Vote Yes on 2H Fort Collins
on November 4 Ballot

Vote no on #303

FAQs
Community Support

City council voted 6-1 in favor our a multi-use Hughes

I support 2H because the city of Fort Collins already owns and manages tens of thousands of acres of natural areas in and around the city of Fort Collins. I believe we need additional multi-use public areas in the city.
Cathy KippColorado State Senator
IndivisibleNOCO urges all voters to vote YES for Ballot Question 2H and to vote NO for Ballot Question 303. Voting YES for 2H and NO for 303 gives our collective voice the strongest chance of being heard.
Indivisible NOCO
Indivisible NOCO
Both 2H and 303 represent different democratic paths, and I respect the community’s voice in this decision. However, 303 is not a clarification of the 2021 measure — it’s a new proposal. As an elected, I will honor the will of the vote but as for my preference and what I think is best for the community and the purity of our natural areas department, go 2H! As a current City Councilmember I supported the use of the Civic Assembly and their recommendation for a multi-use Hughes space. The acres designated for the bike park is reasonable.
Emily FrancisFort Collins Mayor Pro Tem and Mayoral Candidate
I supported referring the Civic Assembly’s recommendations for the Hughes site to the ballot because I believe in honoring community-driven processes. I also strongly supported including a bike park of up to 35 acres as part of that measure. I attended the Civic Assembly on the morning that delegates shared their conceptual maps. All but one of the delegates included a bike park on their maps —showing a clear consensus around this amenity. The Assembly’s work reflected a thoughtful, collaborative vision for a true multi-use space, and I want to see that vision carried forward.
Tricia CanonicoFort Collins Councilmember
I am a strong yes on #2H and a no on #303. I believe it is important that we say what we plan on doing with public resources and then doing what we said we were going to do. This property was acquired under ballot language that said it would be used for parks, recreation, natural areas and wildlife rescue/rehabilitation so that is what I would work toward it being used for if elected. The Civic Assembly was a great way to allow community decision making about what should happen to this property. A bike park is in keeping with the original ballot language intent.
Lance SmithFort Collins Councilmember Candidate
I strongly support Ballot 2H and have been proud to help organize on its behalf. I applaud the decision to include indigenous voices throughout the process. The Hughes site offers enough space to meet multiple community needs including wildlife, recreation, and open space can coexist when we plan thoughtfully. Equally importantly, 2H protects the integrity of the Civic Assembly process, which represented a genuine effort to bring residents together and find common ground. Undermining that process through Ballot 303 would be a setback for local democracy. Too often, our public debates are dominated by conflict rather than collaboration. Supporting 2H means trusting the people of Fort Collins to lead with respect, dialogue, and shared purpose.
Chris ConwayFort Collins Councilmember Candidate
I support ballot 2H easily. The city and citizens have voted for it and express their wishes for the Hughes Stadium property to be used with a mild mixed-use aspect to encourage natural integration with the community's desire for access and mild recreational uses. I also believe that the individuals behind 303 have intentionally undereducated those who support the ballot by not explaining the fact that it would take millions of dollars to restore the land to a natural area. The truth is, we do not have that money due to budget constraints, which is a glaring issue that has not been addressed. I hope ballot measure 2H passes so we can continue to use the Hughes Stadium property as the vast majority of our residents prefer.
Adam EgglestonFort Collins Mayoral Candidate
I am supporting ballot initiative 2H and voting against for 303. I believe the Hughes Civic Assembly was a good demonstration of community-based problem solving and I found it very productive. I also believe it reaffirmed much of what voters had initially elected to do with the former Hughes site when Fort Collins purchased the land in 2023. I believe the incorporation of a bike park contributed significantly to the overall support for a multiuse recommendation and I look forward to following the election results.
Amy HoevenFort Collins Councilmember Candidate
I support 2H and not #303 because 2H will get more people to utilize the space. I absolutely like the recommendation for a bike park and think it fits well with the other uses.
Steve YurashFort Collins Councilmember Candidate

Why Hughes for Everyone - Ballot #2H?

