Voters asked to redirect sporting goods sales taxes into conservation, wildfire restoration, outdoor access

Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. Voters in November will get a chance to redirect sales taxes already collected on sporting goods equipment toward land conservation and wildfire mitigation. State election officials this week approved signatures to land Proposition 137 on the November ballot . Previously called Proposition 308, the new ballot measure could divert $175 million to $180 million a year in already collected sales taxes on sporting goods equipment toward conservation, wildfire mitigation, watershed restoration and improved outdoor recreation opportunities. The ballot measure would distribute $83 million to $85.6 million a year to Great Outdoors Colorado, nearly doubling its annual revenue from the Colorado Lottery.

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Scoop News DeskColorado · Published Monday, August 31, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTCUpdated Monday, August 31, 2026 at 10:49 AM UTC

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Rural wildfire efforts often struggle to compete for federal grants because “we can’t always demonstrate as big an impact in rural locations,” said Hankes, who sees increased state funding for wildfire mitigation helping implement the 2023 Routt County Community Wildfire Protection Plan as well as the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District’s Bear River Wildfire Ready Watershed Project that is thinning deadfall across 33,300 acres. “If there’s more money, it makes it easier to make it over to rural areas,” Hankes said.