Colorado § 35-73-105 - Powers and duties of the department.

§ 35-73-105. Powers and duties of the department.

(1) In carrying out this article 73, the department may:

(a) Seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of this article 73, but the department shall not pledge the faith or credit of the state of Colorado or any county or other political subdivision. In connection with the gifts, grants, or donations, the department may enter into an agreement or contract.

(b) Administer and expend the following money to plan, develop, or implement programs authorized in section 35-73-104:

(I) Appropriations made by the general assembly;

(II) Money granted to or made available to the department by the United States government, an agency of the United States government, or a political subdivision of Colorado;

(III) Gifts, grants, or donations received under subsection (1)(a) of this section; or

(IV) Money derived from any other source, subject to appropriation;

(c) Provide grants, loans, and other resources to eligible entities to perform soil health activities;

(d) Unless otherwise specified by the grantor or donor, use any money received from a political subdivision of Colorado, the United States government, or an agency of or corporation of the United States government to serve as a matching fund for soil health activities; or

(e) Cooperate and collaborate, including entering into an agreement, to:

(I) Advance the scientific understanding of soil health, soil health practices, environmental outcomes, or economic outcomes;

(II) Increase monetary or nonmonetary resources to support scientific research; or

(III) Apply for grants, including applying for grants jointly, and obtain resources to support the programs authorized in section 35-73-104.

(2) In establishing a grant program, the department shall:

(a) Make money available for demonstration projects, educational projects, implementation projects, or research projects grants to eligible entities;

(b) Minimize the use of money by grant recipients for costs not directly related to grant outcomes, such as administrative expenses or other expenses related to overhead;

(c) Establish a monitoring and oversight procedure to ensure that money is being spent as intended; and

(d) Establish protocols that ensure the confidentiality, in accordance with section 35-73-107, of agricultural producer, landowner, land manager, and land information, including with respect to a state soil health inventory and platform and state soil health testing program.

Source: L. 2021: Entire article added, (HB 21-1181), ch. 279, p. 1609, § 2, effective September 7.