The Colorado Wildlife and Biodiversity Protection Act and What It Means for Livestock Producers and Landowners

On April 18th, 2025, the Colorado Legislative Council staff received language for a Colorado ballot proposal that is of significant concern for livestock producers and landowners in the state of Colorado. Currently, it has been assigned the number 2025-2026 #82 and a name. It is pending review and a comment hearing.

Colorado farmers and ranchers have always been stewards of the land. But now, under the banner of wildlife conservation, this sweeping new ballot proposal threatens the livelihoods, property rights, and the future of agricultural production in our state.

The proposed Colorado Wildlife and Biodiversity Protection Act may sound noble, but dig a little deeper, and it becomes clear that it is about ideology, control, and political agendas pushed by fringe groups far removed from the realities of rural life.

A New Unelected Commission with Sweeping Authority

At the heart of this proposed ballot initiative is the creation of the Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation Commission (WECC). It would become a powerful new agency with almost no democratic accountability. None of its nine members will be elected. Instead, they will be appointed by universities, environmental groups, and policy institutes, with a requirement that no member may have any financial ties to agriculture, energy, or development.

That’s right: if you’re a rancher, farmer, or anyone who makes a living from the land, you're disqualified from participating in the very commission that will regulate your land.

This group will have enforcement authority with the power to inspect properties, conduct investigations, issue subpoenas, and refer landowners for prosecution by the Attorney General. Under Section 4, the language reads:

2. Powers and Responsibilities

a. The WECC shall serve as an advisory and enforcement body, operating in collaboration with CPW, USFWS, and other entities.

b. In the event that CPW (Colorado Parks and Wildlife) or another relevant agency is legally disbanded, defunded, or judicially determined to be nonfunctional, the WECC shall assume all statutory wildlife conservation functions previously assigned to such agency until a lawful successor is designated.

c. The WECC may:

i. Designate state-listed endangered species;

ii. Conduct independent ecological impact assessments;

iii. Require mitigation for any project determined to harm endangered species or wildlife corridors;

iv. Develop voluntary conservation programs for private landowners and businesses;

v. Issue investigative subpoenas, inspect ecological sites, and refer cases for prosecution.

Wildlife Corridors: A Trojan Horse for Government Control

One of the most concerning aspects of the Act is the creation of a statewide Wildlife Corridor Network. While the program is framed as “voluntary,” the language shows that participation comes with strict oversight. For farmers, ranchers, and landowners who sign up for incentives, WECC will:

• Require approval of a site-specific conservation plan to continue agricultural or grazing activities.
• Conduct annual monitoring and compliance verification.
• Revoke benefits if they decide you’re not following their guidelines.
• Issue new rules at any time, including habitat benchmarks, land-use limits, and fencing restrictions.

In other words, once you enroll, you’re handing control of your land to a commission stacked with anti-agriculture interests. Traditional uses like grazing will likely be declared incompatible unless they pass WECC’s environmental test.

Infrastructure Strangled by Environmental Red Tape

The Act also mandates that any new infrastructure project intersecting wildlife corridors, or near wildlife corridors must include wildlife overpasses, underpasses, fencing, and buffer zones of undeveloped land. Roads, pipelines, transmission lines, even private developments will be impacted.

Developers can request a waiver—but only if they submit mitigation plans that offset all ecological impacts and gain WECC approval. This puts the power to halt or delay projects directly in the hands of an unelected, ideologically driven board.

Even if local governments approve a project, if this proposed ballot initiative becomes law, its newly created commission, the WECC will have the authority to override it. This could become a powerful tool to block rural development and energy projects under the guise of protecting “habitat connectivity.”

The Dangerous Incentive: A Self-Funding Bureaucracy

The funding for this new commission is where it gets even more alarming: Under this proposed ballot initiative, WECC is designed to fund itself through fines, penalties, and impact fees. That means the more violations they find or define, the more money they make. According to the document submitted:

• 20% of every fine goes straight into WECC’s operating budget.
• 30% is earmarked for land acquisitions, enabling the state and its partners to take more land out of private hands.
• Impact fees of at least 0.5% of total project cost will be charged to anyone building on more than 50 acres, or near a designated corridor.

WECC can raise that percentage whenever it wants, using vague criteria like “ecological severity” or “economic feasibility.” All fees must be paid before construction begins, creating a significant financial barrier for rural development.

This is a recipe for abuse: an unelected body with financial motivation to penalize landowners, backed by enforcement authority and immune from agricultural oversight.

Public-Private Partnerships: A Backdoor for Extremism

The proposed ballot initiative also opens the door for radical environmental and animal-rights groups to become operational partners in Colorado conservation policy. Through so-called “public-private partnerships,” WECC can channel money and authority to nonprofits that promote rewilding, predator reintroduction, and anti-animal agriculture ideologies.

They’re even authorized to apply for and spend federal and private grants—provided they align with the Act’s goals, which include rewilding, emissions offsets, and land conservation efforts. That means groups with political agendas could gain regulatory control over your land and operations, all with taxpayer support.

The Colorado Wildlife and Biodiversity Protection Act is being presented as a science-based conservation measure. In truth, it’s a radical shift in land governance, a threat to private property rights, and a tool for ideologically motivated outsiders to reshape the rural West without our consent.

This initiative appears to be part of a larger strategy to flood the 2026 ballot with measures tailored to the Front Range’s environmental conscience, regardless of the cost. If you’re a landowner, a farmer, now is the time to get informed.

UPDATE:

The Legislative Council Staff and Office of Legislative Legal Services responded. Read the response HERE

Links:

Ballot proposal page on Colorado State website HERE

Initiative 2025-2026 #82 language on Colorado State website HERE

Download the language .pdf HERE

Information provided by the Colorado Accountability Project Facebook Page HERE

Article by AGPROfessionals: "Ballot Initiatives Have Become Valuable Tools for Activist Groups" HERE