WHO WE ARE:
Colorado Rising is a statewide 501(c)4 grassroots organization that was formed to protect Colorado’s health, safety, wildlife, environment and the future of our climate from the impacts of oil & gas operations.
In 2018, Colorado Rising was the driving force behind Initiative 97/Prop 112 – a statewide ballot initiative to establish a 2,500 foot buffer zone between new oil and gas operations and all homes, schools, hospitals, parks, playgrounds, and drinking water sources. Mounting concern over a number of explosions, spills, leaks, and other catastrophic oil and gas accidents in Colorado, compounded by years of political inaction and the failure of state agencies to address health and safety issues drew widespread support for the effort.
Despite the devastating defeat of Prop 112 by a mere 5 points at the polls, the campaign’s success in gathering over 172,000 signatures and generating more than 1.1 million votes while being outspent 50:1 resulted in national and global attention.
Colorado Rising was completely volunteer-led from 2016 until 2019. Our current team of organizers and board members is 60% women and people of color led, including frontline community members and essential workers, with representation from Latinx, Chicano, Indigenous, African American, LGBTQ and non-binary genders.
