Senator Bennet introduces GORP Act to Congress

Incorporates Gunnison Valley input and would protect 700k acres

By Katherine Nettles

Last Thursday, September 26, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced the introduction of a long-awaited piece of legislation that could lead to the protection of large swaths of public lands across the Gunnison Valley. The Gunnison Outdoor Resource Protection (GORP) Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Bennet, and co-sponsored by Senator John Hickenlooper. 

The GORP Act has been on both Bennet’s wish list and that of many other Gunnison Valley leaders in various forms for more than a decade, and it appears to have strong support in and around Gunnison County.  

The legislation is designed to protect more than 700,000 acres of public lands in and surrounding Gunnison County. It incorporates previous input and efforts such as the GPLI (Gunnison Public Lands Initiative) with recommendations from a range of stakeholders concerned with public lands, recreation, conservation, hunting, fishing and ranching that are considered cultural and economic foundations of Gunnison County.  It was first introduced in 2022 as a draft bill. 

Thursday, Bennet spoke during a press conference and thanked those who have helped shepherd the legislation across many years and iterations. 

“Increased visitation and development have put unprecedented stress on Gunnison County’s economy and its natural resources,” he said. “If you spend any time in Gunnison County, you know how spectacular these public lands are and how central they are to that community’s way of life.”

He described how the GORP Act is based on consensus from the groups involved in GPLI, from winter and summer motorized recreationists, ranchers, mountain bikers, hunters, anglers, water managers and conservationists, and how it began in 2012 on the banks of the Slate River. He recalled years of collaboration with local governments, Tribes, and public lands user groups.

“At the heart of every discussion over the bill was a shared respect for the generations before us who preserved these lands, and a shared responsibility to future generations, as [Gunnison County] commissioner Jonathan Houck talks about often,” he continued.

Houck also spoke about the bill and his involvement for the past decade.

“What a place to get to today,” started Houck. “We really appreciate that GPLI work group which represented a diverse range of opinions, from ranchers to motorized users to mountain bikers to conservation advocates to our water users and those wanting to see better protections for wildlife and habitat. We started doing that work and we like to say we did it the Gunnison County way, but I know the Gunnison County way is the Colorado way. It’s the Senator Bennet way. We sit down and have hard discussions about hard issues. We learn how to attack issues without attacking each other.”

Houck said the time they all spent at kitchen tables, coffee shops, drawing on maps and talking about how public lands impacted people’s lives, he found support from neighboring counties as well. “The Ute Mountain Tribe’s participation was incredibly important to make sure that their desires and needs were also met,” said Houck. Last, he thanked the citizens who participated. “We know there’s more work to get this through the legislative process and we’ve been at the table this far. We’re going to stay at the table until the end.”

Crested Butte mayor Ian Billick spoke as well and described how the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL), of which he is also executive director, also benefits from the bill.

“This congressional designation is an example of one of the many things accomplished in this bill. It recognizes unique federal collaboration that encompasses NASA, the department of energy, the National Science Foundation, the USDA and sets direction for the Forest Service to prioritize research and education in one of the most intensively studied ecosystems in the world,” he said. 

Billick also recognized the extraordinary effort of getting community, regional and bipartisan support in a national environment that has accomplished much in the past  several years through litigation, lawsuits and delays. 

He commended this collaborative approach as the way of the future and a model for future generations. 

The bill only applies to existing public lands, creating special designations focused on recreation, wildlife, scientific research and conservation. 

It has the bipartisan support of six counties in Western Colorado, as well as the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and local municipalities. 

Colorado District 3 Congressional Candidates Jeff Hurd (Republican) and Adam Frisch (Democrat) responded as well. 

Hurd’s campaign said Hurd has yet to delve into the GORP Act. “Jeff would need to closely study the issue but looks forward to working with local officials on any upcoming legislative action,” said a campaign spokesperson. “He commends the mayor and other electeds with building local support and would closely assess the impact of the legislation, while ensuring it does not unnecessarily restrict our agricultural producers and mining operations. When elected Jeff will always work closely to ensure CO-3 voices are heard and taken into consideration.”

Frisch said he understands the bill has taken years to craft and appreciated the focus on locally-led discussions “which is mandatory in my view for all these public lands discussions,” Frisch said. “I just have not had time to digest the bill and my focus is always on listening to a variety of stakeholders, knowing we must make space for land conservation, pro-Ag policies, multi-use recreation, at the same time knowing how important it is to support our important domestic critical mineral, energy, and timber industry — a key part of proper forest management, which is needed for a much needed healthier watershed.”