GORP Act reintroduced in Senate and now championed in the House reflects growing momentum for public land protections in Gunnison Basin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), North America’s leading public lands advocacy group, is celebrating the reintroduction of the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act in the U.S. Senate – and, for the first time, the introduction of a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. Together, these bipartisan efforts would safeguard more than 700,000 acres of federal public lands in and around Colorado’s Gunnison Basin.
Led by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and cosponsored by Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), the GORP Act is now joined by a House companion sponsored by Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO). This legislation reflects more than a decade of stakeholder engagement by the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative, including members of BHA’s Colorado Chapter, and underscores a shared commitment to conserving fish and wildlife habitat, and hunting and fishing opportunities in Colorado’s backcountry.
“We thank Representative Jeff Hurd for his support along with Senator Michael Bennet for his leadership on reintroducing legislation that was the result of a collaborative process with a variety of user groups who value the resources of the Gunnison Basin,” said Tony Prendergast, a volunteer leader with BHA’s Colorado chapter. “Passing the GORP Act would mean greater safeguards and management certainty for more than 700,000 acres of public lands in Colorado’s backcountry, along with the fish and wildlife we pursue there.”
Highlights of the GORP Act
- Includes the addition of approximately 120,000 acres of designated wilderness areas, providing the highest level of protection – and maintaining the solitude and primitive nature – of the region’s most wild public lands.
- Designates about 220,000 acres of wildlife conservation areas and about 220,000 acres of special management areas, both of which emphasize the restoration and conservation of wildlife habitat.
- Prioritizes current uses and values of these public lands. While managing motorized recreation and mountain biking in protected areas, the GORP Act does not close existing legal routes, and offers new opportunities for potential routes in appropriate areas.
The GORP Act reflects years of collaboration between hunters, anglers, ranchers, recreators, and local governments. It has the support of the Gunnison County Board of Commissioners, along with the neighboring Pitkin, Hinsdale, Delta, Ouray, and Saguache county commissions.
To support the conservation of Colorado’s Gunnison Basin and for other opportunities to advocate for the safeguarding of wild lands and waters, and access for sportsmen and women, visit BHA’s action center.
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks to ensure North America’s outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife. To learn more about issues important to BHA’s membership, visit www.backcountryhunters.org/our_issues.
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