§ 24-1-124 — Department of natural resources - creation - divisions

(1) There
is hereby created a department of natural resources, the head of which shall be the
executive director of the department of natural resources, who shall be the
commissioner of mines. The executive director shall be appointed by the governor
pursuant to law.

(2) The office of the executive director, created in article 33 of this title 24,
is a type 2 entity, as defined in section 24-1-105, and exercises its powers and
performs its duties and functions under the department of natural resources.

(2.1) The department of natural resources includes, as a part of the office of
the executive director:

(a) The office of commissioner of mines, created in section 1 of article XVI of
the state constitution. The office of commissioner of mines is a type 2 entity, as
defined in section 24-1-105, and exercises its powers and performs its duties and
functions under the department of natural resources.

(b) Repealed.

(c) The Colorado avalanche information center, created pursuant to section
24-33-116. The Colorado avalanche information center is a type 2 entity, as defined
in section 24-1-105, and exercises its powers and performs its duties and functions
under the department of natural resources.

(3) The department of natural resources consists of the following divisions:

(a) The division of water resources, the head of which is the state engineer,
as described in subsection (4) of this section;

(b) The Colorado water conservation board and the office of director thereof,
created in article 60 of title 37. The Colorado water conservation board and the
office of the director are type 1 entities, as defined in section 24-1-105, and exercise
their powers and perform their duties and functions under the department of
natural resources as a division thereof.

(c) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2000, p. 556, � 3, effective July 1, 2000.)

(d) The state board of land commissioners, created in section 9 of article IX
of the state constitution. The state board of land commissioners is a type 1 entity,
as defined in section 24-1-105, and exercises its powers and performs its duties and
functions under the department of natural resources as a division thereof, subject
to the state constitution.

(e) The division of reclamation, mining, and safety, created in section 34-20-103, the head of which is the director of the division of reclamation, mining, and
safety, under the supervision of the executive director of the department of natural
resources. The division and director are type 2 entities, as defined in section 24-1-105, and exercise their powers and perform their duties and functions as prescribed
by law under the department of natural resources and the executive director
thereof. The division of reclamation, mining, and safety includes the following:

(I) The coal mine board of examiners, created in article 22 of title 34. The
coal mine board of examiners is a type 2 entity, as defined in section 24-1-105, and
exercises its powers and performs its duties and functions under the department of
natural resources as a section of the division of reclamation, mining, and safety.

(II) The mined land reclamation board and the office of mined land
reclamation, created in article 32 of title 34. The mined land reclamation board is a type 1 entity, as defined in section 24-1-105, and exercises its powers and performs
its duties and functions under the department of natural resources and is allocated
to the division of reclamation, mining, and safety. The office of mined land
reclamation is a type 2 entity, as defined in section 24-1-105, and exercises its
powers and performs its duties and functions under the department of natural
resources and is allocated to the division of reclamation, mining, and safety as a
section thereof.

(III) The office of active and inactive mines, created in article 21 of title 34.
The office of active and inactive mines is a type 2 entity, as defined in section 24-1-105, and exercises its powers and performs its duties and functions as prescribed
by law under the department of natural resources and is allocated to the division of
reclamation, mining, and safety as a section thereof.

(IV) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2005, p. 1462, � 1, effective July 1, 2005.)

(V) Repealed.

(f) The energy and carbon management commission created in section 34-60-104.3 (1) and the office of the director of the commission, created in article 60 of
title 34. The commission and the office of the director are type 1 entities, as defined
in section 24-1-105, and exercise their powers and perform their duties and
functions under the department of natural resources as a division of the
department.

(g) Repealed.

(h) (I) and (II) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2011, (SB 11-208), ch. 293, p. 1382, �
3, effective July 1, 2011.)

(III) Repealed.

(i) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2011, (SB 11-208), ch. 293, p. 1382, � 3,
effective July 1, 2011.)

(j) The division of forestry, created in section 24-33-201 (1), the head of which
is the state forester, appointed pursuant to section 23-31-207. The division of
forestry and the state forester are type 2 entities, as defined in section 24-1-105,
and exercise their powers and perform their duties and functions as prescribed by
law under the department of natural resources and the executive director thereof.

(k) (I) (A) The parks and wildlife commission, created in article 9 of title 33.
The powers, duties, and functions of the parks and wildlife commission include the
powers, duties, and functions of the wildlife commission and the board of parks and
outdoor recreation. The parks and wildlife commission is a type 1 entity, as defined
in section 24-1-105.

(B) The parks and wildlife commission includes, as an advisory council, the
Colorado natural areas council created in article 33 of title 33.

(II) (A) The division of parks and wildlife, the head of which is the director of
the division of parks and wildlife, created in section 33-9-104. The division of parks
and wildlife and the office of the director of the division of parks and wildlife are type 1 entities, as defined in section 24-1-105.

