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More than 170 Women Leaders Across Colorado Sign On in Support of Proposition 137

Business leaders, elected officials, conservationists and wildfire experts urge action to protect CO's water, lands and communities.

Denver, CO | October 21, 2026

A woman looking through binoculars out into a canyon.
Field Visit TNC staff looking for bighorn sheep in the canyonlands of JE Canyon Ranch. © Lauryn Wachs/TNC

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More than 170 women leaders from across Colorado have officially signed on in support of Proposition 137, bolstering the growing statewide coalition advocating for proactive wildfire prevention and natural resource stewardship.

The women for 137 join a broad network that now includes nearly 400 conservation organizations, businesses and nonprofits, and state and local leaders backing the November ballot initiative, which provides a dedicated, common-sense mechanism to safeguard Colorado’s natural legacy and protect communities from severe climate impacts.

Vote YES on Prop 137

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Prop 137 is estimated to raise an additional $175 million per year to invest in programs that prevent severe wildfires—reducing wildfire risk and making it safer and easier for firefighters to do their jobs—and protect clean water sources that families, farmers and ranchers across Colorado depend on.

“Research consistently demonstrates that investments in wildfire risk reduction generate significant long-term savings,” said Jennifer Mueller, CEO of the Ember Alliance. “Proactively addressing these challenges today is both fiscally responsible and environmentally prudent.”

Key elements of Prop 137 include:

  • Wildfire Prevention & Resilience: Funding science-backed wildfire risk reduction, forest management and defensible space projects to keep communities safe and assist firefighters.
  • Clean Water & Watershed Protection: Securing vital drinking water sources relied upon by families, agricultural producers and local businesses statewide.
  • Land Conservation: Preserving natural landscapes, open lands and ranches and establishing new state parks and trails.
  • Outdoor engagement: Promoting access to outdoor recreation and providing grants to boost businesses and local economies that rely on Colorado’s outdoors.

Crucially, Prop 137 accomplishes these goals without increasing tax rates or creating new tax burdens on Coloradans. The measure allows the state to keep all revenue generated from existing state sales taxes on sporting goods and outdoor equipment and direct the money into conservation and wildfire risk reduction efforts.

“Colorado’s clean water resources, healthy landscapes and preparedness for disasters such as extreme wildfire and prolonged drought are foundational to life in our state,” said Hally Strevey, executive director of the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed. “Faced with an estimated $200 million annual funding shortfall for managing our forest health, Colorado too often finds itself reacting to disasters rather than investing in prevention, leaving families, communities and economies increasingly vulnerable.”

A river flowing through a burned forest.
2020's Historic Wildfires Clean water resources are foundational to the health of our state. © Jason Houston

Prop 137 pursues one of the few viable pathways available under TABOR to address this persistent funding gap. The measure asks Coloradans to determine how excess tax revenue should be used and to designate these issues as a statewide priority while retaining legislative flexibility.

The measure is designed with long-term fiscal responsibility in mind. First, for every $1 invested in wildfire risk reduction today, Colorado saves up to $7 over time. Second, it is funded in years the state has a budget surplus. In years without a surplus, as with all statutory measures, the legislature retains full legal authority to reduce funding as needed to meet core governmental needs and address emergencies.

In years when the state has surplus funding, Prop 137 will enable Colorado to make generational investments in protecting Colorado's drinking water sources, community infrastructure, outdoor recreation and agricultural economies, and long-term resilience to wildfire and drought. In years when there’s no surplus funding, the legislature can reduce the funding to balance the budget.

