Wildfire Prevention Watershed Restoration Funding

The bill requires the state treasurer to make the following transfers from the economic recovery and relief cash fund:

• $3 million to the healthy forests and vibrant communities fund for projects that will help communities address the urgent need to reduce wildfire risks by supporting implementation of risk mitigation treatments that focus on promoting watershed resilience;
• $2 million to the wildfire mitigation capacity development fund for wildfire mitigation and fuel reduction projects;
• $10 million to the Colorado water conservation board construction fund for watershed restoration and flood mitigation grants;
• $2.5 million to the Colorado water conservation board construction fund for the direct and indirect costs of providing assistance to political subdivisions and other entities applying for federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" money and other federally available money related to water funding opportunities; and
• $2.5 million to the Colorado water conservation board construction fund for issuing grants to political subdivisions of the state for the hiring of temporary employees, contractors, or both that will assist those political subdivisions and other entities in applying for federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" money and other federally available money related to natural resource management.

All of these transfers relate to essential government services and must comply with the relevant compliance, reporting, record-keeping, and program evaluation requirements established by the office of state planning and budgeting and the state controller.

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)