trust and the internal improvements and saline trusts.
Page 8, Line 6 (3) (a) By September 5, 2025, appointing authorities
Page 8, Line 7shall appoint voting members of the work group pursuant to
Page 8, Line 8subsection (3)(b) of this section. In making the appointments, the
Page 8, Line 9appointing authorities shall endeavor to achieve geographic
Page 8, Line 10diversity on the work group. In conducting the study, the work
Page 8, Line 11group shall solicit public input, including input regarding
Page 8, Line 12identification of particular properties to consider and management recommendations to include in the study.
Page 8, Line 13(b) (I) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint to the work group:
Page 8, Line 14(A) One member of the public school capital construction assistance board created in section 22-43.7-106;
Page 8, Line 15(B) One representative of an environmental organization with expertise in land conservation and stewardship;
Page 8, Line 16(C) One member with water resource management experience; and
Page 8, Line 17(D) One member who is an agricultural producer or representative of a statewide agricultural organization.
Page 8, Line 18(II) The majority leader of the house of representatives shall appoint to the work group:
Page 8, Line 19(A) One county commissioner;
Page 9, Line 1(B) One representative of a wildlife and habitat conservation organization; and
Page 9, Line 2(C) One representative of a commercial real estate entity with experience leasing property on state lands.
Page 9, Line 3(III) The minority leader of the house of representatives shall appoint to the work group:
Page 9, Line 4(A) One representative of motorized recreation; and
Page 9, Line 5(B) One member who is an agricultural producer or representative of a statewide agricultural organization.
Page 9, Line 6(IV) The president of the senate shall appoint to the work group:
Page 9, Line 7(A) One member with a background in outdoor equity;
Page 9, Line 8(B) One representative from the renewable energy
Page 9, Line 9industry with experience leasing renewable energy facilities on state trust lands;
Page 9, Line 10(C) One representative of a hunting or angling organization; and
Page 9, Line 11(D) One member with experience in the affordable housing sector.
Page 9, Line 12(V) The majority leader of the senate shall appoint to the work group:
Page 9, Line 13(A) One educational stakeholder representing rural schools;
Page 9, Line 14(B) One representative of the mining industry with experience leasing property on state trust lands; and
Page 9, Line 15(C) One elected representative of a municipality.
Page 9, Line 16(VI) The minority leader of the senate shall appoint to the work group:
Page 10, Line 1(A) One oil and gas operator with experience leasing property on state trust lands; and
Page 10, Line 2(B) One member who is an agricultural producer or representative of a statewide agricultural organization.
Page 10, Line 3(VII) The governor shall appoint to the work group:
Page 10, Line 4(A) One member with economic expertise related to issuesthe work group will study;
Page 10, Line 5(B) One member with legal expertise, including knowledge
Page 10, Line 6of the state constitution, fiduciary duties, and statutes governing the issues the work group will study; and
Page 10, Line 7(C) One representative of nonmotorized recreation.
Page 10, Line 8(VIII) The executive director of the department shall,
Page 10, Line 9through the Colorado commission of Indian affairs created in
Page 10, Line 10section 24-44-102, present to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the
Page 10, Line 11Southern Ute Indian Tribe on the work group and its objectives
Page 10, Line 12and invite the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute
Page 10, Line 13Indian Tribe to participate in the work group. The Ute Mountain
Page 10, Line 14Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe may accept or
Page 10, Line 15decline the invitation to participate and, if either tribe elects to
Page 10, Line 16participate, the tribe shall appoint a representative to serve on the work group.
