SB 26-165

Senate Bill 26-165, known as Species Conservation Measures, allocates $5 million from a special fund to protect wildlife that is at risk of becoming endangered. This money will support programs like fish recovery in the Colorado and San Juan rivers, habitat improvements for native fish in the Rio Grande, research on water quality issues, and conservation efforts for both land and aquatic animals. The bill has been signed into law, meaning these funding measures are now active and being implemented to help protect vulnerable species in Colorado.

Official Summary

For state fiscal year 2026-27, the bill appropriates $5,000,000 from the species conservation trust fund in the state treasury for various wildlife conservation programs directed at conserving candidate species or species that are likely to become candidate species, as determined by the United States fish and wildlife service. The executive director of the Colorado department of natural resources, after consulting with the Colorado water conservation board, the parks and wildlife commission, and the director of the division of parks and wildlife, has submitted to the general assembly a list of programs and associated costs that are eligible to receive funding from the species conservation trust fund as follows:$2,380,000 for the upper Colorado river endangered fish recovery program and San Juan river basin recovery implementation program;$60,000 for Rio Grande native fish protection and habitat improvements;$60,000 for selenium management, research, monitoring, evaluation, and control;$1,250,000 for native terrestrial wildlife conservation; and$1,250,000 for native aquatic wildlife conservation.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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