Summary
Organization name
Colorado Bear Coalition
2022
Tax id (EIN)
86-2383453
Category
Animal-Related, Environment
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
3024 6TH STBOULDER, CO 80304
CO, US
About
Hello
Help Protect Colorado Black Bears
A human problem, not a bear problem.
Black bears are shy, resourceful and intelligent, and they’re simply doing what bears do: looking for the most food for the least effort. When we leave out trash, bird feeders, backyard fruit or chicken feed, we’re ringing the dinner bell. Bears quickly learn where the easy meals are.
The bears pay the ultimate price. A bear that learns to rely on human food loses its natural wariness of people, and once that happens, wildlife officials have few options. Bears are relocated, often with poor survival, or they’re killed. Hundreds of Colorado’s black bears die each year for doing what came naturally, in a problem we created.
The good news is that because we created it, we can solve it. When we secure our trash, take down feeders in the fall, pick our fruit and protect our hives and hens, bears stay wild and stay alive.
Fortunately, proven solutions exist, and the Colorado Bear Coalition is leading the way in making communities safe for both people and bears.
Community Participation
We believe strong local leadership is the key to lasting change. We identify and support community leaders so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel, and we provide the tools local groups need to succeed.
With statewide reach, we work with all stakeholders, including state and federal agencies, elected officials, law enforcement, waste haulers, business leaders and nonprofits. We bring them together to brainstorm ideas and develop solutions.
Through our coalition of regional groups, we bridge the gap between communities and CPW. With experienced, empowered community leaders, we know where change needs to happen, and we strengthen the whole system by building shared solutions.
NOW is the time for change
2026 put our work to the test. When drought and a spring freeze left bears hungry and conflicts more than doubled, our community response grew to meet it:
Answered 35 urgent bear and cub calls across 12 counties, including 9 orphaned cubs, helping residents and CPW look for alternatives to lethal removal.
Earned a seat where decisions are made: elected to the steering committee of CPW’s Wildlife & Habitat Roundtable, serving on CPW’s Human-Bear Conflict Working Group, and co-presenting with CPW at Partners in the Outdoors. CPW even asked us to facilitate community meetings after difficult bear deaths.
Sparked HB26-1342. We brought the idea for a stronger law against illegally feeding bears to CPW, which championed it to passage in 2026. Proof that great things happen when we work together.
Spread the word in 8+ media stories, including CBS News Colorado, CPR and KGNU.
We’ve accomplished so much, and there’s still so much more to do. With your support, we can protect more bears and help more communities live safely alongside wildlife.
How your donation will help the bears
Completing the Community Bear Guide. A step-by-step playbook that gives communities the tools to start a local bear group and get the support they need.
Empowering communities. Human behavior is the source of nearly all human-bear conflict. We help communities build the infrastructure to change it before bears pay the price.
Studying what works. We’re turning individual community lessons into tools for every Colorado community. Our study of Boulder’s trash ordinance will be presented and published in 2027. Next, cameras and a plant survey will show whether bears are using the native berry patch planted to feed them before they reach town.
Solving the Pitkin County landfill. About 30 bears live off this landfill. With CPW and Pitkin County, we’re laying out options, including electric fencing, for a lasting fix.
Electric Mat Loaner Program. Electric “unwelcome mats” give bears a mild but memorable shock that keeps them away from doors, windows and other entry points, without harming them. They work beautifully but are expensive, so we lend them where they’re needed most.
Protecting hives and hens. Electric fencing keeps bears out of beehives and chicken coops. We help residents choose, permit and install fences that work.
Every gift on Colorado Gives Day helps keep a bear wild and a community safe.
The Bears Thank You!
Giving Activity
Mission
Colorado Bear Coalition’s mission is to create a network of communities across Colorado to preserve the welfare of both bears and people.
Background Statement
In 2022, Colorado Bear Coalition (CBC) formed in response to growing requests from communities across the nation asking for advice on how to replicate the successful efforts to reduce human-bear conflict in Boulder. Recognizing the critical role of strong local leadership, a statewide nonprofit to address community needs across Colorado. An important focus of CBC is to identify and support local community leaders and provide tools and guidance on effective ways to work with local, state and federal stakeholders.
CBC serves as a network of communities across Colorado dedicated to preserving the welfare of bears and people. Together, we strive to build sustainable solutions that will keep bears alive and in their natural environment. We bring together decades of experience working with the human side of reducing human-bear conflict.
Our work is rooted in collaboration, working with all stakeholders to bridge the divides between CPW and citizens, to incorporate all ideas respectfully, and to establish shared goals between community, government and state wildlife managers.
We believe in looking ahead, working proactively to prevent bears from coming into town and getting into trouble. We innovate and are always developing and implementing new approaches to reduce the lethal management of bears.
Media gallery
Organization Data
BOULDER, CO 80304