Amendments for HB24-1117
House Journal, February 23
47 HB24-1117 be amended as follows, and as so amended, be referred to
48 the Committee on Appropriations with favorable
49 recommendation:
50
51 Amend printed bill, page 2, after line 1 insert:
52 "SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general
53 assembly finds and declares that:
54
1 (a) Colorado's policy is to protect and enhance biodiversity
2 because biodiversity is necessary for ecosystem health; supports
3 agricultural productivity by aiding pollination, pest control, and soil
4 fertility; and increases ecosystem resilience to drought and extreme
5 weather events;
6 (b) Healthy ecosystems underpin delivery of water supplies and
7 water quality and guard against water-related hazards and disasters;
8 (c) Studies show that 34% of plant species and 40% of animal
9 species may become extinct and 41% of ecosystems may collapse;
10 (d) Invertebrates provide vital ecosystem services, including
11 pollination, pest control, nutrient cycling, and sustenance for wildlife;
12 (e) Without conservation, invertebrates will continue to decline,
13 likely having profound effects on the environment, humans, and wildlife;
14 (f) Native rare plants are essential to both wildlife and humans,
15 and they contribute to clean air and water, carbon sequestration, food
16 sources, healthy ecosystems, and wildlife habitat;
17 (g) The state wildlife action plan identifies 75 invertebrates and
18 117 rare plants as species of greatest conservation need, over half of
19 which are endemic to Colorado;
20 (h) Information on habitats, threats, and conservation needs is
21 sorely lacking for Colorado's invertebrate and native rare plant species;
22 (i) With a few exceptions, Colorado parks and wildlife does not
23 have statutory authority over invertebrate species, nor does any state
24 agency have oversight of native rare plants;
25 (j) Lack of data limits Colorado's ability to assess the status of,
26 threats to, and conservation needs of invertebrates and rare plants;
27 (k) Creating programs designed to support conservation of native
28 rare plants and invertebrates can lessen the likelihood that the species will
29 be added to federal threatened or endangered lists;
30 (l) Addressing data gaps and creating voluntary conservation
31 programs for native rare plants and invertebrates can affect federal listing
32 decisions, which undercut private land management with regulations; and
33 (m) Authorizing surveys and investigations on these species
34 allows the state to fill data gaps; it does not grant the state the authority
35 to regulate the take of these species without further legislation.
36 (2) Therefore, the general assembly determines that the parks and
37 wildlife division should study and determine the conservation needs of
38 native rare plants and invertebrates and implement voluntary programs to
39 conserve and protect them.".
40
41 Renumber succeeding sections accordingly.
42
43 Page 2, line 2, after "add" insert "(28.3) and".
44
45 Page 2, after line 5 insert:
46
47 "(28.3) "NATIVE PLANT" MEANS A PLANT SPECIES THAT IS
48 INDIGENOUS TO THE STATE OF COLORADO.".
49
50 Page 2, line 6, strike "PLANT SPECIES" and substitute "NATIVE PLANTS".
51
52 Page 3, strike lines 10 through 14 and substitute:
53
54 "(2) THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ALSO FINDS AND DECLARES THAT:
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1 (a) RARE PLANTS AND INVERTEBRATES ARE NECESSARY ELEMENTS
2 OF HEALTHY AND RESILIENT ECOSYSTEMS;
3 (b) IT IS THE POLICY OF THIS STATE TO:
4 (I) PROTECT AND ENHANCE BIODIVERSITY AND RESILIENT
5 ECOSYSTEMS IN THE FACE OF POPULATION GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, AND
6 CLIMATE CHANGE;
7 (II) PROTECT AND CONSERVE RARE PLANTS AND INVERTEBRATES
8 AS MEMBERS OF ECOSYSTEMS;
9 (III) SUPPORT THE WILDLIFE THAT DEPENDS ON RARE PLANTS AND
10 INVERTEBRATES; AND
11 (IV) PREVENT THE DECLINE OF RARE PLANTS AND INVERTEBRATES
12 BEFORE THEIR CONTINUED EXISTENCE IN THE STATE IS IMPERILLED;
13 (c) THE DIVISION SHOULD STUDY AND DETERMINE THE
14 CONSERVATION NEEDS OF RARE PLANTS AND INVERTEBRATES FOUND IN
15 THIS STATE AND IMPLEMENT VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS TO PROTECT THESE
16 SPECIES.".
17
18 Page 3, line 17, strike "plants." and substitute "plants - repeal.".
19
20 Page 3, strike line 18 and substitute "(1) THE DIVISION SHALL".
21
22 Page 3, line 24, after "UNDERTAKE" insert "VOLUNTARY".
23
24 Page 3, after line 25 insert:
25
26 "(3) (a) BEGINNING IN JANUARY 2026, AND IN JANUARY EVERY
27 YEAR THEREAFTER, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL INCLUDE, AS PART OF ITS
28 PRESENTATION DURING ITS"SMART ACT" HEARING REQUIRED BY SECTION
29 2-7-203, INFORMATION CONCERNING THE INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED IN
30 ACCORDANCE WITH SUBSECTION (1) OF THIS SECTION.
31 (b) THIS SUBSECTION (3) IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE JUNE 30, 2029.".
32
33 Page 4, line 8, after "UNDERTAKE" insert "VOLUNTARY".
34
35 Page 4, line 10, after "(3)" insert "(a)".
36
37 Page 4, after line 14 insert:
38
39 "(b) THIS SUBSECTION (3) IS REPEALED, EFFECTIVE JUNE 30,
40 2029.".
41
42 Page 4, strike line 21.
43
44
House Journal, March 1
37 HB24-1117 be amended as follows, and as so amended, be referred to
38 the Committee of the Whole with favorable
39 recommendation:
40
41 Amend printed bill, page 6, after line 13 insert:
42
43 "SECTION 7. Appropriation. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year,
44 $774,788 is appropriated to the department of natural resources for use by
45 the division of parks and wildlife. This appropriation is from the wildlife
46 cash fund created in section 33-1-112 (1)(a), C.R.S., and is based on an
47 assumption that the division will require an additional 4.0 FTE. To
48 implement this act, the division may use this appropriation for wildlife
49 operations.".
50
51 Renumber succeeding section accordingly.
52
53 Page 1, line 102, strike "WILDLIFE." and substitute "WILDLIFE, AND, IN
54 CONNECTION THEREWITH, MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.".
55
House Journal, March 8
25 Amendment No. 1, Appropriations Report, dated March 1, 2024, and
26 placed in member's bill file; Report also printed in House Journal,
27 March 1, 2024.
28
29 Amendment No. 2, Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Report, dated
30 February 22, 2024, and placed in member's bill file; Report also printed
31 in House Journal, February 23, 2024.
32
33 Amendment No. 3, by Representative Soper:
34
35 Amend printed bill, page 4, strike lines 22 through 27.
36
37 Strike page 5.
38
39 Page 6, strike lines 1 through 13.
40
41 Renumber succeeding section accordingly.
42
43 Amendment No. 4, by Representative Soper:
44
45 Amend printed bill, page 4, line 19, after "LICENSES" insert "OR FROM
46 ASSOCIATED FEDERAL GRANTS".
47
48 As amended, ordered engrossed and placed on the Calendar for Third
49 Reading and Final Passage.
50