The growing list of women for 137 includes:

Current and Former Elected Officials

Brittany Pettersen, U.S. Representative, CD 7
Lisa Cutter, State Senator, SD 20
Meghan Lukens, State Representative, HD 26
Lesley Smith, State Representative, HD 49
Elizabeth Velasco, State Representative, HD 57
Jenny Willford, State Representative, HD 34
Leslie Herod, former State Representative
Alice Madden, former Colorado House Majority Leader
Rhonda Fields, Arapahoe County Commissioner and former State Senator
Hannah Berman, Basalt Mayor Pro Tem
Ashley Stolzmann, Boulder County Commissioner
Josie Heath, former Boulder County Commissioner
Elise Jones, former Boulder County Commissioner
Suzanne Jones, former Mayor of Boulder
Michal Rosenoer, Buena Vista Trustee
Gina Lucrezi, Chaffee County Commissioner
Anna Stout, Grand Junction City Council Member & Former Mayor
Laura Puckett Daniels, Chair, Gunnison County Board of County Commissioners
Elsa Tharp, Lake County Commissioner
Marsha Porter-Norton, La Plata County Commissioner
Jody Shadduck-McNally, Larimer County Commissioner
Nichole Sterling, Mayor of the Town of Nederland
Karla Baise, Poudre School District School Board Director
Josey Scoville, Ridgway Town Councilor
Michelle Montague, Ridgway Town Council Member
Sonja Macys, Routt County Commissioner
Liza Marron, former Saguache County Commissioner
Galena Gleason, San Miguel County Commissioner
Anne Brown, San Miguel County Commissioner
Nina Waters, Summit County Commissioner

Nonprofit, Business and Wildfire Leaders

Christine Arbogast, President/Water Resources Consultant, Kogovsek & Associates
Cory Barbiere, Senior Softgoods and Color Designer, Big Agnes
Melissa Basta, Co-Founder, Tellus
Claire Bouchard, Board of Directors Vice Chair and Engagement Consultant, Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed
Tate Carpenter, Trustee, The Park People
Carol Cochran, Co-Founder and Co-Owner, Horse & Dragon Brewing Company
Tatum Cochran, General Manager, Horse & Dragon Brewing Company
Suzanne Connors, Development Director, Resources Legacy Fund
Angie Davlyn, Executive Director, Wildfire Collaborative Roaring Fork Valley
Dylan Demery, Co-Founder and Owner, She’s Fly
Jenn Dice, Development Director, PeopleForBikes
Carla Donelson, Board Member, Western Resource Advocates
Chelsea Elder, Executive Director, Adaptive Adventures
Olivia Emery, Principal, A4 Architects LLC
Kate Fay, Board Member, Aspen Valley Land Trust
Miranda Flora, Prescribed Fire Project Manager, The Nature Conservancy
Lauren Gibson, Executive Director, Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education
Jessica Goad, Chief of Staff and Operations, Resources Legacy Fund
Andrea Grant, President, Environmental Communications Associates Inc.
Sherry Haeusler, Rocky Mountain Flycasters and CTU Advocacy Committee Member, Colorado Trout Unlimited
Cece Hopkinson, Sourcing Specialist, Big Agnes
Betina Moreira Infante, Board President, Aspen Valley Land Trust
Hattie Johnson, S. Rockies Restoration Director, American Whitewater
Pam Kiely, Associate Vice President U.S., Environmental Defense Action Fund
Sabrina King, Water Campaign Manager, Conservation Colorado
Diana Lane, Director of Sustainable Food and Water Programs, The Nature Conservancy
Buffy Lenth, Restoration Practitioner, EcoWorks
Paige Lewis, Deputy State Director, The Nature Conservancy
Janet Lopez, Senior Director, The Denver Foundation
Andrea Mabie, Sourcing Manager, Big Agnes
Alicia Marrs, Associate Vice President Western Waters, National Wildlife Federation
Sophia Marseilles, Sourcing, Big Agnes
Katelynn Martinez, President, OneCanopy
Kristie Nackord, Board Director, Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District
Lauren Navarro, Senior Designer and Developer, Fishpond
Thai Nguyen, Executive Director, Kaizen Food Rescue
Kelly Nordini, CEO, Conservation Colorado
Colleen O’Brien, Civics for Colorado
Emily Olsen, Vice President Rocky Mountains, Trout Unlimited
Hannah Otto, Wildland Firefighter and Assistant Fire Engine Operator, U.S. Forest Service
Benilda Samuels, Board Member, Western Resource Advocates
Rebecca Samulski, Wildfire Mitigation Expert
Heidi Sherk, Director of External Affairs, The Nature Conservancy
Sarah Shrader, Owner, Bonsai Design
Margaret Taylor, Executive Director, Colorado Youth Corps Association
Madeleine West, Vice President Western Conservation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Community Leaders

