Voters will decide in November whether to dedicate state sales taxes collected on outdoor gear to conservation and wildfire prevention grant programs.
If approved, would also exempt that sales tax revenue from falling under the state’s spending cap set by , the mechanism that determines refunds to taxpayers. The measure could generate an estimated $175 million annually for programs that improve ecosystems, protect wildlife, mitigate wildfire damage and provide outdoor access, according to supporters of the proposition.
The measure would not increase taxes, raise prices or change the retail experience for consumers or businesses, said Tarn Udall, a senior attorney for , one of the conservation groups supporting the ballot measure. The proposition would apply to tax collected on the sale of products like tents, campers, skis, boats and fishing equipment.
During the petitioning phase, the state . The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office announced Aug. 21 that the petitioners submitted enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.
The proposition’s proponents said its passage could spur much-needed investment in the state’s natural resources. Many projects are ready to go but lack funding, they said.
“Colorado’s lands and water are foundational to our communities, economy, and way of life,” Robyn Paulekas, the executive director of Keep It Colorado, said in a statement. “We have a unique opportunity to make smart, long-term investments that conserve working lands, protect water resources, expand access to the outdoors, and reduce wildfire risk.”
Proposition 137 would dedicate the majority of the set-aside sales tax revenue to — the trust fund that allocates proceeds from the Colorado Lottery to conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife projects — and to wildfire mitigation programs through and the Colorado State Forest Service.
Great Outdoors Colorado would receive about $83 million a year. The money could be used to designate new public lands and state parks, maintain trails and outdoor infrastructure, and restore ecosystems. If approved, the proposition would .
Wildfire prevention programs would also receive about $83 million, which they could use for prescribed burns, wildland firefighting training and to help local communities create wildfire response plans.
Wildfire prevention is significantly more cost-efficient than wildfire response and cleanup, said Jennifer Mueller, the CEO of , a Colorado nonprofit that works to prevent wildfires.
“The longer we wait, the larger of a problem this becomes,” Mueller said.
Smaller amounts — about $4.3 million each — would go to the state’s Outdoor Equity Grant Program to help people access the outdoors and to the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office to help create new jobs in the industry.
A broad swath of conservation and fire groups support the ballot measure, including American Rivers, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Conservation Colorado, San Luis Valley Great Outdoors and the Wilderness Society.
The committee supporting the bill — called — received most of its funding from large national nonprofits, including the Nature Conservancy, the Trust for Public Land and . One of the heirs of the Walmart fortune and his wife, Tom and Olivia Walton, have also chipped in.
