Signed! New Law Will Strengthen Community, Environmental Protections
SAN LUIS, CO – Governor Jared Polis today signed legislation into law to strengthen community and environmental protections during new fence construction in the San Luis Valley.
“To protect our environment and the Colorado Way of Life in the San Luis Valley, we need to boost local control surrounding fence construction,” said Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista. “When I visited the newly constructed fence in my community, I was appalled by the negative impact on our environment and the livelihoods of my neighbors. Many San Luis Valley residents have land rights beyond the fence dating back to before Colorado’s statehood. This law requires individuals to submit an application before constructing certain new fences to prioritize local voices.”
“It is an honor to work on HB25-1023 alongside Representatives Martinez and Bacon, Senator Simpson, and dedicated and resilient Hispano community leaders. This bill is personal for me – my family’s roots go back in this part of the state for generations, long before it was Colorado or even Mexico,” said Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver. “In spite of that exceptional and unique history, billionaires repeatedly violated sacred and hard-fought communal land agreements, and in so doing disrupted wildlife, ranching, and community life. HB25-1023 is about honoring those commitments and respecting the rights and agency of our communities.”
“Communities in the San Luis Valley have long had the legal right to access lands they held before Colorado became a state, but a massive, private fence now encircles this property, preventing community access and harming the environment,” said Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “This law helps prevent further ecological damage and permits access for animal grazing while ensuring that Coloradans and their livestock can still traverse the land their families have called home for generations.”
Cosponsored by Senator Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa, HB25-1023 requires individuals to submit an application to local government officials before constructing or installing a contiguous fence of a certain size in the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant lands. The law empowers local governments to determine if the benefits of a fencing project outweigh the harms in their community. Local governments must pass an ordinance or resolution opting into these requirements.
Recent fence construction on one of the Sangre de Cristo land grant properties has caused environmental damage, including land erosion and limiting wildlife movement, and has kept out local residents with legal access to the land grant. This law takes aim at future, unauthorized fencing construction projects to protect the natural habitats in the San Luis Valley.