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.
This Unofficial Version Includes Committee
Amendments Not Yet Adopted on Second Reading
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 pursue additional revenue-generating,
Page 4, Line 14non-revenue-generating, and in-kind contributions, including
Page 4, Line 15conservation 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 17explore opportunities to expand conservation, restoration, and sustainably
Page 4, Line 18managed public access to state trust lands, including for communities that
Page 4, Line 19face 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 can meet its
Page 5, Line 2constitutional mandates to provide reasonable and consistent revenue to
Page 5, Line 3trust beneficiaries and to preserve the future economic potential of the
Page 5, Line 4treasured underlying asset base by both protecting and enhancing the
Page 5, Line 5natural values of state trust lands and providing high-quality, sustainable,
Page 5, Line 6and equitable public recreational access, renewable energy and energy transmission siting, and housing, where appropriate.
Page 5, Line 7SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 36-1-100.3, amend
Page 5, Line 8the 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 936-1-100.3. Definitions. As used in this
articlePage 5, Line 10(1.5) "Department" means the department of natural resources created in section 24-33-101 (1).
Page 5, Line 11(1.7) "Division of parks and wildlife" means the division of parks and wildlife created in section 33-9-104 (1).
Page 5, Line 12(2.4) "Long-term benefits and returns to the state" means, with regard to the long-term stewardship trust:
Page 5, Line 13(a) Benefitting future generations in recognition of the perpetual, intergenerational public trust obligations;
Page 5, Line 14(b) Protecting the underlying natural resource base and
Page 5, Line 15asset value to ensure returns for future generations of beneficiaries and achieve intergenerational equity; and
Page 5, Line 16(c) Utilizing sound stewardship to maintain long-term value over short-term revenue gains.
Page 5, Line 17(2.5) "Long-term productivity" means sustainable
Page 5, Line 18economic potential, productivity, and value of state trust lands.
Page 6, Line 1(2.6) "Long-term stewardship trust" or "stewardship
Page 6, Line 2trust" means the long-term stewardship trust established by
Page 6, Line 3the state board of land commissioners pursuant to section 10
Page 6, Line 4(1)(b)(I) of article IX of the state constitution and section 36-1-107.5 (1).
Page 6, Line 5(2.7) "Long-term value" means the ability to preserve a
Page 6, Line 6natural benefit for a future economic use or productivity, even
Page 6, Line 7if 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 8(5.5) "Sound stewardship" means the use of natural
Page 6, Line 9resources on state trust lands in a manner that will protect the
Page 6, Line 10long-term economic value and long-term productivity of the state trust lands for future generations of beneficiaries.
Page 6, Line 11(8) "Work group" means the state trust lands
Page 6, Line 12conservation and recreation work group convened pursuant to section 36-1-152.3.
Page 6, Line 13SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 36-1-152.3, 36-1-152.5, and 36-1-152.7 as follows:
Page 6, Line 1436-1-152.3. State trust lands conservation and recreation work
Page 6, Line 15group - creation - membership - study - interim report. (1) The
Page 6, Line 16executive director of the department shall convene a state
Page 6, Line 17trust lands conservation and recreation work group to
Page 6, Line 18conduct a study to identify opportunities to advance
Page 6, Line 19conservation; climate resilience; biodiversity; and sustainable,
Page 6, Line 20equitable, and low-conflict recreation on state trust lands in
Page 6, Line 21accordance with Colorado's outdoors strategy stewarded by
Page 7, Line 1the division of parks and wildlife. The work group shall conduct
Page 7, Line 2the study in a manner consistent with the state board of land
Page 7, Line 3commissioners' fiduciary responsibility to produce reasonable and consistent revenue for trust beneficiaries.
