Colorado § 24-33-201 - Division of forestry - creation - state forest service agreement.

§ 24-33-201. Division of forestry - creation - state forest service agreement.

(1) There is created the division of forestry in the department of natural resources. The division of forestry is a type 2 entity, as defined in section 24-1-105. The executive director of the department of natural resources shall enter into an agreement with Colorado state university, through the board of governors of the Colorado state university system, to cooperate in the state's efforts to improve the management and health of Colorado's forests and to provide staff for the division of forestry.

(2) The division of forestry's powers and duties shall include:

(a) Strengthening natural resource policy formulation and coordination concerning public and private forest land in Colorado by:

(I) Producing an annual forest health report for all forest land in Colorado;

(II) Addressing cooperative management of forest land across jurisdictions;

(III) Mitigating the natural and urban interface fire hazard;

(IV) Restoring critical watersheds;

(V) Assisting in the management of forest lands under the jurisdiction of the agencies within the department of natural resources.

(b) Preparing and updating the memorandum of understanding between the department of natural resources and Colorado state university that provides for the staffing of the division of forestry by the Colorado state forest service;

(c) Preparing the annual joint work plan for the division of forestry and Colorado state forest service for submittal to and approval by the department of natural resources and Colorado state university;

(d) Repealed.

(e) Reviewing and approving all Colorado state forest service publications that are issued as a result of the memorandum of understanding between the department of natural resources and Colorado state university;

(f) Promoting cooperation with the federal land management agencies to facilitate collaboration across boundaries warranted by forest land conditions;

(g) Incorporating rural development through forestry in program delivery;

(h) Assuring that state water quality best management practices are available and understood; and

(i) Preparing an annual report on the accomplishments of the division of forestry.

(3) The division of forestry, the state forester, and the Colorado state forest service shall enforce and administer the provisions of law conferred upon the division of forestry, state forester, and Colorado state forest service.

Source: L. 2000: Entire part added, p. 556, § 5, effective July 1. L. 2002: (1) amended, p. 1246, § 19, effective August 7. L. 2010: (2)(d) repealed, (HB 10-1223), ch. 41, p. 165, § 4, effective August 11. L. 2022: (1) amended, (SB 22-162), ch. 469, p. 3408, § 157, effective August 10.

Cross references: For the short title (the "Debbie Haskins 'Administrative Organization Act of 1968' Modernization Act") in SB 22-162, see section 1 of chapter 469, Session Laws of Colorado 2022.