(B) The division of parks and wildlife includes the fish health board created in
article 5.5 of title 33. The fish health board is a type 2 entity, as defined in section
24-1-105, and exercises its powers and performs its duties and functions as
specified by law under the department of natural resources and the executive
director of the department of natural resources.

(4) The division of water resources includes the following:

(a) The office of the state engineer, created in article 80 of title 37. The
office of the state engineer is a type 1 entity, as defined in section 24-1-105, and
exercises its powers and performs its duties and functions under the department of
natural resources and is allocated to the division of water resources as a section
thereof.

(b) The division engineers, created in part 2 of article 92 of title 37. The
division engineers are type 1 entities, as defined in section 24-1-105, and exercise
their powers and perform their duties and functions under the department of
natural resources and are allocated to the division of water resources as a section
thereof.

(c) The ground water commission, created in article 90 of title 37. The
ground water commission is a type 1 entity, as defined in section 24-1-105, and
exercises its powers and performs its duties and functions under the department of
natural resources and is allocated to the division of water resources as a section
thereof.

(d) The state board of examiners of water well and ground heat exchanger
contractors created in section 37-91-103. The state board of examiners of water
well and ground heat exchanger contractors is a type 1 entity, as defined in section
24-1-105, and exercises its powers and performs its duties and functions under the
department of natural resources and is allocated to the division of water resources
as a section of the division of water resources.

(e) Repealed.

(5) Repealed.

Legislative History

Source: L. 68: p. 88, � 24. L. 69: pp. 867, 1223, �� 2, 19. C.R.S. 1963: � 3-28-24. L. 72: pp. 321, 493, �� 2, 3, 12. L. 74: (3)(f)(IV) repealed, p. 195, � 1, effective July 1. L. 77: (2.1) and (5) added, (3)(e)(I) and (3)(e)(III) amended, pp. 281, 1130, 1629, �� 31, 32, 1, 2, effective July 1. L. 81: (3)(e)(III) amended, p. 1665, � 17, effective June 30. L. 83: (2.1) amended, p. 1307, � 2, effective May 10. L. 84: (3)(i) and (3)(f) amended, pp. 923, 934, �� 13, 2, effective January 1. L. 87: (4)(d) amended, p. 1581, � 34, effective July 10. L. 88: (3)(i) amended and (5) repealed, p. 1179, � 3, effective March 23; (3)(e)(II) amended, p. 1180, � 4, effective May 3; (3)(e)(I) and (3)(e)(III) amended, p. 1435, � 14, effective June 11; (2.1)(a) amended, p. 1215, �7, effective July 1. L. 91: (4)(e) repealed, p. 884, � 4, effective June 5; (3)(h) amended, p. 200, � 7, effective June 7. L. 92: (2.1), (3)(e), and (3)(g) amended, p. 1917, � 2, effective July 1. L. 94: (3)(h)(III) added, p. 1710, � 7, effective July 1. L. 99: (3)(h)(III) amended, p. 533, � 3, effective May 3; (3)(h)(I) amended, p. 607, � 2, effective January 1, 2000. L. 2000: (3)(c) amended and (3)(j) added, p. 556, � 3, effective July 1. L. 2003: (2.1)(b) RC&RE and (3)(e)(V) repealed, p. 1961, �� 2, 4, effective May 22. L. 2005: (3)(e)(IV) and (3)(g) amended, p. 1462, � 1, effective July 1. L. 2006: (3)(e) amended, p. 212, � 1, effective August 7. L. 2007: (3)(j) amended, p. 549, � 4, effective August 3. L. 2010: (3)(j) amended, (HB 10-1223), ch. 41, p. 164, � 2, effective August 11. L. 2011: IP(3), (3)(h)(I), (3)(h)(II), and (3)(i) amended and (3)(k) added, (SB 11-208), ch. 293, p. 1382, � 3, effective July 1. L. 2012: (3)(g) amended, (HB 12-1355), ch. 247, p. 1196, � 3, effective June 4; (3)(k)(I) amended, (HB 12-1317), ch. 248, p. 1203, � 6, effective June 4. L. 2013: (2.1)(c) added, (HB 13-1057), ch. 1, p. 2, � 5, effective January 31; (2.1)(b) repealed, (HB 13-1300), ch. 316, p. 1681, � 48, effective August 7. L. 2022: (2), IP(2.1), (2.1)(a), (2.1)(c), (3)(a), (3)(b), (3)(d), IP(3)(e), (3)(e)(I), (3)(e)(II), (3)(e)(III), (3)(f), (3)(j), (3)(k), IP(4), (4)(a), (4)(b), (4)(c), and (4)(d) amended, (SB 22-162), ch. 469, p. 3404, � 155, effective August 10. L. 2023: (3)(f) amended, (SB 23-285), ch. 235, p. 1253, � 22, effective July 1. L. 2025: (4)(d) amended, (HB 25-1165), ch. 257, p. 1320, � 29, effective August 6.