Support Colorado's Proposition 137 for Healthy Forests, Healthy Rivers, and Healthy Birds
Colorado's forests, rivers, and the wildlife they support—including birds—are deeply connected. This November, voters have an opportunity to invest in protecting these landscapes.
Western Tanager. Photo: Rick Derevan/Audubon Photography Awards
From mountain forests to riverside cottonwoods, Colorado's birds depend on healthy, diverse habitats. Some thrive in open forests and shrublands, while others rely on mature trees, dense canopies, or standing dead trees for nesting and feeding. The health of these habitats is closely connected to the water flowing through our landscapes and the natural resources our communities need to survive.
But rising temperatures, drought, and changing wildfire patterns are putting increasing pressure on Colorado's forests and watersheds, with consequences for wildlife, communities, and water supplies.
That's why the Audubon Action Fund, the advocacy partner of the National Audubon Society, supports Proposition 137, a November ballot measure that would dedicate existing state sales tax revenue from sporting goods to wildfire prevention, water and land conservation, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation—without increasing the sales tax rate.
The science helps explain why these investments matter and why protecting healthy landscapes requires more than simply managing trees.
What Proposition 137 Would Do
Proposition 137 would dedicate existing sporting goods sales tax revenue to conservation, wildfire prevention, water protection, and outdoor recreation without increasing the sales tax rate. According to Colorado's official Blue Book, Proposition 137 would direct up to $175 million toward these investments in budget year 2027–28, increasing to $180.2 million in 2028–29.
Funding would be distributed across four key priorities:
Approximately $83 million for wildfire prevention and water protection.
Approximately $83 million for water and land conservation.
Approximately $4.3 million for outdoor recreation, economic development, and workforce training.
Approximately $4.3 million to expand outdoor access for youth and families.
These investments extend well beyond forest management. Water and land conservation funding could support wetland and stream restoration, improve habitat connectivity, advance nature-based solutions that benefit watershed health and wildlife, and steward the landscapes that receive millions of visitors annually for outdoor recreation.
For birds, this means opportunities to protect and restore habitats across entire watersheds—from mountain headwaters to riverside forests and wetlands. For people, it means healthier landscapes that support recreation, agriculture, and thriving communities.
Programs supported by Prop 137 will be fully funded in strong revenue years—at no cost to other state priorities—and reduced if needed in leaner years. Prop 137 directs funding to established, successful wildfire, conservation and recreation programs. Each is governed and audited by nonpartisan boards, is financially accountable under state law, and is subject to state audit. This guarantees the money directly supports vital water, land, and wildfire protection projects as well as efforts to bolster outdoor access.
A Vote for Connected Landscapes
Through National Audubon Society's Western Rivers work, we see firsthand how connected these systems are. Healthy headwaters include more than forests. They encompass functioning streams, wetlands, riparian corridors, and floodplains that sustain Colorado's rivers and provide essential habitat for wildlife like birds.
Proposition 137 presents a significant opportunity for sustained conservation investment in Colorado's forests, rivers, and watersheds. By supporting water and land conservation alongside wildfire prevention, these investments could help restore connected landscapes, strengthen watershed health, and sustain the habitats that both birds and people depend on.
Audubon Action Fund supports Proposition 137 because healthy forests, healthy rivers, and healthy bird habitats are all part of the same connected landscape.
This November, vote YES on Proposition 137 to support Colorado's forests, rivers, wildlife, and communities.
Learn more about Proposition 137 and make a commitment to vote YES.
The latest science underscores the importance of investing in forest management, wildfire resilience, water resources, and habitat. Learn more about the science here.