A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning an appropriation for species conservation trust
Page 1, Line 102fund projects.
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.)
For state fiscal year 2025-26, the bill appropriates $5,000,000 from the species conservation trust fund in the state treasury for various wildlife conservation programs directed at conserving candidate species or species that are likely to become candidate species, as determined by the United States fish and wildlife service. The executive director of the Colorado department of natural resources, after consulting with the Colorado water conservation board and its director, the parks and wildlife commission, and the director of the division of parks and wildlife, has submitted to the general assembly, for incorporation into the bill, an eligibility list that describes programs and associated costs that are eligible to receive funding from the species conservation trust fund, as follows:
- $2,480,000 for the upper Colorado river endangered fish recovery program;
- $20,000 for selenium management, research, monitoring, evaluation, and control;
- $1,250,000 for native terrestrial wildlife conservation; and
- $1,250,000 for native aquatic wildlife conservation.
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) Section 24-33-111 (2), Colorado Revised Statutes, creates the
Page 2, Line 4species conservation trust fund in the state treasury to fund programs
Page 2, Line 5designed to conserve native species that have been listed as threatened or
Page 2, Line 6endangered under state or federal law or that are candidate species or are
Page 2, Line 7likely to become candidate species, as determined by the United States fish and wildlife service; and
Page 2, Line 8(b) Pursuant to section 24-33-111 (3), Colorado Revised Statutes:
Page 2, Line 9(I) The executive director of the department of natural resources,
Page 2, Line 10after consulting with the Colorado water conservation board and its
Page 2, Line 11director, the parks and wildlife commission, and the director of the
Page 2, Line 12division of parks and wildlife, has prepared and delivered to the general
Page 2, Line 13assembly a species conservation eligibility list describing programs and
Page 2, Line 14associated costs that are eligible to receive funding from the species conservation trust fund; and
Page 2, Line 15(II) The species conservation eligibility list is subject to
Page 2, Line 16modification and adoption through the passage of this House Bill 25-___, enacted in 2025.
Page 3, Line 1SECTION 2. Eligibility list - approval. (1) The general
Page 3, Line 2assembly deems the recommended expenditures described in the species
Page 3, Line 3conservation eligibility list to be in the interest of the people of the state.
Page 3, Line 4The money specified in this subsection (1) is available in state fiscal year
Page 3, Line 52025-26 and remains available for the designated purposes until it is fully
Page 3, Line 6expended. The executive director of the department of natural resources
Page 3, Line 7is authorized to obligate and expend five million dollars ($5,000,000)
Page 3, Line 8from the species conservation trust fund for the following activities, programs, and species in the following amounts:
Page 3, Line 9PROGRAM/SPECIESAMOUNT
(a) Upper Colorado river
Page 3, Line 10endangered fish recovery
program;$2,480,000
Page 3, Line 11(b) Selenium management, research,
monitoring, evaluation,
Page 3, Line 12and control;$20,000
(c) Native terrestrial
Page 3, Line 13wildlife conservation;$1,250,000
(d) Native aquatic
Page 3, Line 14wildlife conservation.$1,250,000
Total authorization$5,000,000
Page 3, Line 15SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,
Page 3, Line 16determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
Page 3, Line 17preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for
Page 3, Line 18the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state
Page 3, Line 19institutions.