Lise Aangeenbrug, Autumn Allacher, Lauren Andrews, Andrea Apodaca, Katherine Archuleta, Jane Backer, Danielle Barbeau, Clara Bates, Michele Battiste, Susan Bogard, Lauren Bogard, Wendy Boland, Nancy Brittain, Ruth Brown, Debbie Bruell, Susan Bryers, Alison Burchell, Lisa Carpenter, Mary Caulkins, Sharon Collinge, Elizabeth Cretti, Linda Dallas, Maya Daurio, Jessica Doran, Gudrun Durmon, Leslie Emerson, Jacqueline Esquibel, Danielle Evans, Jennifer Falbo, Judy Fox-Perry, Julia Fritz, Clare Gallagher, Kerry Galusha, Beth Ganz, Amber Gilchrist, Cara Gildar, Denise Goldin-Dubois, Adriana Gonzales, Sherri Haas-Smith, Robin Hall, Linda Halloran, Julie Harp, Celene Hawkins, Michele Hickey, Abigail Hinga, Adeline Hodge, Alexis Hoffkling, Rachel Hoffman, Betsey Hubbard, Kristie Humphries, Katherine Hyman, Chris Jenkins, Jocelyn Jenks, Shayna Jones, Traci Jones, Shara Kaplin, Jody Kennedy, Diane Kenney, Ellen Howard Kutzer, Harriet Crittenden LaMair, Molly Lanphier, Haley Littleton, Sandra Mathes, Deb Matlock, Cliodhna Mcclellan, Madelene McDonald, Kathi Mcginley, Taishi McNally, Loretta Mitson, Avra Morgan, Molly Murphy, Anna Murphy, Karen O’Donnell, Linda Peterson, Loretta Pineda, Martha Records, Jeannie Ritter, Taylor Rogers, Gillian Rossi, Allie Ruckman, Betty Samelson, Carrie Sandstedt, Lauren Schmidt, Sylvia S. Smith, Mary Beth Spinos, Anneliese Steel, Jamie Trafficanda, Danielle Varda, Rio de la Vista, Kate Whitman, Alden Whittaker, Tessa Wilkerson, LeAnn Williams, Amy Young, Randi Young, Kim Yuan-Farrell, Ann Zimmer, Michelle Zimmerman

For more information about Proposition 137 and to see the full coalition of supporters, visit YesOnProp137.com/supporters.

Learn more about Prop 137

A boat sitting on the shore of a lake.

Yes on Prop 137 Issues Comprehensive Fact Check—Here’s What the Measure Does and Does Not Call For

Setting the record straight on the biggest myths and misconceptions surrounding Prop 137.

A river running through grass with mountains in the background.

AG Phil Weiser, State Legislative and Local Leaders Across Colorado Endorse Proposition 137

State lawmakers and county and municipal officials join growing coalition of leaders supporting the statewide wildfire prevention and land and water conservation measure.

A mother pronghorn and her two fawns standing on a grass hill.

Reps. Neguse and Pettersen and Sen. Bennet Join Growing Coalition of Elected Leaders and Progressive Organizations Endorsing Proposition 137

Broad alliance of progressive organizations and elected leaders highlights urgent need for dedicated wildfire and watershed protection funding.

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 86 countries and territories (41 by direct conservation impact and 45 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. For more news, visit our newsroom or follow The Nature Conservancy on LinkedIn.