There is hereby created in the state treasury the wild and scenic rivers fund, referred to in this section as the "fund". The state treasurer shall transfer four hundred thousand dollars from previously unappropriated Colorado water conservation board construction fund moneys to the fund. The moneys in the fund are hereby continuously appropriated to the board to work with stakeholders within the state of Colorado to develop protection of river-dependent resources as an alternative to wild and scenic river designation under the federal "Wild and Scenic Rivers Act", 16 U.S.C. sec. 1271 et seq. In addition to any remaining balance in the fund at the end of any fiscal year, the board is hereby authorized to annually provide, from the Colorado water conservation board construction fund, up to four hundred thousand dollars in order to restore the unencumbered balance in the fund up to four hundred thousand dollars. All interest derived from the investment of moneys in the fund shall be credited to the Colorado water conservation board construction fund. The board shall review the purpose of the fund annually and is hereby authorized to cease providing moneys in the following year if, in its discretion, the board determines that the purposes for which the fund was established have ceased. The board may set terms and conditions as it deems appropriate concerning the annual expenditures of moneys from the fund.
Source: L. 2009: Entire section added, (SB 09-125), ch. 328, p. 1751, § 21, effective June 1.