Forestry And Wildfire Mitigation Workforce

Wildfire Matters Review Committee. Section 1 of the bill directs the Colorado state forest service (state forest service) to consult with other entities to develop educational materials relating to career opportunities in forestry and wildfire mitigation for distribution to high school guidance counselors to provide to high school students.Section 2 creates the timber, forest health, and wildfire mitigation industries workforce development program (development program) in the state forest service. The development program provides partial reimbursement to timber businesses and forest health or wildfire mitigation entities for the costs of hiring interns.Section 3 requires the state treasurer, on June 30, 2023, and on June 30 each year thereafter, to transfer $1 million from the general fund to the wildfire mitigation capacity development fund for allowable uses of the fund.Sections 4, 5, and 6 authorize the expansion of existing forestry programs, including wildfire mitigation, and the creation of a new forestry program within the community college system and at Colorado mountain college (forestry programs). The bill provides for the acquisition of a harvesting simulator to train students, which may be shared among the forestry programs. The bill includes funding for the forestry programs within the community college system and at Colorado mountain college through limited purpose fee-for-service contracts and grants.Section 7 directs the state board for community colleges and occupational education (board) to administer the recruitment of wildland fire prevention and mitigation educators program (recruiting program) to increase the number of qualified educators at community colleges, area technical colleges, and local district colleges that deliver a wildfire prevention and mitigation program or course. The bill appropriates $250,000 from the general fund for the 2023-24 and for the 2024-25 state fiscal years for the recruiting program.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)