In Gunnison County, several entities exist to help protect public lands from development for several reasons. Most reasons include managing development and/or recreation, or striking a balance between the two. Gunnison Public Lands Initiative (GPLI) is one of those entities, and although only three years old, it is bringing different organizations and stakeholders together at the same table to develop a creative land use plan that it hopes the entire community will support.

On August 23rd, we had the opportunity to explore on horseback a remote, infrequently visited region of the Gunnison National Forest, west of the West Elk Wilderness. We started at Bald Mountain Reservoir, climbed its namesake peak, and then rode along Mendicant Ridge.

A bill introduced by Rep. Diana DeGette at the end of July, if passed, would designate swaths of land throughout Colorado as wilderness — including several parcels in Gunnison and Hinsdale counties.

The One Valley Prosperity Project has asked Gunnison County residents to define what “prosperity” means to them. There are many pieces to prosperity for local businesses, but healthy public lands are critical in a County that is 83% BLM and Forest Service lands and heavily reliant on tourism and recreation.