Page 7, Line 4(2) (a) The work group shall:
Page 7, Line 5(I) Meet as often as necessary, but no fewer than four
Page 7, Line 6times, to evaluate the state trust lands and the opportunities for recreation, conservation, and agriculture;
Page 7, Line 7(II) Make recommendations on or before September 1, 2026,
Page 7, Line 8to the governor; the house of representatives agriculture,
Page 7, Line 9water, and natural resources committee and the senate
Page 7, Line 10agriculture and natural resources committee, or their
Page 7, Line 11successor committees; the state board of land commissioners; and the executive director of the department;
Page 7, Line 12(III) Be assisted by a professional facilitator;
Page 7, Line 13(IV) Engage specialists or subject matter experts as
Page 7, Line 14needed, including experts on the economy, landscape ecology, agriculture, and climate resilience; and
Page 7, Line 15(V) Make all reasonable efforts to reduce the fiscal
Page 7, Line 16impact of the work group, including by allowing remote participation.
Page 7, Line 17(b) On or before March 16, 2026, the work group shall
Page 7, Line 18provide an interim report to the parties listed in subsection
Page 7, Line 19(2)(a)(II) of this section, which interim report includes, at a
Page 7, Line 20minimum, information on potential recommendations for the
Page 7, Line 21long-term stewardship trust and the internal improvements and
Page 7, Line 22saline trusts.
Page 8, Line 1 (3) (a) By September 5, 2025, appointing authorities
Page 8, Line 2shall appoint voting members of the work group pursuant to
Page 8, Line 3subsection (3)(b) of this section. In making the appointments, the
Page 8, Line 4appointing authorities shall endeavor to achieve geographic
Page 8, Line 5diversity on the work group. In conducting the study, the work
Page 8, Line 6group shall solicit public input, including input regarding
Page 8, Line 7identification of particular properties to consider and management recommendations to include in the study.
Page 8, Line 8(b) (I) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint to the work group:
Page 8, Line 9(A) One member of the public school capital construction assistance board created in section 22-43.7-106;
Page 8, Line 10(B) One representative of an environmental organization with expertise in land conservation and stewardship; and
Page 8, Line 11(C) One representative of a wildlife and habitat conservation organization.
Page 8, Line 12(II) The majority leader of the house of representatives shall appoint to the work group:
Page 8, Line 13(A) One county commissioner;
(B) One representative of nonmotorized recreation; and
Page 8, Line 14(C) One representative of a commercial real estate entity with experience leasing property on state lands.
Page 8, Line 15(III) The minority leader of the house of representatives shall appoint to the work group:
Page 8, Line 16(A) One representative of motorized recreation; and
Page 8, Line 17(B) One member who is an agricultural producer or
Page 8, Line 18representative of a statewide agricultural organization.
Page 9, Line 1(IV) The president of the senate shall appoint to the work group:
Page 9, Line 2(A) One member with a background in outdoor equity;
Page 9, Line 3(B) One representative from the renewable energy
Page 9, Line 4industry with experience leasing renewable energy facilities on state trust lands; and
Page 9, Line 5(C) One representative of a hunting or angling organization.
Page 9, Line 6(V) The majority leader of the senate shall appoint to the work group:
Page 9, Line 7(A) One educational stakeholder representing rural schools;
Page 9, Line 8(B) One representative of the mining industry with experience leasing property on state trust lands; and
Page 9, Line 9(C) One elected representative of a municipality.
Page 9, Line 10(VI) The minority leader of the senate shall appoint to the work group:
Page 9, Line 11(A) One oil and gas operator with experience leasing property on state trust lands; and
Page 9, Line 12(B) One member who is an agricultural producer or representative of a statewide agricultural organization.
Page 9, Line 13(VII) The governor shall appoint to the work group:
Page 9, Line 14(A) One member with economic expertise related to issues
Page 9, Line 15the work group will study, including option value, as described in section 36-1-152.5 (1)(a)(V), and conservation leasing;
Page 9, Line 16(B) One member with legal expertise, including knowledge
Page 9, Line 17of the state constitution, fiduciary duties, and statutes governing the issues the work group will study; and
Page 10, Line 1(C) One member with water resource management experience.
Page 10, Line 2(VIII) The executive director of the department shall,
Page 10, Line 3through the Colorado commission of Indian affairs created in
Page 10, Line 4section 24-44-102, present to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the
Page 10, Line 5Southern Ute Indian Tribe on the work group and its objectives
Page 10, Line 6and invite the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute
Page 10, Line 7Indian Tribe to participate in the work group. The Ute Mountain
Page 10, Line 8Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe may accept or
Page 10, Line 9decline the invitation to participate and, if either tribe elects to
Page 10, Line 10participate, the tribe shall appoint a representative to serve on the work group.
