Large public lands support greatly appreciated

January 07, 2016

From the Gunnison Country Times and the Crested Butte News

Dear Editor,

Over the past year, we have been fortunate to talk with hundreds of Gunnison County residents, from hikers to ranchers to motorized users, about our public lands. No matter the person or their preferred activity – nearly all Gunnison County residents expressed just how much this landscape we live in means to them.

The Gunnison Public Lands Initiative is continuing to push for the protection of the places we love through Special Management Areas and Wilderness designations. We envision a future where our water, wildlife, and recreation have the protection they need against new road building and extractive industries, while continuing to keep our roads and trails open to their existing uses.

To this end, GPLI has gathered signatures of support for our proposal for new protective public lands designations from more than 100 local businesses and over 600 individuals. Four local organizations have written formal letters of support and more are in the works. We were so excited to see the numerous attendees for our hikes, mountain bike rides, trail run, and horseback ride this summer.

Whether you came out on an adventure with us, signed a letter of support, or provided us with feedback, we want to thank you for helping us to gather the information we need and build the support necessary to permanently protect the places we love. We hope that you will continue to provide your support and feedback to us in 2016 – please visit our website at gunnisonpubliclands.org!

Sincerely,

John Chandler - President, Crested Butte

Hilary Henry - Coordinator, Gunnison Public Lands Initiative

Alli Melton - Public Lands Director, High Country Conservation Advocates

Dave Wiens - Executive Director, Gunnison Trails