Colorado § 23-31-311 - Watershed protection projects and forest health projects.

§ 23-31-311. Watershed protection projects and forest health projects.

(1) The Colorado state forest service, representing the state of Colorado, shall, in consultation with the governmental agencies participating in such projects, identify watershed protection projects and forest health projects that will use moneys received pursuant to section 37-95-112.5, C.R.S., including, but not limited to, the harvesting of trees infested with beetles.

(2) The Colorado state forest service shall collaborate with water providers; federal, state, and local governments; educational institutions; landowners; and other interested public and private entities to recommend the use of money made available pursuant to section 37-95-112.5. This process shall consider:

(a) Areas that have the highest priority for ecological or wildfire hazard reduction restoration;

(b) Areas that have been prioritized for treatment by a local or regional forest collaborative process or through a comparable stakeholder process; or

(c) (I) Watershed protection projects and forest health projects on private, state, and federal lands, including national forest and other federal lands that serve as the primary source of water to communities and municipalities and for agricultural purposes.

(II) In identifying such watershed protection projects and forest health projects, consideration shall be made to effectively use available resources by:

(A) Applying the principles of the state of Colorado good neighbor authority programs entered into between the Colorado state forest service and the United States department of the interior, United States department of agriculture, or agency of the United States department of the interior or United States department of agriculture;

(B) Combining available resources with federal grant money, if any, and other complementary funding resources that are available for such projects or similar projects; and

(C) Partnering on such projects being planned or conducted by governmental agencies with land management jurisdiction in community and municipal watersheds.

(3) In carrying out such watershed protection projects and forest health projects, the Colorado state forest service shall, whenever feasible, contract with the Colorado youth corps association or an accredited Colorado youth corps to provide labor. For purposes of this section:

(a) "Accredited Colorado youth corps" means a youth corps organization that is accredited by the Colorado youth corps association.

(b) "Forest health project" has the meaning set forth in section 37-95-103, C.R.S.

(c) "Governmental agencies" has the meaning set forth in section 37-95-112.5 (4), C.R.S.

(d) "Watershed protection project" has the meaning set forth in section 37-95-103, C.R.S.

Source: L. 2008: Entire section added, p. 1542, § 6, effective July 1. L. 2009: (3)(c) amended, (SB 09-292), ch. 369, p. 1966, § 72, effective August 5. L. 2026: IP(2) and (2)(c)(II)(A) amended, (HB 26-1205), ch. 50, p. 217, § 2, effective August 12.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 26-1205, see section 1 of chapter 50, Session Laws of Colorado 2026.