Integrating conservation, education, and recreation to create community connections and benefits that introduce us to the outdoors in meaningful and lasting ways, including:

  • Restored Natural Areas (~40% of the property; 60 acres) – Healthy ecosystems that support birds, wildlife, people, and our community on a portion of the property where the land is still in relatively good ecological condition and connects to existing natural areas.
  • Wildlife Conservation & Rescue Center (~20%; up to 30 acres with 5 built acres) – Provide hands-on education for students and people of all ages, habitat demonstration and restoration, and research opportunities. Give a second chance at life for rehabilitated wildlife that the community can connect with and engage.
  • Community Recreation (~20%; up to 35 acres) – Preserve the disc golf course and sledding hill, while adding a family-friendly bike park and all-purpose trails, on a portion of the property that connects to existing trails at neighboring natural areas.
  • Equity of Funding – Share costs across city departments, including Natural Areas and Parks & Recreation, and partners, protecting Natural Areas’ funds for additional projects across the community.
  • Community Alignment – Honor the successful 2021 ballot initiative where voters approved the use of the site as “…parks, recreation, open lands, natural areas, wildlife rescue and restoration” and the Hughes Civic Assembly’s balanced and unanimous recommendations for a shared, multi-use designation, which was also strongly supported by Fort Collins City Council.

Who We are

Hughes for Everyone is a coalition of local nonprofits, community members, and advocates who believe the former Hughes Stadium land should be a place for everyone to connect with nature, conserve and restore habitat, and recreate.

We work to conserve birds and habitats through science, education, and land stewardship. We envision a future where birds are forever abundant, contributing to healthy landscapes and inspiring human curiosity and love of nature. Our efforts are advanced by sound science, achieved through empowering people, realized through stewardship, and sustained through partnerships. Together, we are improving native bird populations, the land, and the lives of people.

Inspiring the protection and conservation of raptors and the environment through excellence in rehabilitation, education, and research. We envision a world where humans achieve a harmonious balance with wildlife and the environment. Every year, RMRP cares for over 300 raptors and releases 75% of treatable birds. We also provide conservation education to K-12 students, service groups, senior communities, and other groups.

We promote the active, healthy sport of mountain biking by providing education and assistance to all trail users, and by working to build and maintain quality, sustainable trails that enhance the mountain biking experience. As a leader of the Fort Collins Bike Park Collective, we also promote the goodness of bike parks, outdoor and cycling opportunities for all members of our community, especially youth of today and tomorrow. We are parents, kids, women, men, business owners, taxpayers, students, athletes, your neighbors, nature-lovers, conservationists, and stewards of the land, both young and old.

What We Support

  • Shared Space – Hughes should welcome and be accessible to everyone, from hikers, runners, and birders to bikers, families, school kids, and land stewards. It should be a place for gathering and connection with the land and within our community. Fort Collins City Council voted 6:1 in favor of this proposal.
  • Indigenous Engagement — A place to help honor the original land stewards through messaging, interpretation, land stewardship, and community gathering.
  • Connectivity – Hughes should connect with and expand trails, natural areas, recreation opportunities, and wildlife habitat and corridors.
  • Accessibility and Inclusivity – All members of our community should have the ability to access, explore, learn, and enjoy the Hughes site in ways that are meaningful to them.
  • Exploration and Learning – Hughes offers a unique opportunity to create a community-centered approach towards environmental education, wildlife conservation, and cultural celebration, inspiring current and future generations of land stewards.
Hughes For Everyone

Vote No on proposal #303

Why is Making Hughes Entirely a Natural Area the Wrong Vote? Ballot #303

This unnecessarily restrictive initiative, to designate Hughes as a 100% Natural Area, has serious negative impacts hidden within confusing and misleading language.

Hughes for Everyone Ballot # 2H satisfies the community’s desire for a multi-use and cooperative space for everyone.

  • Restrictive Use – Likely removes the disc golf course and sledding hill as these uses are not compliant with existing Natural Area policies.
  • Funding Strain – Places the full cost of the Hughes Land Purchase, $14 million, on the shoulders of the Natural Areas Department, “eliminating” or “severely restricting” their ability to acquire additional properties across the community for years to come.
  • Unfunded Restoration – A large portion of the land, including where the education center and bike park are proposed, needs active restoration to restore compacted soils, and remove invasive species and debris from the former stadium site. With this vote, the Natural Areas program absorbs the full cost of the entire land purchase, in addition to restoration and maintenance.
  • Process Undermined – Directly undermines the voters' original decision in 2021 where voters approved the use of the site as “…parks, recreation, open lands, natural areas, wildlife rescue and restoration”, and bypasses the Civic Assembly’s balanced community recommendations.

Would you like to Volunteer to help the campaign?
Sign up here

To request a yard sign, email voteyes@hughesforeveryone.com

Paid for by Hughes for Everyone ~ Design By Mastre Creative

Email Us
Scroll to Top