Page 10, Line 17(IX) The Colorado commission of Indian affairs created in
Page 10, Line 18section 24-44-102 shall appoint to the work group one member who is a member of the American Indian community in Colorado
Page 10, Line 19(c) The technical advisory members of the work group are:
Page 10, Line 20(I) The commissioner of education or the commissioner's designee;
Page 11, Line 1(II) The director of the division of parks and wildlife or the director's designee;
Page 11, Line 2(III) The director of the state board of land commissioners or the director's designee;
Page 11, Line 3(IV) The executive director of the department or the executive director's designee;
Page 11, Line 4(V) The commissioner of agriculture or the commissioner's designee;
Page 11, Line 5(VI) The state historic preservation officer or the officer's designee;
Page 11, Line 6(VII) The director of the outdoor recreation industry
Page 11, Line 7office created in section 24-48.5-129 (2) or the director's designee;
Page 11, Line 8(VIII) The director of the Colorado tourism office
Page 11, Line 9created in section 24-49.7-103 (1), as appointed by the director of
Page 11, Line 10the office of economic development, or the director's designee; and
Page 11, Line 11(IX) The state forester in the Colorado state forest
Page 11, Line 12service, as described in section 23-31-302, or the state forester's designee.
Page 11, Line 13(X) The state historic preservation officer or the officer's designee.
Page 11, Line 1436-1-152.5. Work group study - requirements. (1) (a) As part
Page 11, Line 15of the study conducted pursuant to section 36-1-152.3 (1), the
Page 11, Line 16state trust lands conservation and recreation work group
Page 11, Line 17shall provide recommendations to the parties identified in
Page 12, Line 1section 36-1-152.3 (2)(a)(II) regarding how to implement the
Page 12, Line 2mandate of section 10 of article IX of the state constitution, including recommendations on how to:
Page 12, Line 3(I) Further the long-term productivity and sound
Page 12, Line 4stewardship of all state trust lands, not only those in the long-term stewardship trust;
Page 12, Line 5(II) Preserve and enhance the beauty, natural values,
Page 12, Line 6open space, and wildlife of the state for current and future generations;
Page 12, Line 7(III) Promote long-term productivity for agriculture;
Page 12, Line 8(IV) Provide for sustainable, equitable, and low-conflict
Page 12, Line 9recreational opportunities on state trust lands, including an
Page 12, Line 10evaluation of how to minimize impacts of recreational access on existing agricultural leases of state trust lands; and
Page 12, Line 11(V) Identify management options for the utilization of
Page 12, Line 12natural resources on state trust lands to conserve the
Page 12, Line 13long-term value of the state trust lands while the state board of land commissioners carries out its fiduciary duties.
Page 12, Line 14(b) The work group's recommendations shall not be
Page 12, Line 15construed to alter or impair the validity of any existing leases
Page 12, Line 16on state trust lands or to limit the state board's ability to
Page 12, Line 17continue using a multiple-use management approach for consideration of future leases on state trust lands.
Page 12, Line 18(2) The work group's study must include, at a minimum:
Page 12, Line 19(a) Soliciting regional partnership initiatives and counties
Page 12, Line 20to identify state trust land parcels that hold unique
Page 12, Line 21opportunities for regional recreation, conservation activities, and agricultural opportunities;
Page 13, Line 1(b) A review of state trust land parcels for opportunities
Page 13, Line 2to advance conservation, climate resiliency, water resources,
Page 13, Line 3or habitat connectivity, including conservation or
Page 13, Line 4agricultural leases or permanent protection, including through sales and intertrust swaps;
Page 13, Line 5(c) Identification of state trust land parcels that
Page 13, Line 6present unique opportunities for conservation and educational
Page 13, Line 7purposes, which identification may include recommendations as
Page 13, Line 8to whether and how long-term disposition of parcels should
Page 13, Line 9occur, including lease, easement, or fee title acquisition for
Page 13, Line 10conservation purposes such as habitat restoration or ecosystem
Page 13, Line 11services. Identification of parcels must include consideration of:
Page 13, Line 12(I) State park and state wildlife area creation or
Page 13, Line 13expansion, including through the use of the internal improvements and saline trusts;
Page 13, Line 14(II) Future long-term management solutions for parks
Page 13, Line 15and wildlife areas currently leased or utilized by the division
Page 13, Line 16of parks and wildlife, including Lone Mesa state park and Queens state wildlife area;
Page 13, Line 17(III) Current and future public use by schoolchildren for outdoor recreation and educational purposes; and
Page 13, Line 18(IV) High-value lands used to improve climate-resilient
Page 13, Line 19conservation and recreation opportunities, including those lands with:
