Colorado’s Bennet, Hickenlooper reintroduce sweeping public lands protection bill with Republican support 

U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, both Democrats, are bringing back a major conservation bill for Colorado — this time with a Republican ally.

The Gunnison Outdoor Resource Protection, or GORP Act, was introduced last fall in the waning days of the Democratic-controlled Senate, but it never advanced. Now, Bennet and Hickenlooper are reviving the measure alongside a Republican co-sponsor, Rep. Jeff Hurd, whose sprawling district is home to much of western Colorado. 

“Coloradans have spent over a decade at trailheads and kitchen tables to find common ground and protect Gunnison County’s spectacular landscapes, economy, and natural resources,” Bennet said in a statement. “This bill proves that people with wide-ranging interests can develop a common vision to preserve our public lands for future generations.”

Lawmakers say the bill would safeguard 730,000 acres of land in and around Gunnison County, touching on areas in neighboring Saguache, Ouray, Hinsdale, Delta, and Pitkin counties. The measure places different types of federal land designations throughout the region aimed at enhancing protections for undeveloped and wildlife areas, recreation use, and research.

Other provisions of the bill include withdrawing more than 74,000 acres of key lands in Delta County’s North Fork Valley from oil and gas development and securing public access to a boat ramp at the Gunnison Forks Day Use Area. 

The bill would also convert over 18,000 acres of Ute Mountain Ute Tribe land from fee ownership to trust ownership. Doing so would unlock the potential for these lands to access more federal funding and support while protecting the tribe’s sovereignty. 

Hurd, in a statement, said he was “honored to lead the (GORP) Act alongside Sen. Bennet,” adding that the legislation “reflects strong local support for the responsible stewardship of our land.”

Will Roush, executive director for the Carbondale-based conservation group Wilderness Workshop, called the legislation “ambitious and wonderfully so, but in a way that’s commensurate with the resources that we have here in Western Colorado.” 

He praised Hurd’s support for the measure, adding, “It’s a great reminder that public land conservation truly is a bipartisan issue.” 

Still, the effort comes at an uncertain moment for public lands as House Republicans advance a budget along party lines that could dramatically rewrite conservation and energy policies. 

The House Natural Resources Committee earlier this month passed its portion of the budget bill aimed at delivering President Donald Trump’s energy agenda by mandating more federal land sales for oil and gas, limiting judicial and public input on environmental actions, and allowing private entities to bypass the National Environmental Policy Act’s review process for a fee. 

Democrats and conservationist groups oppose the efforts, labeling Republicans’ budget bill a direct attack on public lands.

The division is emblematic of the precarious path public lands bills have faced in Congress in recent years. 

Despite some major conservation bills receiving bipartisan support in the House and Senate, they’ve failed to advance out of both chambers after multiple attempts. Examples include the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act and the Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development (SHRED) Act. 

Conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts did notch a win last year, however, when the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences, or EXPLORE Act, became law. 

Proponents hope the GORP Act’s broad grassroots support will eventually help secure its passage. The bill represents 10 years of stakeholding with community groups and has endorsements from six counties, multiple municipalities, several conservation and recreation groups, businesses, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.

Speaking during the GORP Act’s initial introduction last fall, Bennet acknowledged that “it has been hard to get public lands bills across the finish line over the last decade or so in Washington,” adding, “There are people who are ideologically opposed to adding one more acre of public lands.” 

By taking the time to build community support for his bill, he said he wants to be “sure what we do can last, what we do is durable.”