Washington, D.C. – Ahead of Colorado Public Lands Day tomorrow, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced today that he will introduce legislation to protect public lands in Gunnison County after seeking input from Coloradans on the draft bill. For a decade, Bennet has worked with Coloradans to develop the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act to protect and enhance key portions of the Gunnison Basin and Gunnison County.
“Colorado’s public lands and outdoor landscapes are not only central to who we are as a state, but they’re a critical part of our local economies as well,” said Bennet. “Now after a decade of work with Coloradans, I’m pleased to share this draft legislation to protect the incredible landscapes of Gunnison County for future generations. I’ve had the opportunity to visit Gunnison County, tour these lands, and hear first-hand from local leaders about the importance of these landscapes to the surrounding communities. I am thankful to the members of the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative who have dedicated so much of their time over the past ten years to work together on the proposal that informed this draft. I look forward to receiving additional feedback so that we can advance this legislation for Gunnison County.”
Bennet invites input and welcomes Coloradans’ suggestions to improve the bill during an initial 60-day comment period. The deadline to submit feedback is July 19, 2022. The form and additional information about the proposal is available HERE.
After reviewing input, Bennet intends to introduce the legislation in the U.S. Senate.
“Colorado’s world-class public lands are beautiful and are also the economic engine for our rural communities. I applaud Senator Bennet for advancing the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act, which is the product of a multi-year effort bringing together voices from across Gunnison County to find a common vision to help preserve our vast great outdoors,” said Governor Jared Polis.
“We … strong[ly] support for the draft Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act,” said the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative stakeholder group. “From the time in 2012 when [Senator Bennet] spoke with community members on the banks of the Slate River until now, the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative (GPLI) groups have engaged in numerous discussions about how best to manage public lands in Gunnison County for the benefit of the broad array of local and regional interests . … These discussions were based on principles of transparency, respect for diverse sets of values, and a spirit of compromise, so that the benefits of the proposal would accrue to all. … [Senator Bennet has shown a] deep level of respect for the community consensus developed over the many years of stakeholder discussions, which we believe is reflected in the legislative draft in its current form.” A full letter of support is available HERE.
“Gunnison County prides itself as a place where people sit down together and find common-ground solutions to the issues that matter most to them. Given that I can think of few issues that are closer to heart for our residents than public lands, it has been extremely gratifying to see so many different public land stakeholders – snowmobilers, ranchers, mountain bikers, and conservationists to name a few – work together to chart a path forward for the places they love,” said Johnathan Houck, Gunnison County Commissioner. “I am grateful to Senator Bennet for listening to our community and helping us take this next step forward in drafting legislation.”
“Local input is key to developing lasting solutions to Colorado’s land use challenges, and I commend Senator Bennet for helping diverse stakeholders come together around a shared vision for public lands in their community. Having grown up in Gunnison County, I appreciate the work that has gone into shaping a proposal that would appropriately steer economic activities on public lands and preserve some of the most pristine landscapes in the state. Other coalitions seeking to balance conservation, recreation and other activities can look to GPLI as a model for collaboration,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director Colorado Department of Natural Resources.
Background
Bennet’s draft GORP Act will protect and enhance key portions of Gunnison County through a variety of public land management tools, including special designations focused on recreation, wildlife, scientific research, and conservation. The proposal also considers possible public land conservation designations in adjacent counties that may wish to incorporate areas in the bill that are geographically connected to the areas proposed in Gunnison County.
Bennet has worked with Coloradans on this proposal for a decade. After receiving requests to protect public lands in Gunnison County, Bennet invited local public land stakeholders to work together to develop a common vision for the future of public lands in Gunnison County. In response, Gunnison County Commissioners assembled local ranchers, sportsmen, conservation groups, mountain bikers, motorized users, and water interests to work with community members and public land stakeholders across the region to develop a legislative proposal. The working group became known as the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative (GPLI).
GPLI has met extensively to develop a consensus-based proposal for public lands protection. Their proposal was built on the belief among group members that public land recreation, conservation, hunting, fishing and ranching form the fabric of Gunnison County culture, economy, and way of life. GPLI’s carefully-crafted and robustly-supported proposal is the basis for this draft bill, the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act.