Bear Legislation

A statewide policy change to reduce human–bear conflict is expected to move forward in the 2026 legislative session—a shift that would finally allow wildlife officers to address negligent attractant management before conflicts escalate.

While CPW and DNR are leading the legislation at this stage, the groundwork began here with the Colorado Bear Coalition. The data we’ve gathered, the pilot projects we’ve built, and the collaborative approach we’ve taken brought this issue to the state level. It’s the kind of progress that happens quietly—out of public view—but has the potential to change outcomes for bears across Colorado.

If passed, this legislation will prevent unnecessary conflicts and save more bears from relocation or euthanasia across Colorado.

For details of the draft language, see CPW’s outline of the bill and Department of Natural Resources, Draft Legislative Deliberative below. This information is current as of November 2025. CBC will update this page as draft language is updated.