Page 13, Line 20(A) Important habitat for species of greatest conservation needs;
Page 14, Line 1(B) High-priority habitats, as defined in section 34-60-132 (1)(n), identified by the division of parks and wildlife;
Page 14, Line 2(C) Wetlands and riparian areas;
(D) Habitat connectivity; and
Page 14, Line 3(E) Agricultural opportunities;
Page 14, Line 4(d) Recommendations regarding actions to advance
Page 14, Line 5conservation and recreation on state trust lands based in part
Page 14, Line 6on an analysis of conservation measures and public recreation
Page 14, Line 7access and management solutions on state trust lands in other
Page 14, Line 8states and consideration of private property rights of lessees and adjacent landowners, including:
Page 14, Line 9(I) An evaluation of the challenges and opportunities
Page 14, Line 10associated with public recreational access on state trust lands,
Page 14, Line 11including ways to reduce conflicts with and impacts to existing
Page 14, Line 12lessees and consideration of any applicable lessons from other
Page 14, Line 13states regarding management of recreation on state trust lands;
Page 14, Line 14(II) Opportunities for the state board of land
Page 14, Line 15commissioners to utilize nonperpetual conservation leases in
Page 14, Line 16accordance with section 10 of article IX of the state constitution; and
Page 14, Line 17(III) Methods for implementing the tools described in
Page 14, Line 18subsection (2)(d)(II) of this section, including valuation of
Page 14, Line 19conservation leasing opportunities and consideration of long-term value;
Page 14, Line 20(e) Consideration of potential net revenue changes or
Page 15, Line 1management changes when identifying state trust land parcels for examination;
Page 15, Line 2(f) Consideration of the internal improvements and saline
Page 15, Line 3trusts, including the development of recommendations for use
Page 15, Line 4of the internal improvements and saline trusts to ensure
Page 15, Line 5maximum public benefit for advancement of the division of parks and wildlife's mission, including consideration of:
Page 15, Line 6(I) Outdoor recreation and wildlife conservation; and
Page 15, Line 7(II) Transferring title of land within the internal
Page 15, Line 8improvements and saline trusts to the division of parks and wildlife;
Page 15, Line 9(g) An assessment of opportunities to continue and expand
Page 15, Line 10upon sound stewardship and land management practices
Page 15, Line 11through agricultural leases and opportunities to advance
Page 15, Line 12long-term management for agricultural leases on state trust
Page 15, Line 13land parcels, including those parcels in the long-term stewardship trust;
Page 15, Line 14(h) An assessment of state trust land parcels in the
Page 15, Line 15long-term stewardship trust, which assessment includes the
Page 15, Line 16identification of stewardship trust properties with existing uses
Page 15, Line 17or long-term impacts that are incompatible with primarily
Page 15, Line 18protecting and enhancing beauty, natural values, open space,
Page 15, Line 19and wildlife habitat. Some leases may be presumed compatible,
Page 15, Line 20such as Colorado natural areas program leases, the division of
Page 15, Line 21parks and wildlife leases, conservation leases, ecosystem services leases, and agricultural leases.
Page 15, Line 22(i) Recommendations to:
Page 16, Line 1(I) Evaluate long-term stewardship trust properties or
Page 16, Line 2portions of stewardship trust properties in which the existing
Page 16, Line 3use or uses create long-term impacts that are incompatible with
Page 16, Line 4primarily protecting and enhancing beauty, natural values, open space, and wildlife habitat; and
Page 16, Line 5(II) Develop a proposed process to timely address any
Page 16, Line 6incompatibility, including by the removal and nomination of
Page 16, Line 7other state trust land properties as replacement parcels with qualifying values and equivalent acreage;
Page 16, Line 8(j) Evaluation and reporting on the long-term value,
Page 16, Line 9including the option value, of long-term stewardship trust assets;
Page 16, Line 10(k) Recommendations regarding rigorous review
Page 16, Line 11standards of future leases of stewardship trust parcels to
Page 16, Line 12better preserve long-term benefits and returns to the state,
Page 16, Line 13including requirements to evaluate the division of parks and
Page 16, Line 14wildlife's high-priority habitats, as defined in section 34-60-132
Page 16, Line 15(1)(n); habitat connectivity; wetland and riparian resources; the
Page 16, Line 16presence of conservation easements; existing land stewardship
Page 16, Line 17practices; rare plants and plant communities; important wildlife
Page 16, Line 18species; cultural resources; paleontological resources; and geologic resources; and
Page 16, Line 19(l) Recommendations on how to improve public engagement
Page 16, Line 20of appropriate stakeholders, including local governments,
Page 16, Line 21state agencies, federal agencies, and tribal nations, in the
Page 16, Line 22consultation and notification process used for new leases or
Page 16, Line 23uses of long-term stewardship trust parcels.
