(1) The board is hereby authorized and directed to cooperate with and seek assistance from state, county, and federal agencies and universities and research institutions in this state and to work in close cooperation with local planning units in order to establish a data base and an inventory system, drawing upon existing resources where possible, which will:

(a) Provide proper evaluation of the capacity of different land areas of the state to be reclaimed following surface coal mining operations;

(b) Be available to those making land use planning decisions concerning surface coal mining operations;

(c) Provide objective and scientific evaluation of fragile, historic, natural hazard, and renewable resource lands and lands listed in the Colorado natural areas registry or designated under the Colorado natural areas program.

(2) The board shall promulgate such rules and regulations which it deems necessary to establish such a data base and inventory system, and, in so doing, the board shall take into consideration those criteria and definitions which other federal and state agencies have adopted for use in determining lands unsuitable for mining.

(3) (a) The board may, at its discretion, appoint an advisory committee to assist it in establishing a data base and inventory system for surface coal mining operations. Such committee, if appointed, shall consist of experts in the areas of wildlife, plant ecology, natural areas, historic areas, reclamation, agriculture, coal geology, and land management planning and other areas as deemed necessary by the board.

(b) and (c) Repealed.

(4) The board is further authorized and directed to accept and seek grants and financial aid from the federal government and from private agencies for carrying out the purposes of this section.