Page 10, Line 11(IX) The Colorado commission of Indian affairs created in
Page 10, Line 12section 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 13(c) The nonvoting members of the work group are:
Page 10, Line 14(I) The commissioner of education or the commissioner's designee;
Page 10, Line 15(II) The director of the division of parks and wildlife or the director's designee;
Page 10, Line 16(III) The director of the state board of land commissioners or the director's designee;
Page 10, Line 17(IV) The executive director of the department or the executive director's designee;
Page 10, Line 18(V) The commissioner of agriculture or the commissioner's
Page 10, Line 19designee;and
Page 11, Line 1(VI) The state historic preservation officer or the officer's designee.
Page 11, Line 236-1-152.5. Work group study - requirements. (1) (a) As part
Page 11, Line 3of the study conducted pursuant to section 36-1-152.3 (1), the
Page 11, Line 4state trust lands conservation and recreation work group
Page 11, Line 5shall provide recommendations to the parties identified in
Page 11, Line 6section 36-1-152.3 (2)(a)(II) regarding how to better implement
Page 11, Line 7the mandate of section 10 of article IX of the state constitution, including recommendations on how to:
Page 11, Line 8(I) Further the long-term productivity and sound
Page 11, Line 9stewardship of all state trust lands, not only those in the long-term stewardship trust;
Page 11, Line 10(II) Preserve and enhance the beauty, natural values,
Page 11, Line 11open space, and wildlife of the state for current and future generations;
Page 11, Line 12(III) Promote long-term productivity for agriculture;
Page 11, Line 13(IV) Provide for sustainable, equitable, and low-conflict
Page 11, Line 14recreational opportunities on state trust lands, taking into
Page 11, Line 15account the challenges associated with recreational access on state trust land parcels with existing agricultural leases; and
Page 11, Line 16(V) Manage the utilization of natural resources on state
Page 11, Line 17trust lands to conserve the long-term value, including the
Page 11, Line 18option value, which represents the willingness to pay to
Page 11, Line 19guarantee the continued availability of a resource for
Page 11, Line 20potential future use, of the state trust lands while the state board of land commissioners carries out its fiduciary duties.
Page 11, Line 21(b) The work group's recommendations shall not be
Page 12, Line 1construed to alter or impair the validity of any existing leases on state trust lands.
Page 12, Line 2(2) The work group's study must include, at a minimum:
Page 12, Line 3(a) Soliciting regional partnership initiatives and counties
Page 12, Line 4to identify state trust land parcels that hold unique
Page 12, Line 5opportunities for regional recreation, conservation activities, and agricultural opportunities;
Page 12, Line 6(b) A review of state trust land parcels for opportunities
Page 12, Line 7to advance conservation, climate resiliency, water resources,
Page 12, Line 8or habitat connectivity, including conservation or
Page 12, Line 9agricultural leases or permanent protection, including through sales and intertrust swaps;
Page 12, Line 10(c) Identification of state trust land parcels that
Page 12, Line 11present unique opportunities for conservation and educational
Page 12, Line 12purposes, which identification may include recommendations as
Page 12, Line 13to whether and how long-term disposition of parcels should
Page 12, Line 14occur, including lease, easement, or fee title acquisition for
Page 12, Line 15conservation purposes such as habitat restoration or ecosystem
Page 12, Line 16services. Identification of parcels must include consideration of:
Page 12, Line 17(I) State park and state wildlife area creation or
Page 12, Line 18expansion, including through the use of the internal improvements and saline trusts;
Page 12, Line 19(II) Future long-term management solutions for parks
Page 12, Line 20and wildlife areas currently leased or utilized by the division
Page 12, Line 21of parks and wildlife, including Lone Mesa state park and
Page 12, Line 22Queens state wildlife area;
Page 13, Line 1(III) Current and future public use by schoolchildren for outdoor recreation and educational purposes; and
Page 13, Line 2(IV) High-value lands used to improve climate-resilient
Page 13, Line 3conservation and recreation opportunities, including those lands with:
Page 13, Line 4(A) Important habitat for species of greatest conservation needs;
Page 13, Line 5(B) High-priority habitats, as defined in section 34-60-132 (1)(n), identified by the division of parks and wildlife;
Page 13, Line 6(C) Wetlands and riparian areas;
(D) Habitat connectivity; and
Page 13, Line 7(E) Agricultural opportunities;
Page 13, Line 8(d) Recommendations regarding actions to advance