Page 17, Line 1(3) On or before February 1, 2026, the state board of land commissioners shall:
Page 17, Line 2(a) Review all existing leases on long-term stewardship
Page 17, Line 3trust parcels to determine whether the lands are managed
Page 17, Line 4primarily to preserve long-term returns and benefits to the
Page 17, Line 5state, including to protect and enhance the lands' beauty,
Page 17, Line 6natural values, open space, and wildlife habitat and provide a report of the same matters to the work group;
Page 17, Line 8(b) Provide to the work group, to the extent the
Page 17, Line 9information is available, a report regarding all occasions since
Page 17, Line 101996 in which a lease proposed for a stewardship trust parcel
Page 17, Line 11was denied as incompatible with primarily protecting and
Page 17, Line 12enhancing beauty, open space, natural values, and wildlife habitat;
Page 17, Line 13(c) Provide to the work group, to the extent possible,
Page 17, Line 14documentation of lease stipulations that highlight measures to
Page 17, Line 15protect and enhance beauty, open space, natural values, and wildlife habitat when leasing stewardship trust lands; and
Page 17, Line 16(d) Provide to the work group an analysis of public
Page 17, Line 17recreational access and management solutions on state trust
Page 17, Line 18lands in other states, including hunting, fishing, water access
Page 17, Line 19sites, motorized and nonmotorized trails, camping, and wildlife
Page 17, Line 20viewing, and an analysis of how those states minimize impacts to current leases on the same parcel.
Page 17, Line 2136-1-152.7. State board consideration of work group
Page 17, Line 22recommendations - conservation lease policies - rules. (1) On or
Page 18, Line 1before February 15, 2027, the state board of land commissioners
Page 18, Line 2shall consider the work group's recommendations in the study
Page 18, Line 3conducted pursuant to section 36-1-152.3 and adopt an administrative policy or rules to establish, at a minimum:
Page 18, Line 4(a) A process governing the implementation of
Page 18, Line 5conservation leases and related instruments on state trust
Page 18, Line 6lands, including a framework for the structure, pricing, and duration of such instruments;
Page 18, Line 7(b) A specific process to substantiate how the state board
Page 18, Line 8balances revenue generation with conserving the long-term value of state trust lands;
Page 18, Line 9(c) Any other policies or rules the state board, in its
Page 18, Line 10discretion, deems necessary to implement section 10 of article IX of the state constitution; and
Page 18, Line 11(d) A schedule to review and update by December 2028, if
Page 18, Line 12necessary, all existing stewardship trust management plans or
Page 18, Line 13other applicable plans to achieve conservation purposes and
Page 18, Line 14require corrective management actions in accordance with the existing stewardship trust policy and lease terms.
Page 18, Line 15SECTION 4. Appropriation. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year,
Page 18, Line 16$393,506 is appropriated to the department of natural resources for use
Page 18, Line 17by the state board of land commissioners. This appropriation is from the
Page 18, Line 18state land board trust administration fund created in section 36-1-145
Page 18, Line 19(2)(a), C.R.S., and is based on an assumption that the board will require
Page 18, Line 20an additional 1.6 FTE. To implement this act, the board may use this appropriation for program costs.
Page 18, Line 21SECTION 5. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 19, Line 1takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 19, Line 2ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 19, Line 3that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 19, Line 4of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 19, Line 5act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 19, Line 6effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 19, Line 7November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.