This year, the Colorado General Assembly and Governor Jared Polis advanced several pieces of legislation aimed at protecting wildlife, improving water conservation, and promoting sustainable energy production. These efforts are part of the state’s ongoing work to meet its Greenhouse Gas Reduction Roadmap goals.
Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, said, “Partnerships with legislative leaders this session allowed us to take major steps to protect our state’s wildlife, advance clean energy goals, enhance our efforts to engage with our Tribal Nation partners and continue leading the way on water conservation efforts. I want to thank the bi-partisan support and legislative champions of our bills as well as the numerous Coloradans and stakeholders who took time out of their day to support many of our legislative priorities.”
Key measures passed include SB25-283, which allocates nearly $69 million for Colorado Water Conservation Board programs and projects. This includes funding for water plan grants, watershed restoration efforts, snowpack analysis, and infrastructure improvements.
Legislation also addressed abandoned mine reclamation through SB25-054. The bill aims to modernize mining regulations in response to over 23,000 abandoned mines statewide that have affected more than 1,800 miles of streams due to pollution. By encouraging clean-up projects, it seeks to reduce environmental impacts on surface waters.
The legislature authorized a new statewide snowpack measurement program under HB25-1115. This will improve water management by providing accurate data on snowpack levels and streamflow forecasts—critical since most of Colorado’s water supply originates from melting snow each year.
SB25-040 established a task force focused on finding alternative funding for water resources as severance tax revenues from oil and gas decline. Other process improvement measures like HB25-1014 aim to streamline permitting and administration within the Division of Water Resources.
On climate policy, HB25-1165 set up oversight for long-term carbon storage sites while making geothermal development easier by clarifying regulatory authority among state agencies.
Wildlife protection was also a focus. SB25-168 provided additional tools for law enforcement against wildlife trafficking in order to protect native species from illegal trade. HB25-1318 allocated $5 million toward research and recovery programs for threatened or endangered species in Colorado.
The Wildlife Habitat Stamp Program was made permanent through SB25-049; since its creation in 2006 it has helped conserve hundreds of thousands of acres across the state for public access and wildlife habitat preservation.
SB25-053 recognized wild bison entering Colorado from Utah’s Book Cliffs region as wildlife rather than livestock, allowing regulated management that acknowledges their cultural significance.
The legislature also moved forward with measures designed to improve equity in outdoor access. HB25-1163 waives entrance fees at all state parks for enrolled members of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe as a step toward recognizing ancestral land connections. Additional lottery funds were directed into outdoor equity grants through HB25-1215.
The annual budget bill (SB25-206) increased investment in staff capacity at the Department of Natural Resources as well as infrastructure improvements at state parks and wildlife areas.
Further details about these bills can be found at Colorado Passes Nation-Leading Energy Advancements, Wildlife Protections & Water Conservation Measures (https://dnr.colorado.gov/news-releases/colorado-passes-nation-leading-energy-advancements-wildlife-protections-water).