Page 13, Line 9conservation and recreation on state trust lands based in part
Page 13, Line 10on an analysis of conservation measures and public recreation
Page 13, Line 11access and management solutions on state trust lands in other
Page 13, Line 12states and consideration of private property rights of lessees and adjacent landowners, including:
Page 13, Line 13(I) An evaluation of the challenges and opportunities
Page 13, Line 14associated with public recreational access on state trust lands,
Page 13, Line 15including ways to reduce conflicts with and impacts to existing
Page 13, Line 16lessees and consideration of any applicable lessons from other
Page 13, Line 17states regarding management of recreation on state trust lands;
Page 13, Line 18(II) Opportunities for the state board of land
Page 13, Line 19commissioners to utilize nonperpetual conservation leases in
Page 13, Line 20accordance with section 10 of article IX of the state constitution; and
Page 14, Line 1(III) Methods for implementing the tools described in
Page 14, Line 2subsection (2)(d)(II) of this section, including valuation of
Page 14, Line 3conservation leasing opportunities and consideration of long-term value;
Page 14, Line 4(e) Consideration of potential net revenue changes or
Page 14, Line 5management changes when identifying state trust land parcels for examination;
Page 14, Line 6(f) Consideration of the internal improvements and saline
Page 14, Line 7trusts, including the development of recommendations for use
Page 14, Line 8of the internal improvements and saline trusts to ensure
Page 14, Line 9maximum public benefit for advancement of the division of parks and wildlife's mission, including consideration of:
Page 14, Line 10(I) Outdoor recreation and wildlife conservation; and
Page 14, Line 11(II) Transferring title of land within the internal
Page 14, Line 12improvements and saline trusts to the division of parks and wildlife;
Page 14, Line 13(g) An assessment of opportunities to continue and expand
Page 14, Line 14upon sound stewardship and land management practices
Page 14, Line 15through agricultural leases and opportunities to advance
Page 14, Line 16long-term management for agricultural leases on state trust
Page 14, Line 17land parcels, including those parcels in the long-term stewardship trust;
Page 14, Line 18(h) An assessment of state trust land parcels in the
Page 14, Line 19long-term stewardship trust, which assessment includes the
Page 14, Line 20identification of stewardship trust properties with existing uses
Page 14, Line 21or long-term impacts that are incompatible with primarily
Page 15, Line 1protecting and enhancing beauty, natural values, open space,
Page 15, Line 2and wildlife habitat. Some leases may be presumed compatible,
Page 15, Line 3such as Colorado natural areas program leases, the division of
Page 15, Line 4parks and wildlife leases, conservation leases, ecosystem services leases, and agricultural leases.
Page 15, Line 5(i) Recommendations to:
Page 15, Line 6(I) Evaluate long-term stewardship trust properties or
Page 15, Line 7portions of stewardship trust properties in which the existing
Page 15, Line 8use or uses create long-term impacts that are incompatible with
Page 15, Line 9primarily protecting and enhancing beauty, natural values, open space, and wildlife habitat; and
Page 15, Line 10(II) Develop a proposed process to timely address any
Page 15, Line 11incompatibility, including by the removal and nomination of
Page 15, Line 12other state trust land properties as replacement parcels with qualifying values and equivalent acreage;
Page 15, Line 13(j) Evaluation and reporting on the long-term value,
Page 15, Line 14including the option value, of long-term stewardship trust assets;
Page 15, Line 15(k) Recommendations regarding rigorous review
Page 15, Line 16standards of future leases of stewardship trust parcels to
Page 15, Line 17better preserve long-term benefits and returns to the state,
Page 15, Line 18including requirements to evaluate the division of parks and
Page 15, Line 19wildlife's high-priority habitats, as defined in section 34-60-132
Page 15, Line 20(1)(n); habitat connectivity; wetland and riparian resources; the
Page 15, Line 21presence of conservation easements; existing land stewardship
Page 15, Line 22practices; rare plants and plant communities; important wildlife
Page 15, Line 23species; cultural resources; paleontological resources; and geologic resources; and
Page 16, Line 1(l) Recommendations on how to improve public engagement
Page 16, Line 2of appropriate stakeholders, including local governments,
Page 16, Line 3state agencies, federal agencies, and tribal nations, in the
Page 16, Line 4consultation and notification process used for new leases or uses of long-term stewardship trust parcels.
