This election cycle, Colorado voters weighed in on fourteen amendments to the state constitution and statutory ballot measures—and a few of those pertained to energy and the environment.
Amendment 82, the right to natural gas, and Amendment 83, the right to hunting and fishing, fell well short of the 55% of the vote they would have needed to be enshrined in Colorado’s constitution.
Proposition 137, which asked voters to set aside revenue from the sale of sporting goods and equipment for wildfire mitigation and conservation, was still too close to call as of Wednesday.
‘Right to natural gas’ not a slam dunk, even in oil and gas counties
Amendment 82 would have amended Colorado’s constitution to “establish a constitutional right for consumers to purchase natural gas for cooking or heating; and establish a constitutional right for distributors and utilities to sell natural gas for use in homes and businesses.”
Unofficial results show that those in favor of the amendment accounted for only 46.1% of the vote—well below the 55% threshold it would have needed to be added to the constitution.
In oil and gas producing Weld County, support for the measure was higher than statewide, netting almost 58% of the vote. But in another county historically reliant on fossil fuels, Garfield County, voters were much more split. Those who voted “no/against” were 50.02% of the vote—only eight votes more than those who voted “yes/in favor.”
Advance Colorado, a conservative political nonprofit, was responsible for getting Amendment 82 on the ballot. The group does not disclose its donors. It said the amendment would have protected consumer rights, and has been fierce in its defense of natural gas, calling it a more reliable and affordable option for consumers than renewable energy.
Opponents of Amendment 82, including environmental advocacy nonprofits like Conservation Colorado, said that the amendment would have essentially functioned as a handout for the fossil fuels industry, by constitutionally guaranteeing them profits and giving them a tool to prevent the state from phasing out fossil fuels.
“Voters saw this measure for what it was and rejected it,” wrote Kelly Nordini, CEO of Conservation Colorado, in a statement. “Advance Colorado and its anonymous donors spent millions trying to convince Coloradans that our constitution needed to lock in profits for polluters but voters rejected it to keep Colorado moving forward.”
If Amendment 82 had passed, it would have impacted both the state’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the ability of individual jurisdictions, to make rules that would have reduced the use of natural gas for heating and cooling homes. For example,Crested Butte andLafayette have adopted building codes that require new construction to be all-electric (Crested Butte’s code is for commercial buildings only, and Lafayette’s is for residential and commercial). Aspen is taking steps to create similar policies.
Coloradans say ‘no’ to a right to hunt and fish
Colorado voters have rejected an amendment to the state’s constitution to enshrine the right to hunt and fish. Amendment 83 would have established “a constitutional right to fish and hunt certain wildlife; and create a policy that states hunting and fishing are the preferred means of managing fish and wildlife populations in Colorado.”
According to unofficial Election Night numbers, 55% of Coloradans voted against the amendment. It would have needed 55% approval to be enshrined in the constitution.
Some of Colorado’s rural counties were very split, like in Garfield County, which voted in favor of the measure by just 44 votes; likewise, Saguache County only approved it by 50 votes. Ouray County voted against the amendment by just 153 votes, and Chaffee County was against it by only 423 votes.
Supporters of the measure say it would have protected Colorado’s western way of life, as well as responsible wildlife management through hunting and fishing. They also called it a safeguard against future bans on hunting and fishing, like a 2024 ballot measure that sought to ban hunting big cats for fur.
According to the Colorado Sun, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Alliance, a conservative nonprofit focused on hunting, spent $1.5 million supporting the measure.
Its opponents say the language is too vague, especially the language that discusses hunting, fishing, and harvesting wildlife by “traditional methods” without defining what those traditional methods are. They worry those methods might include poisons and snares currently outlawed in Colorado.
“As a big game hunter, I am exceptionally proud of Coloradans for establishing an ethical system of hunting in our state,” wrote Eric Washburn, president of Colorado Hunters and Anglers for Sensible Wildlife Conservation in a statement. “Tonight, I am even more proud of my fellow Coloradans for rejecting this ballot measure, which would have brought back all those unethical and cruel methods of killing wildlife and put them into our state’s constitution. It shows how much Coloradans care about our wildlife.”
Opponents also took issue with language that would have designated hunting and fishing as “the preferred means of managing fish and wildlife populations in Colorado,” potentially preventing Colorado Parks and Wildlife from being able to oversee and manage wildlife populations in the state.
"Colorado's wildlife is part of what makes this state extraordinary, and healthy landscapes depend on recognizing the intrinsic value of all native wildlife species," Delia Malone, board president and founder of Colorado Wild, wrote in a statement. "We're gratified that Coloradans continue to stand for ethical hunting and fishing and recognize the intrinsic value of all native wildlife species to maintaining healthy, vibrant landscapes."
County clerks still need to process overseas and mail-in ballots, and cure and audit the election results before they'll be finalized, most likely around Thanksgiving.
Copyright 2026 Rocky Mountain Community Radio. This story was shared via Rocky Mountain Community Radio, a network of public media stations in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico, including Aspen Public Radio.
