Colorado Working Lands and Wildlife Corridors Act: Ballot Initiative #98

Ballot Proposal Leaves Out Very People It Claims to Support

Opinion By: Andee Leininger

Published: Feb. 13, 2026

Authored by Jessica Presso, a data scientist (Colorado Corridors 2025), ballot initiative #98 proposes a 0.05% increase in sales tax “…to support wildlife habitat protection, voluntary land stewardship, rural education, and local conservation partnerships….”

As if landowners aren’t already voluntary stewards of their land?

The 10-page document goes on to propose a Colorado Habitat Stewardship Network (hereafter Network), managed by a Landscape Connectivity Commission (hereafter Commission) “…to promote habitat connectivity, reduce ecosystem fragmentation, and enable the safe movement of native wildlife.” For landowners who voluntarily designate 30% of their land for participation in this Network (30x30, anyone?), the proposal suggests one of the following incentives: “A state income tax credit…,” along with “Priority consideration for enrollment in any future state conservation incentive programs…,” and “Eligibility for grant funding or cost-share assistance, subject to availability and commission approval.”

The State of Colorado was nearly $1B in the hole for the 2025 fiscal year (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025). Additionally, Colorado’s state tax code is linked to the federal tax code (CO Tax Report 2025), which means the federal One Big Beautiful Bill, in addition to reducing federal taxes, will also reduce Colorado state income tax for the 2026 fiscal year. So, Colorado is looking at another roughly $1B deficit in their budget for FY 2026.