Colorado § 36-1-152.3 - State trust lands conservation and recreation work group - creation - membership - study - interim report.

§ 36-1-152.3. State trust lands conservation and recreation work group - creation - membership - study - interim report.

(1) The executive director of the department shall convene a state trust lands conservation and recreation work group to conduct a study to identify opportunities to advance conservation; climate resilience; biodiversity; and sustainable, equitable, and low-conflict recreation on state trust lands in accordance with Colorado's outdoors strategy stewarded by the division of parks and wildlife. The work group shall conduct the study in a manner consistent with the state board of land commissioners' fiduciary responsibility to produce reasonable and consistent revenue for trust beneficiaries.

(2) (a) The work group shall:

(I) Meet as often as necessary, but no fewer than four times, to evaluate the state trust lands and the opportunities for recreation, conservation, and agriculture;

(II) Make recommendations on or before September 1, 2026, to the governor; the house of representatives agriculture, water, and natural resources committee and the senate agriculture and natural resources committee, or their successor committees; the state board of land commissioners; and the executive director of the department;

(III) Be assisted by a professional facilitator;

(IV) Engage specialists or subject matter experts as needed, including experts on the economy, landscape ecology, agriculture, mineral leasing and development, reclamation, and climate resilience; and

(V) Make all reasonable efforts to reduce the fiscal impact of the work group, including by allowing remote participation.

(b) On or before March 16, 2026, the work group shall provide an interim report to the parties listed in subsection (2)(a)(II) of this section, which interim report includes, at a minimum, information on potential recommendations for the long-term stewardship trust and the internal improvements and saline trusts.

(3) (a) By September 5, 2025, appointing authorities shall appoint voting members of the work group pursuant to subsection (3)(b) of this section. In making the appointments, the appointing authorities shall endeavor to achieve geographic diversity on the work group. In conducting the study, the work group shall solicit public input, including input regarding identification of particular properties to consider and management recommendations to include in the study.

(b) (I) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint to the work group:

(A) One member of the public school capital construction assistance board created in section 22-43.7-106;

(B) One representative of an environmental organization with expertise in land conservation and stewardship;

(C) One member with water resource management experience; and

(D) One member who is an agricultural producer or representative of a statewide agricultural organization.

(II) The majority leader of the house of representatives shall appoint to the work group:

(A) One county commissioner;

(B) One representative of a wildlife and habitat conservation organization; and

(C) One representative of a commercial real estate entity with experience leasing property on state lands.

(III) The minority leader of the house of representatives shall appoint to the work group:

(A) One oil and gas operator with experience leasing property on state trust lands; and

(B) One member who is an agricultural producer or representative of a statewide agricultural organization.

(IV) The president of the senate shall appoint to the work group:

(A) One member with a background in outdoor equity;

(B) One representative from the renewable energy industry with experience leasing renewable energy facilities on state trust lands;

(C) One representative of a hunting or angling organization; and

(D) One member with experience in the affordable housing sector.

(V) The majority leader of the senate shall appoint to the work group:

(A) One educational stakeholder representing rural schools;

(B) One representative of the mining industry with experience leasing property on state trust lands; and

(C) One elected representative of a municipality.

(VI) The minority leader of the senate shall appoint to the work group:

(A) One oil and gas operator with experience leasing property on state trust lands; and

(B) One member who is an agricultural producer or representative of a statewide agricultural organization.

(VII) The governor shall appoint to the work group:

(A) One member with economic expertise related to issues the work group will study;

(B) One representative of motorized recreation;

(C) One member with legal expertise, including knowledge of the state constitution, fiduciary duties, and statutes governing the issues the work group will study; and

(D) One representative of nonmotorized recreation.

(VIII) The executive director of the department shall, through the Colorado commission of Indian affairs created in section 24-44-102, present to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe on the work group and its objectives and invite the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe to participate in the work group. The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe may accept or decline the invitation to participate, and, if either tribe elects to participate, the tribe shall appoint a representative to serve on the work group.

(IX) The Colorado commission of Indian affairs created in section 24-44-102 shall appoint to the work group one member who is a member of the American Indian community in Colorado.

(c) The technical advisory members of the work group are:

(I) The commissioner of education or the commissioner's designee;

(II) The director of the division of parks and wildlife or the director's designee;

(III) The director of the state board of land commissioners or the director's designee;

(IV) The executive director of the department or the executive director's designee;

(V) The commissioner of agriculture or the commissioner's designee;

(VI) The state historic preservation officer or the officer's designee;

(VII) The director of the outdoor recreation industry office created in section 24-48.5-129 (2) or the director's designee;

(VIII) The director of the Colorado tourism office created in section 24-49.7-103 (1), as appointed by the director of the office of economic development, or the director's designee;

(IX) The state forester in the Colorado state forest service, as described in section 23-31-302, or the state forester's designee; and

(X) The state historic preservation officer or the officer's designee.

Source: L. 2025: Entire section added, (HB 25-1332), ch. 184, p. 799, § 3, effective August 6.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 25-1332, see section 1 of chapter 184, Session Laws of Colorado 2025.