<div dir="ltr">Hi everyone,<div><br></div><div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">I'm writing to ask if you'd consider signing a Scientist Letter of Support for </span><a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1117" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Colorado House Bill 24-1117</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> that's just been introduced into the Colorado legislature which would allow Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to study, manage and conserve rare native plants and native invertebrates including insects like monarch butterflies, bumble bees and other important insect species. The bill provides the management authority for CPW to research, monitor, and take conservation actions for invertebrates and rare plants as they do for mammals, birds, and other animals. We're looking for scientists to sign this letter to show the legislature that there is broad support for changing state-level policies to allow for the conservation of declining species of insects and rare plants. Unfortunately, in Colorado and in several other states, insects are not considered wildlife and the state wildlife agency is not authorized to work towards their conservation. We think that this bill has a good chance of passing, and are really hoping that Colorado can serve as yet another model for how states that don’t have the authority to manage insects, can make policy changes so that declining pollinators and rare plants are protected.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Link to letter and form for adding your name: </span><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1uLQ3F0cQ45R86-IYaKR4e6_T3zSxouLoeoEfbskqwvGVwQ/viewform" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1uLQ3F0cQ45R86-IYaKR4e6_T3zSxouLoeoEfbskqwvGVwQ/viewform</span></a></p><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Thank you for considering this request, and please feel free to forward it to other scientists who may want to add their names.</span> <br></div><div><br></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><p>________<br></p><p><b><span style="font-size:10pt">Matthew Shepherd</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt"><br>Director of </span><span style="font-size:10pt">Outreach & Education<br></span>Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation<br><span style="font-size:10pt">(503) 212-0802   </span><span style="color:rgb(28,28,28);font-family:Roboto;font-size:16px">|</span><span style="font-size:10pt">   </span><span style="font-size:13.3333px"><a href="mailto:matthew.shepherd@xerces.org" target="_blank">matthew.shepherd@xerces.org</a><br></span><i style="font-size:10pt">he / him / his</i></p></div></div></div></div>