Colorado Takes Executive Action to Protect Pollinators!
Updated: 3 hours ago
After nearly 8 years of advocacy and partnership working with the Governor's Office towards this Order, we are thrilled to announce that today, September 16, 2026, Governor Polis signed a new Executive Order, directing Colorado state agencies to take coordinated action to protect and support Colorado's pollinators.
PPAN's Executive Director Joyce Kennedy, co-founder Rella Abernathy, and Board Member, Rob Greer—along with our partners Henry Stiles from Environment Colorado and Sam Gilchrist from NRDC—were honored to be on site at the Denver Zoo for the signing.
What the Order Mandates
The executive order directs state agencies to:
Build a statewide pollinator strategy. The Departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Transportation, and Corrections will develop a long-term conservation plan.
Reduce pesticide impacts. Those agencies, plus the Department of Human Services, will prioritize reducing or shifting to pollinator-friendly pesticides and expand habitat on state lands.
Support local and private habitat efforts. The state will help local governments and private landowners protect and plant pollinator habitat.
Expand habitat along highways. CDOT will grow pollinator habitat within highway rights-of-way where possible.
The order builds on years of advocacy for pollinator health including the 2022 Colorado Native Pollinating Insects Health Study bill (SB22-199) — a bill that PPAN championed — which called for protecting at-risk pollinators, restoring habitat, reducing pesticide risk, and monitoring pollinator health. The state has already begun implementing those recommendations, including through the Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Invertebrate and Rare Plant Program, which was created through HB24-1117. Most recently, PPAN championed the 2026 Practices to Support Pollinators bill (HB26-1132) — aka The Native Plants Bill — which prioritizes the use of native plants on state lands; work this Executive Order now strengthens and expands further.
Today's Executive Order is a great leap forward for pollinator conservation in Colorado, and PPAN will continue advocating every step of the way as implementation takes shape.
Read The Full Text of the Order
D 2026 019
EXECUTIVE ORDER
Directing the Protection of Colorado's Pollinators
Pursuant to the authority vested in the Governor of the State of Colorado and, in particular, pursuant to Article IV, Section 2 of the Colorado Constitution, I, Jared Polis, Governor of the State of Colorado, hereby issue this Executive Order protecting Colorado's bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
I. Background and Purpose
Colorado's pollinators, including native bees and butterflies, are experiencing increasing pressure from habitat loss, drought, invasive species, pesticide exposure, and climate change. These species are critical to ecosystem health, agricultural productivity, biodiversity, and long-term landscape resilience. At the same time, producers, land managers, and state agencies are facing rising input costs, water scarcity, and growing demands for sustainable land management practices.
Protecting pollinators while supporting Colorado's landowners has long been a priority for state agencies. For example, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) established a new Species Conservation of Invertebrates and Rare Plants Program, the State Land Board promotes pollinator-friendly seed mixes and revegetation standards on their leases, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) supports using native seed and planting efforts along state highways, and the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) expanded eligibility for pollinator habitat practices under the Agricultural Stewardship Tax Credit.
Additionally, the General Assembly has enacted meaningful measures to advance pollinator protection. HB26-1132, Practices to Support Pollinators, encourages relevant state agencies to prioritize the use of native plants that support pollinator habitats and HB24-1117, Invertebrates and Rare Plants Parks & Wildlife Commission, authorized CPW to study and conserve pollinating insects. HB20-1180, Protecting Pollinators Through Pesticide Regulation, required the CDA to regulate neonicotinoid and sulfoximine pesticides, two classes of pesticides that harm bees and other pollinator populations.
The purpose of this Executive Order is to build on this existing momentum by formalizing coordination among state agencies, aligning agency efforts, and leveraging funding and staffing resources to accelerate progress.
II. Timeline
The directives contained in this Executive Order shall be implemented over a five-year period, and the responsible departments and agencies shall take all necessary actions to achieve the objectives of this Executive Order no later than January 1, 2032.
III. Directives
To protect Colorado's native pollinators, I hereby issue the following directives:
A. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in collaboration with CDOT, CDA, and the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC), shall build on the 2024 Pollinator Study by developing a coordinated statewide pollinator strategy to better understand the needs, capacities, and limitations of agencies and to support more effective pollinator conservation efforts. The strategy should also support applied research and long-term monitoring to better understand how forest management and other land management activities influence native pollinator abundance, diversity, and habitat.
B. DNR, CDA, CDOT, CDOC, and the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) shall prioritize the use of no pesticides or pollinator-friendly pesticides and expand pollinator habitat on state lands. To implement this directive:
1. DNR, CDA, CDOT, CDOC, and CDHS shall:
a) Integrate pollinator conservation practices into pesticide applicator training and licensing standards; and
b) Assess opportunities to use pollinator-friendly pesticides, reduce pesticide use, and utilize pesticide-free buffer zones around sensitive pollinator habitat on state lands.
2. DNR shall include pollinators in either a Pollinator Stewardship Action Plan or Biodiversity Stewardship Action Plan for state trust lands.
3. CDOT shall expand pollinator habitat within the State highway right-of-way when possible, including during highway improvement and maintenance.
C. DNR, CDOT, CDA, and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) shall evaluate, use, and leverage when possible existing state and federal resources to support local governments and private landowners protecting or planting pollinator habitat. To implement this directive:
1. DNR, CDOT, CDA, and DOLA shall evaluate funding needs and opportunities to leverage existing state and federal grants and programs.
2. CDA shall expand technical assistance and integrated pest management resources for agricultural producers.
IV. Duration
This Executive Order shall remain in effect until January 1, 2032, unless modified or rescinded by future Executive Order of the Governor.
GIVEN under my hand and the Executive Seal of the State of Colorado this sixteenth day of September, 2026.
Jared PolisGovernor
