Reflections on Resiliency for Colorado Public Lands Day
May 21, 2020
Crested Butte News & Gunnison Country Times
Last Saturday was Colorado Public Lands Day, and it was a beautiful one here in the Gunnison Country. In May 2016, Colorado became the first state in the nation to establish a state holiday for our public lands. Colorado Public Lands Day is a chance to celebrate how our public lands are central to our economy and our quality of life.
For those of us fortunate enough to live and work in Gunnison County, almost every day is a public lands day. Even from the comfort of our homes, a glimpse out the window reveals the jaw-dropping beauty of the lands that surround the Gunnison and East River Valleys. And although we may not be able to go to the mountains and forests for solace on a daily basis, the spirit of our community is fed seeing them from afar and knowing that we will return.
This year’s Colorado Public Lands Day came in the midst of one of the greatest challenges our community, and nation, has faced. The COVID-19 pandemic has made us aware of things we have long taken for granted, reminds us of what we hold dear, and makes us think about what we as a community want to protect going forward.
Our local agriculture and the food it supplies; clean air and water; wide open spaces that provide physical and mental health; our community’s scientific and educational assets; healthy and diverse populations of wildlife. In Gunnison County, all of these essential values depend on protecting the public lands we are blessed with. These lands provide range for livestock, abundant wildlife and big game for viewing and hunting, clean waters for drinking, fishing and growing crops, trails for walking and riding, and slopes for skiing. They are a reason students choose Western Colorado University, why small businesses relocate here, and why many people who grew up here and left ultimately return and make Gunnison County their permanent home.
They are also the reason why, in early 2016, the community formed the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative (GPLI) to craft a public lands proposal, based on collaboration and broad community input, to protect community values, take into account the various needs of user groups, and provide long-lasting stability to important public lands in and around Gunnison County. The GPLI met monthly between February 2016 and June 2017 to craft a proposal for key public lands in Gunnison County. When the coalition completed the initial recommendations, it presented the proposal package to the community for review.
The group engaged the community in a robust conversation about the proposal and what it would mean for the future of public lands. Through that outreach, the GPLI was able to meet with hundreds of people, local and regional governments, and numerous community groups. As a result of that feedback, the coalition worked to refine the initial recommendations, including adjusting boundaries or in some circumstances changing a land designation recommendation. The GPLI then released its Revised Proposal in January 2019.
For many of us, 2020 is bringing unprecedented challenges. But as long as they remain resilient, public lands will continue to help support us through this trial and future ones, providing a key cornerstone for community strength, sustainability, and resolve. As we reflect on Colorado Public Lands Day, it is important that we celebrate our public lands, the role they play in our individual and community health, and their importance in securing the bright future we look forward to.
The GPLI is a community conversation about what we want the future of the valley to look like that is anchored in why we love living and working here. This is important now more than ever.
In the meantime, enjoy your public lands responsibility, and stay safe out there!
The GPLI Coalition:
The Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District
Gunnison Trails, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
Gunnison Valley OHV Alliance of Trailriders
High Country Conservation Advocates
Sno Trackers
Trout Unlimited
The Wilderness Society,
Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association
Gunnison County Stockgrowers Association
