House Bill 25-1318

BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) McCormick and Soper, Bird, Boesenecker, Froelich, Hamrick, Lindsay, Lukens, Marshall, Ricks, Rutinel, Smith, Stewart K., Story, McCluskie;

also SENATOR(S) Roberts and Catlin, Amabile, Bridges, Cutter, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Kolker, Liston, Lundeen, Marchman, Pelton B., Pelton R., Simpson, Wallace, Winter F., Coleman.

Concerning an appropriation for species conservation trust fund projects.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1.  Legislative declaration. (1)  The general assembly finds and declares that:

(a)  Section 24-33-111 (2), Colorado Revised Statutes, creates the species conservation trust fund in the state treasury to fund programs designed to conserve native species that have been listed as threatened or endangered under state or federal law or that are candidate species or are likely to become candidate species, as determined by the United States fish and wildlife service; and

(b)  Pursuant to section 24-33-111 (3), Colorado Revised Statutes:

(I)  The executive director of the 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 prepared and delivered to the general assembly a species conservation eligibility list describing programs and associated costs that are eligible to receive funding from the species conservation trust fund; and

(II)  The species conservation eligibility list is subject to modification and adoption through the passage of this House Bill 25-1318, enacted in 2025.

SECTION 2.  Eligibility list - approval. (1)  The general assembly deems the recommended expenditures described in the species conservation eligibility list to be in the interest of the people of the state. The money specified in this subsection (1) is available in state fiscal year 2025-26 and remains available for the designated purposes until it is fully expended. The executive director of the department of natural resources is authorized to obligate and expend five million dollars ($5,000,000) from the species conservation trust fund for the following activities, programs, and species in the following amounts:

PROGRAM/SPECIESAMOUNT     

(a)  Upper Colorado river

endangered fish recovery

program;$2,480,000     

(b)  Selenium management, research,

monitoring, evaluation,

and control;$20,000     

(c)  Native terrestrial

wildlife conservation;$1,250,000     

(d)  Native aquatic

wildlife conservation.$1,250,000     

Total authorization$5,000,000     

SECTION 3.  Safety clause. The general assembly finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.