Page 16, Line 5(3) On or before February 1, 2026, the state board of land commissioners shall:
Page 16, Line 6(a) Review all existing leases on long-term stewardship
Page 16, Line 7trust parcels to determine whether the lands are managed
Page 16, Line 8primarily to preserve long-term returns and benefits to the
Page 16, Line 9state, including to protect and enhance the lands' beauty,
Page 16, Line 10natural values, open space, and wildlife habitat and provide a report of the same matters to the work group;
Page 16, Line 12(b) Provide to the work group, to the extent the
Page 16, Line 13information is available, a report regarding all occasions since
Page 16, Line 141996 in which a lease proposed for a stewardship trust parcel
Page 16, Line 15was denied as incompatible with primarily protecting and
Page 16, Line 16enhancing beauty, open space, natural values, and wildlife habitat;
Page 16, Line 17(c) Provide to the work group, to the extent possible,
Page 16, Line 18documentation of lease stipulations that highlight measures to
Page 16, Line 19protect and enhance beauty, open space, natural values, and wildlife habitat when leasing stewardship trust lands; and
Page 16, Line 20(d) Provide to the work group an analysis of public
Page 16, Line 21recreational access and management solutions on state trust
Page 17, Line 1lands in other states, including hunting, fishing, water access
Page 17, Line 2sites, motorized and nonmotorized trails, camping, and wildlife
Page 17, Line 3viewing, and an analysis of how those states minimize impacts to current leases on the same parcel.
Page 17, Line 436-1-152.7. State board consideration of work group
Page 17, Line 5recommendations - conservation lease policies - rules. (1) On or
Page 17, Line 6before February 15, 2027, the state board of land commissioners
Page 17, Line 7shall consider the work group's recommendations in the study
Page 17, Line 8conducted pursuant to section 36-1-152.3 and adopt an administrative policy or rules to establish, at a minimum:
Page 17, Line 9(a) A process governing the implementation of
Page 17, Line 10conservation leases and related instruments on state trust
Page 17, Line 11lands, including a framework for the structure, pricing, and duration of such instruments;
Page 17, Line 12(b) A specific process to substantiate how the state board
Page 17, Line 13balances revenue generation with conserving the long-term value of state trust lands;
Page 17, Line 14(c) Any other policies or rules the state board, in its
Page 17, Line 15discretion, deems necessary to implement section 10 of article IX of the state constitution; and
Page 17, Line 16(d) A schedule to review and update by December 2028, if
Page 17, Line 17necessary, all existing stewardship trust management plans or
Page 17, Line 18other applicable plans to achieve conservation purposes and
Page 17, Line 19require corrective management actions in accordance with the existing stewardship trust policy and lease terms.
Page 17, Line 20SECTION 4. Appropriation. For the 2025-26 state fiscal year,
Page 17, Line 21$393,506 is appropriated to the department of natural resources for use
Page 18, Line 1by the state board of land commissioners. This appropriation is from the
Page 18, Line 2state land board trust administration fund created in section 36-1-145
Page 18, Line 3(2)(a), C.R.S., and is based on an assumption that the board will require
Page 18, Line 4an additional 1.6 FTE. To implement this act, the board may use this appropriation for program costs.
Page 18, Line 5SECTION 5. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 18, Line 6takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 18, Line 7ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 18, Line 8that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 18, Line 9of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 18, Line 10act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 18, Line 11effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 18, Line 12November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.