Wildfires are devastating Colorado and making national headlines. In January alone, more than 6,000 acres caught fire, destroying nearly 1,000 homes. Large areas of Colorado were decimated by wildfires last year, yet there is a bill in the state legislature that would make it more difficult to do the necessary work to prevent these disasters. That bill, SB 22-131, will restrict the use of tools that help us manage weeds and invasive species, and would be a disaster for Colorado.

While many may think it is just our dry summers that cause wildfires, it is also because of certain types of vegetation – like ryegrass, cheatgrass and others. Cheatgrass, for example, is an invasive species to Colorado that not only kills our native species but causes wildfires across the state because of when it blooms. This leaves thousands of acres of dead, dry cheatgrass everywhere, and a single bolt of lightning, a stray cigarette butt, or campfire could start a massive wildfire.

To combat this, pilots like our members spray herbicides that are designed to curb the spread of this invasive plant. SB 22-131, however, would change that. There are provisions in this bill that take away some of the key tools we use to keep our communities safe from fires. The service we provide saves thousands of lives, livelihoods, homes and more. The January wildfires alone caused more than half-a-billion dollars’ worth of damage over the course of a single day – a single day.

And yet SB 22-131, an irresponsible bill that could endanger countless Coloradans for no reason, is being seriously considered. In situations involving environmental safety, it is important that legislators, regulators, government officials and folks in the agriculture industry alike take a scientific approach so that we not only keep our environment safe for generations to come, but also keep Coloradans healthy as well. The herbicides that this bill would eliminate have undergone years of testing and thorough analysis from some of the best scientists in the nation. They have been reviewed, and re-reviewed and re-reviewed again for good measure. After a years-long, very intense process, these herbicides are deemed safe for use. They protect our native species, our homes and our lives.

Moreover, that is not the only misguided part of this bill. SB-131 also transfers much of the responsibility for interpreting and enforcing scientifically and legally complex pesticide regulations from the state to local jurisdictions. This is not only unfair and an enormous burden to local governments, but could also result in a confusing patchwork of rules that applicators who are engaged in wildfire mitigation, mosquito or invasive weed control, or plant disease containment would have to navigate. Weeds, diseases and infestations do not respect municipal or county boundaries, and must remain a state-level concern.

The ostensible justification for this irresponsible bill is to protect pollinators – but the fact is that pollinators (like honeybees) and pesticides work together to promote heathy flora and food crops. Pollinators need heathy, weed-free and disease-free food sources; and farmers need both pollinators and pesticides to grow healthy crops. The key is communication, and those tools already exist. A bill like SB22-131 will only hinder that communication and endanger not only plant and ecosystem health in the state, but also lives and property.  

SB 22-131 is wrong for Colorado. This bill is irresponsible and dangerous for everyone in our state. We’re urging our elected officials to think about the consequences of their actions and vote NO on SB 22-131.

Jessica Freeman is Executive Director of the Colorado Agricultural Aviation Association.