Take Action

This list contains status rather than requests for action. We will issue calls to action on various other matters soon.

  • Recovering America’s Wildlife Act: Please urge your representative to sign onto this important bill (H.R. 2773).

It is a bold effort to reverse America’s wildlife crisis. Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will address this with a once in a generation investment to fund wildlife recovery efforts in each state including Colorado. The Colorado Wildlife Action Plan lists 55 “tier 1” species of greatest conservation need and an overall 159 such species. The bill's co-sponsors in the House include Colorado Representatives Ed Perlmutter, Joe Neguse and Diana DeGette. Senator Hickenlooper and Senator Bennet are Senate co-sponsors. The bill now is awaiting scheduling on the Senate Floor. We will keep you posted.

  • Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) rulemaking: Wildlife Series (1200)

The rules were adopted on November 23, 2020 and became effective in January 2021. For a summary of the new wildlife rules that substantially improve protections, see link to this portal under News. CWF participated actively to gain good wildlife protections. COGCC now has adopted the updated Colorado Parks and Wildlife maps for High Priority Habitats. They go hand in hand with the wildlife rules. CWF was a party in this maps update rulemaking and testified at the April 6 hearing. Next update is early 2023.

  • US Forest Service Plan for Rio Grande National Forest

The final plan does not designate special interest areas of Spruce Hole and Chalma Basin that CWF, NWF and many of you have urged during this planning process. Spruce Hole is relied upon by mule deer and elk to travel between Colorado and New Mexico for seasonal migration. The Chalma Basin provides summer range for mule deer. As the forest plan will remain in effect for 20 years, it is very important that we all remain vigilant to identify any projects that likely would harm these important wildlife areas. We must ensure they do not become fragmented by roads and various future projects. For updates go to connectedcorridors.com which CWF helped NWF to establish. We will need to monitor these important areas to comment on any proposed projects.

  • State Senate bill 22-151, Safe Crossings for Colorado Wildlife and Motorists

Introduced on March 8 and passed unanimously by the Senate Transportation & Energy Committee on March 22. It is now before the Senate Appropriations Committee. The only action at this time is to urge Senators to pass the bill with its full fiscal request for $25 million from the general fund. Here is the fact sheet for this bill: 2022 CO Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Proposal Factsheet_20220311 To read the text of the bill go to News on the CWF homepage. The prime sponsors of the bill are Senator Jesse Danielson and Senator Tammy Story, Representative Julie McCluskie, and Representative Perry Will.

  • South Park lands managed by BLM

The draft plan was issued in June 2019 and we await issuance of the final plan. We are hopeful that iconic South Park area of the plan it will reflect most of the recommendations that CWF, Park County and other stakeholders have urged since the BLM planning process began in 2015. Last year CWF has developed a list of proposed improvements to the draft. We will post the final plan and our assessment of it as soon as it is issued.