GORP Act gains bipartisan support

On May 15, just ahead of Colorado Public Lands Day, Rep. Jeff Hurd, and Sen. Michael Bennet reintroduced the GORP Act as bipartisan legislation.

The public lands bill, nearly a decade in the making, would further protect more than 700,000 acres on the Western Slope. The Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act has roots in the valley. The bill is based on a collaborative proposal drafted by the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative, a group with members from across all of the valley’s demographics, from ranching and recreation to conservation and water resources. 

The group spent years piecing together a proposal that prioritized the historic uses of public land in the county, while also preserving the landscapes that power the recreation-based economy. The act also includes portions of neighboring Delta and Hinsdale counties. Sens. Bennet and John Hickenlooper first introduced the GORP Act in the Senate during the summer of 2024, but the legislation did not make any progress through Congress.

Over the past few weeks, Hurd, the Republican representative for Colorado’s Third Congressional District has become a somewhat unexpected supporter of the Western Slope’s public lands. Hurd’s sponsorship of the GORP Act marks the first time the legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives.

The broadened support for the bill is a beacon of hope for local leaders after a slew of bad news for public land managers this year. If passed, the GORP Act would help fend off the growing number of threats to the county’s public lands under the new administration, said Jon Hare of Crested Butte’s High Country Conservation Advocates. 

“It's amazing and surprising that we have crafted something here in Gunnison County that is actually going to rise above the political situation right now,” Hare said. “It’s bipartisan … It's from the local community. This is the type of legislation that may actually fit in this time and space in Washington, D.C.” 

Since Hurd took office, his stance on public lands management on the Western Slope has been inconsistent. In March, Hurd introduced the Productive Public Lands Act, legislation that would “reactivate the resource potential of our public lands” and put the United States “on a path to energy dominance.” Yet, this month, Hurd was the only Republican on the House Committee on Natural Resources to vote against a recent effort to allow the sale of up to 460,000 acres of public land in Utah and Nevada as part of the federal budget reconciliation bill. 

Last week, Hurd traveled to Gunnison for the first time to visit the Board of County Commissioners. A large portion of the conversation centered on the protection of public lands, and Hurd said he was “not sure” if he could support the GORP Act. But within a week of his Gunnison County meeting, he sponsored the legislation.

“[I am] honored to lead the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act alongside Senator Bennet,” Hurd said in a press release on May 15. “This legislation reflects strong local support for the responsible stewardship of our land.”

The GORP Act primarily uses two congressional-level designations to protect Gunnison County’s vast network of public land: wilderness, and special management areas focused on recreation, wildlife, scientific research and conservation. The bill also would transfer the Pinecrest Ranch, owned by the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, into a trust. Pinecrest is located in Gunnison County, south of Sapinero Mesa. Instead of functioning as private property, the parcel would become sovereign land of the tribe. 

“Throughout history we have lost a lot of land that has been taken from the tribe unjustly,” said Manuel Heart, Chairman Ute Mountain Ute Tribe said in a press release. “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.” 

Since President Donald Trump took office, public land management agencies, including the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, have faced severe budget and staff cuts. In a county that is nearly 80% public lands, the passage of the GORP Act would mean the valley would be less subject to the whims of executive orders or presidential administrations that “want to undermine public lands,” Hare told the Times.

(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@gunnisontimes.com.)