Last week, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection or GORP: Act in the Senate, cosponsored by Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.).
The bill looks to create a variety of protections for public lands in the Gunnison Basin in Gunnison County. It’s based on a 2019 proposal from the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative (GPLI). It would create more than 20,000 acres of protection areas, 18,000 acres of recreation management areas, and 223,000 acres of wildlife conservation areas.
In addition, it would designate roughly 123,000 acres of wilderness areas, including more than 3,000 acres of land near Ashcroft to the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. It would also designate over 7,000 acres as the new Star Peak Wilderness just south of Ashcroft, and add Treasure Mountain and surrounding lands to the Raggeds Wilderness near Marble.
In a press conference on Friday, Bennet said the partnerships and conversations that came out of the GPLI were crucial in shaping the legislation.
“Those protections include special management areas focused on recreation, scientific research, wildlife, and conservation: each with their own unique provisions designed to align with the values and existing uses of the land,” he said.
He also said there’s a diverse group supporting the GORP Act, from public lands users like ranchers and hikers to local businesses and governments.
“When we are in the debate here in Washington, it is very helpful for me as a western senator to be able to make the case based on the bipartisan nature of the supporters,” he said.
He was hopeful that they would see movement on Colorado public lands legislation by the end of 2024, including the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act, and legislation that would protect the Dolores River in the southwest part of the state.
“I know that there are some segments of the national (Republican) party that has not supported these public lands designations, but they are very, very popular in Colorado,” he said, adding that lawmakers in Washington D.C. could learn a thing or two from the bipartisan group behind the GORP Act.
Pitkin County is one of the supporters of the act, as a piece of the Ashcroft addition is located in the county.
In a written statement, Commissioner Greg Poschman commended Bennet for the legislation.
“Pitkin County is a strong supporter of public lands, and we believe in designating new Wilderness areas in sensitive landscapes, where appropriate,” he wrote. “We are incredibly grateful to Senator Bennet for his work on the GORP Act, and we look forward to celebrating the two proposed Wilderness designations in Colorado’s wild and pristine high country.”
The other counties supporting the bill are Delta, Hinsdale, Saguache, and Ouray.
Bennet says this is the first Colorado public lands bill to transfer land to trust status for an indigenous tribe, putting Pinecrest Ranch in Gunnison County into a trust for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
“To get land back for the tribe by putting it into Trust status as this legislation does, is important to the tribe’s children and grandchildren,” the tribe’s chairman, Manuel Heart, wrote in a statement.
The GORP Act has been referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
