# 119-s-1791: Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act of 2025

119-s-1791, Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1791
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1791
- Congress: 119
- Title: Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act of 2025
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-05-15
- Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Consolidated federal land management for Gunnison County** would create a single framework that balances conservation, recreation, and scientific research across Forest Service and BLM lands. The bill focuses on place-based protections, limits on motorized and bicycle use in sensitive areas, and a plan for tribal trust land transfer and research designation. - Families and visitors would face new access rules. The bill would create seasonal closures and vehicle limits in six named areas and set use rules for two Recreation Management Areas to guide where bikes, off-highway vehicles, and over-snow travel are allowed. - Wildlife, watersheds, and forests would get stronger protections and restoration. It would establish multiple Protection Areas and Wildlife Conservation Areas, require wet meadow and riparian restoration in six places, and add large wilderness tracts including a West Elk addition of about 58,600 acres and a new Matchless Wilderness of 8,656 acres. - Tribes, researchers, and local governments would gain specific authorities and roles. About 19,080 acres could be taken into trust for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and roughly 12,250 acres would be set aside as a Rocky Mountain Scientific Research and Education Area, with collaborative planning required across agencies and local partners.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-05-15T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Tribal land trust and use protections: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Secretary would be required, on request by the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and subject to valid existing rights, to take about 19,080 acres the Tribe owns into Federal trust for the Tribe within one year. That land would become part of the Tribe's reservation and be administered under th…
- New public land protections and rules: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would set aside several named public land areas near Gunnison for research, wildlife conservation, recreation management, and protection. Off-highway vehicles and bicycles would be allowed only on roads and trails already designated for those uses when the bill takes effect, ex…
- Limits on logging, mining, and leasing: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would add and expand several wilderness areas and withdraw covered lands from public land entry, mining claims, and mineral and geothermal leasing laws. Specified Delta County lands would be withdrawn from oil and gas leasing and some areas would have a no-surface-occupancy rul…
- Boat ramp permit transfer and fees: mixed, low. If enacted, the Secretary of the Interior could transfer a special recreation use permit for motorized boats in the Gunnison Gorge Wilderness Area only if that motorized boat use existed before the area's designation. A transfer of the Gunnison Forks boat ramp permit would be allowed only if a Fede…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act
- 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act
- 119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act

## Sources
- [119-s-1791 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1791)

## Related
- [119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5022)
- [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2763)
- [119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2120)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1791 (as of 2026-09-10).