The 73rd General Assembly adjourned sine die on Tuesday June 8 after a very active session. Here is a quick recap of the wins and losses for bills related to Keep It Colorado’s work.

A big win for land conservation: Success on HB21-1233

Keep It Colorado’s bill, HB1233 – Conservation Easement Enhancement and Rural Stimulus Act, passed in the Senate on June 7. This bill accomplishes some key policy priorities that will help increase the pace of land conservation and ensure that the conservation easement tax credit program functions as effectively and efficiently as possible. Specifically, this legislation:

• Increases the tax credit incentive to up to 90% of the donated value of a landowner's easement.

• Expands the list of eligible landowners who can access the tax credit program to include certain types of water entities, such as water conservancies and ditch and acequia organizations.

• Establishes a tax credit tracking system within the Division of Conservation.

• Eliminates the requirement that tax credit buyers and sellers file their returns at the same time.

• Ensures that the Division of Conservation can serve as a receivership for orphaned easements, once a program is established, to find those easements new homes.

Next the bill is headed to Governor Polis’s desk for signing.

Thank you, bill sponsors

We are grateful to our bill sponsors for their unending support of conservation and the conservation easement program. A huge thank-you to Representative Dylan Roberts, Representative Perry Will, Senator Faith Winter and Senator Kerry Donovan.

Additional state legislation

Below are other conservation-related bills Keep It Colorado worked on, supported or tracked.

SB21-033 – Conservation Easement Working Group Proposals – Failed in House Appropriations

The bill would have implemented the recommendations of the working group by creating a new state income tax credit (new credit) for certain taxpayers who were denied state income tax credits for conservation easements donated between 2000 and 2013 (original credit) if the federal internal revenue service allowed a federal income tax deduction for the same donation. Keep It Colorado took a supportive position of the bill. We strongly believe in finding a resolution to the challenges from the past abuse of the program and helping those landowners who were truly harmed.

SB21-249 – Keep Colorado Wild Annual Pass – Passed

This bill from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources creates a new program that will make it easier and more affordable for Coloradans to purchase an annual state parks pass.

HB21-1318 – Create Outdoor Equity Grant Program – Passed

This bill establishes an outdoor equity board in the division of parks and wildlife. The board will administer a grant program to increase access and opportunity for underserved youth and their families in the outdoors.

SB21-087 – Agricultural Workers’ Rights – Passed

This bill increases labor rights for agricultural workers including developing a process for establishing overtime pay and removing the exception of agricultural works from state and local minimum wage laws.

SJR21-021 – Colorado Habitat Connectivity – Passed

This Senate Joint Resolution recognizes and supports the State’s efforts to increase wildlife habitat connectivity and, specifically, wildlife crossings.

SB21-072 – Public Utilities Commission Modernize Electric Transmission Infrastructure – Passed

This bill works toward enabling Colorado to meet its clean energy goals and creates a Colorado electric transmission authority, and includes amendments to help protect conserved lands as renewable transmission infrastructure is developed.