§ 35-73-102. Definitions

As used in this article 73, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. “Advisory committee” means the soil health advisory committee created in section 35-73-106.
2. “Commissioner” means the commissioner of agriculture or the commissioner’s authorized agent.
3. “Department” means the department of agriculture and includes the state agricultural commission created in section 35-1-105, the commissioner, and all employees and agents of the department.
4. “Eligible entity” means a public, governmental, or private entity, including:
   1. An agricultural producer, a group of agricultural producers, or an agricultural producer cooperative;
   2. An Indian tribe;
   3. A nonprofit entity of a type listed in 26 U.S.C. sec. 501 (c), as amended;
   4. A charitable organization as defined in section 6-16-103 (1);
   5. An academic or a research institution or a subdivision of the institution;
   6. The United States or any corporation or agency created or designed by the United States;
   7. The state of Colorado or any of its agencies or political subdivisions, including a conservation district created under article 70 of this title 35 or a water conservancy district;
   8. An acequia ditch corporation or an unincorporated acequia ditch association, as either is described in section 7-42-101.5; and
   9. A ditch corporation as described in section 7-42-101.
5. “Grant program” means a grant program authorized in section 35-73-104 (1)(a).
6. “Program” means a component, including a system, grant program, or inventory or platform, of the soil health program that is authorized in section 35-73-104.
7. “Soil health” means the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.
8. “Soil health practices” means those practices that may contribute to soil health or apply one of the following principles that promote soil health:
   1. Maximizing soil cover;
   2. Reducing soil disturbance;
   3. Maximizing biodiversity;
   4. Maintaining a continual live plant or root in the soil; or
   5. Integrating best grazing livestock practices.
9. “Soil health program” means the Colorado soil health program created in section 35-73-103.
10. “State soil health inventory and platform” means a tool, including a geospatial inventory, documenting:
    1. The condition of agricultural soils;
    2. The implementation of soil health practices;
    3. The environmental and economic effects, including current and potential future carbon holding capacity of soils; or
    4. Other information that concerns soil health and that the department deems appropriate.
11. “Underserved agricultural producer” means an agricultural producer with limited resources, a beginning producer, or other types of underserved agricultural producers as determined by the advisory committee.

Source: L. 2021: Entire article added, (HB 21-1181), ch. 279, p. 1607, § 2, effective September 7.