Salazar and Ritter: Honor Colorado’s conservation legacy by voting yes on Prop 137 (Opinion)
Prop 137 provides a practical, sustainable solution by securing about $175 million annually for conservation and wildfire mitigation
By Ken Salazar and Bill Ritter Jr. | Guest Commentary
Originally published in The Denver Post on October 19, 2026
Coloradans have always had a forward-looking vision for preserving the landscapes, rivers, and wildlife that define our state.
We were the first state in the country to enshrine protecting forests in the constitution. In 1977, we created the nation’s first income tax checkoff for wildlife protection donations. Fifteen years later, voters took a landmark step by creating Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) to protect open space, parks, and wildlife habitats.
oday, Colorado faces an estimated funding shortfall of up to $200 million every year to adequately protect our water supplies, mitigate fire risks, and conserve at-risk landscapes. We can no longer afford to remain reactive, waiting for the next disaster before investing in proactive protection.
That is why we are urging voters this November to vote yes on Proposition 137. Prop 137 provides a practical, sustainable solution by securing about $175 million annually for conservation and wildfire mitigation — all without raising tax rates on Coloradans or increasing prices at the register.
Instead of a tax rate hike, Prop 137 directs revenue already collected from the existing state sales taxex on sporting goods and outdoor equipment to water protection, wildfire preparedness, and conservation efforts. It is a logical, direct connection: the gear bought to explore and enjoy Colorado’s outdoors will directly fund the long-term protection, health, and stewardship of those very places.
If approved by voters, Prop 137 will direct dedicated resources into proven, transparently governed programs:
• Land & Water Conservation: Expanding Great Outdoors Colorado’s capacity to conserve open and working lands, protect clean drinking water sources, and build new state parks and local trails.
• Wildfire Risk Reduction & Watershed Protection: Funding science-backed forest management and watershed restoration helps prevent severe wildfires.
• Access to the Outdoors: Expanding grants to ensure youth and families in underserved communities have opportunities to access the outdoors.
• Outdoor Industry & Workforce Development: Supporting grants to foster job creation, sustainable recreation, and economic growth in rural and gateway communities.
Each of these areas is critical to a thriving Colorado–and each has much greater funding demands than the state can currently meet. Prop 137 flips the equation and lets Colorado make proactive progress protecting our land and water, reducing the threat of wildfires, expanding outdoor access, and supporting the outdoors industry that powers our economy.
A handful of critics have attempted to mischaracterize Prop 137, claiming that its wildfire prevention provisions are a veiled attempt to expand large-scale commercial logging or “clear-cut” Colorado’s backcountry. Those arguments are entirely false. The mitigation work funded by Prop 137 prioritizes the science-based removal of small, dead, or unhealthy trees in areas that are at high risk of catastrophic wildfire. These decisions are made by land managers and forest scientists, not groups with a profit motive, and they cost money rather than making any.
Prop 137 is also built around fiscal responsibility: studies show that every $1 invested in proactive wildfire mitigation saves $6 in the long term. As a statutory measure, state leaders retain full legislative flexibility during lean budget years to scale back Prop. 137 funding and preserve budgets for other key programs.
This measure is backed by a broad, nonpartisan coalition of community leaders, wildfire experts, water providers, agricultural leaders, outdoor recreation businesses, and conservation organizations from across the state who recognize that safeguarding our natural legacy is essential to our state’s economic strength and way of life.
Coloradans have a history of stepping up for the land we love, and we must meet the current moment with equal foresight. Vote yes on Proposition 137 to ensure our drinking water remains clean, our communities stay safe from devastating wildfires, and the natural heritage we love endures for generations to come.
Ken Salazar is a former interior secretary, U.S. senator, and Colorado attorney general. Bill Ritter Jr. served as Colorado’s 41st governor.
Photo courtesy of The Denver Post, provided by Bill Vogrin, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
