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Native Species Conservation Trust Fund Statute <br />24-33-111. Conservation of native species - fund created. (1) Legislative declaration. The general <br />assembly hereby recognizes the importance of conserving native species that have been listed as <br />threatened or endangered under state or federal law, or are candidate species or are likely to become <br />candidate species as determined by the United States fish and wildlife service. The general assembly <br />hereby declares and determines that the Colorado department of natural resources and the division of <br />wildlife are responsible for the development, implementation, or approval of appropriate programs to <br />address the conservation of such species for complying with the "Federal Mandates Act", article 78 of <br />this title, and for negotiating agreements with federal agencies and other states to avoid regulatory <br />conflicts pursuant to section 24-33-103. <br />(2) Species conservation trust fund - creation. There is hereby created in the state treasury the <br />species conservation trust fund, which shall be subject to annual authorization by the general assembly to <br />carry out the purposes of this section. There is hereby created within the species conservation trust fund <br />the operation and maintenance account and the capital account. The moneys in the operation and <br />maintenance account shall be for administrative and noncapital expenditures necessary for the <br />implementation of this section. The moneys in the capital account shall be used exclusively for capital <br />expenditures including but not limited to property acquisition and project construction. All income <br />derived from the deposit and investment of moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund. At the end <br />of any fiscal year, all unexpended moneys in the fund shall remain therein and shall not be credited or <br />transferred to the general fund or any other fund. No investment earnings or other moneys in the species <br />conservation trust fund shall be subject to any management fee imposed by law for the benefit of the <br />general fund. To the maximum extent practical, only interest from the fund shall be expended for <br />activities pursuant to this section. <br />(3) Species conservation eligibility list and annual report. (a) The executive director of the <br />department of natural resources, after consultation with the Colorado water conservation board and its <br />director, the wildlife commission, and the director of the division of wildlife, shall annually prepare a <br />species conservation eligibility list describing programs and associated costs that are eligible to receive <br />funding pursuant to this section. The species conservation eligibility list shall be subject to modification <br />and adoption through passage of a joint resolution that is approved by a majority vote of both houses of <br />the general assembly. At the same time as the species conservation eligibility list is submitted, the <br />director of the department of natural resources, after consultation with the Colorado water conservation <br />board and its director, the wildlife commission, and the director of the division of wildlife, shall also <br />provide a detailed report to the general assembly on the progress and status of activities to date and their <br />effectiveness in the recovery of the species and identify proposed future activities. The report shall <br />include an assessment of habitat benefits, both public and private, attributable to such activities. <br />(b) Funding shall be distributed by the executive director of the department of natural resources <br />among projects included in the species conservation eligibility list for the following purposes: <br />(1) Cooperative agreements, recovery programs, and other programs that are designed to meet <br />obligations arising under the federal "Endangered Species Act of 1973", 16 U.S.C. 1531, et seq., and that <br />provide regulatory certainty in accordance with subsection (4) of this section; <br />(II) Studies and programs established or approved by the division of wildlife and the executive <br />director of the department of natural resources regarding: <br />(A) Species placed on the state endangered or threatened list in accordance with section 33-2- <br />105, C.RS.;