Kuhn: Coalition-based conservation

I’m writing to express my gratitude to Sens. Bennet and Hickenlooper for introducing the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act. This bill will preserve ecologically diverse, natural, intact lands in our region. Within our watershed, the bill includes a new wilderness designation for Star Peak at the headwaters of Castle Creek. Additionally, the bill expands the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness near Ashcroft and the Raggeds Wilderness above Marble.

The GORP Act developed over a decade through collaboration among local governments, public land users, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and stakeholders — including motorized recreation groups, mountain bikers, conservationists, ranchers, hunters, and anglers.

This is great news for our region and local public lands that are Gunnison-adjacent. Hopefully, the GORP Act can serve as a model for building broad coalitions in order to protect wilderness-quality lands within the Roaring Fork Valley.

Howie Kuhn

Carbondale