Colorado’s ‘Native Plant Bill’ Is Signed in 2026!

Coming Soon to State Land Near You: Native Plants!

The Colorado Native Plant Society (CoNPS) was a vital part of a coalition headed by Joyce Kennedy, Executive Director of the People and Pollinators Action Network (PPAN), which drafted and sucessfully advanced legislation that passed this session. The new bill , HB26-1132,  will lead to more native plants on state-owned land.  Our Executive Director, Maggie Gaddis, testified for the bill in the House.  Awkwardly titled ‘Concerning Increasing Pollinator Habitats Through the Conservation of Native Plant Materials on State Lands,’ the bill was commonly known as the ‘Native Plant Bill.’

Signed into law at the Butterfly Pavilion on May 26,  2026 by Governor Polis, the act encourages four state agencies, Transportation, Natural Resources (except the State Land Board), State Forest, and Personnel (which manages state buildings) to prioritize the use of in-state sources of ecoregionally specific plant material that supports pollinator habitats.  Building on 2024’s Colorado’s Native Pollinating Insect Health Study, the law affects restoration, renovation, landscaping, new construction, and infrastructure projects by the four agencies.  It encourages them to use multiple species with overlapping bloom periods throughout the growing season. CoNPS added a valuable contribution to the bill by including the need for a mixture of grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees to provide vegetative structure.

The new bill encourages the agencies to train maintenance workers on the best mowing practices for supporting pollinators, and also to coordinate their collective buying of native plant materials.  It mandates Colorado State University Extension – subject to finding non-state funding such as grants – to study the availability of native plant materials through contact with seed and native plant growers, landscape professionals, local governments, and others.

This is yet another step to integrate the conservation and use of native plants into state agencies’ programs.  CoNPS, along with PPAN, is anxious to see how the state implements the act.  Stay tuned!

Brad Klafehn
Co-Chairman, Conservation Committee
Colorado Native Plant Society 

Editor’s Note: Many thanks to our active Conservation Committee! If you’d like to be part of this important work let us know, more hands are always welcome: Conservation Committee