PRIA Logo™
119-hr-3421119th Congress

Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Hurd, Jeff [R-CO-3]

Introduced

Summary

protect and manage public lands and wildlife habitat. This bill would designate multiple Special Management Areas, Wildlife Conservation Areas, Protection Areas, Recreation Management Areas, a Rocky Mountain Scientific Research and Education Area, and add wilderness acreage across Gunnison County to guide recreation, habitat restoration, and land use.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.

Wildfire and restoration rules

If enacted, the bill would let the Secretary carry out wildfire, hazardous-fuels, insect, and disease treatments in the covered areas and coordinate with state and local agencies. It would require seasonal closures and wet meadow or riparian restoration in named areas and ask for local collaboration. The bill would define how the government must "decommission" temporary roads — restore vegetation, fix drainage, block vehicle access where feasible, and monitor invasives. Temporary roads built for vegetation projects would have to be decommissioned within three years after project completion. Commercial timber harvesting in covered areas would be prohibited, though limited sales of small-diameter trees or biomass for restoration could be allowed under strict, science-based rules.

Tribal trust land and mapping

If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary to take about 19,080 acres the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe owns into federal trust on the Tribe's request, and those lands would become part of the reservation. The trust lands would not be eligible for gaming under any Federal law. The Secretary must complete a boundary survey within one year after conveyance. The bill would also require filing maps and legal descriptions with two Congressional committees and limit land acquisition to exchanges, donations, or purchases from willing sellers.

New limits on trails and permits

If enacted, the bill would limit off-highway vehicle and bicycle use in many new management areas. Protection Areas would ban OHVs except for official work and emergencies. Recreation and wildlife areas would generally allow OHVs and bikes only on roads and trails that were designated on the enactment date, with some seasonal closures and a three-year deadline for winter travel plans. The bill would allow transfer of an existing motorized-boat permit in Gunnison Gorge only if motorized use predated designation and a government acquired public rights to the boat ramp, and any ramp fees must be reasonable.

New wilderness and protected areas

If enacted, the bill would create and expand many protected areas in Gunnison County. Examples include a Matchless Wilderness of about 8,656 acres and a West Elk Wilderness addition of about 58,603 acres. It would also set aside lands for wildlife, recreation, and research, including about 12,250 acres for scientific study. The covered and designated wilderness areas would be withdrawn from new mining, leasing, and public-land disposal, subject to valid existing rights, and the maps dated August 27, 2024 would show the boundaries.

Limits on Delta County oil and gas

If enacted, the bill would withdraw certain mapped Federal lands in Delta County from oil and gas leasing. Some mapped parcels would also be designated no-surface-occupancy for oil and gas. The withdrawal and no-surface-occupancy rules would be subject to valid existing rights. The Secretary could still authorize use or destruction of methane from specified coal mines where the Federal interest includes methane rights.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Hurd, Jeff [R-CO-3]

CO • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]

    CO • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation