Did Colorado just become a safe haven for Utah bison? Senate Bill 53, which was just signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis, changes their official designation from livestock to big game animals, making it illegal to shoot them with a fine of up to $100,000 if you do. The bill also requires Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to establish licensing and hunting protocol for bison even though there aren’t any immediate plans to create a hunting season, according to the Colorado Sun.

Bison, in particular, play an important role in Ute tribes, which reside on land in Utah and Colorado. Southern Ute Tribal Council member Andy Gallegos called bison the “key to our survival and spirit.” 

“This bill is amazing and powerful,” said Ean Tafoya, a vice president of Colorado GreenLatinos, noting “the bison’s importance to the environment and to the physical and spiritual lives of tribes.”

Legislators added additional language to the bill prior to passage that honored Ute tribes’ request for additional protections so they could continue their “current relationship with bison herds,” using captive domestic bison on reservations for meat, hides, bone tools and crafts along with spiritual ceremonies, according to the Colorado Sun. Bison raised in domestic herds will stay classified as livestock for compensation should reintroduced gray wolves’ prey on the animals. 

There are currently about 580 bison in Utah, said CPW big game manager Andy Holland with about 130 of those bison that “occasionally thunder into Colorado.” Not enough for a hunting season – yet, but potentially in the future.