Federal Land Management in Gunnison County
Article by Andi Bonato
78% of land in Gunnison County is public land owned and managed by the federal government. (1) For example, the United States Forest Service (FS) owns 1,220,035 acres of land, while the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) owns 355,350 acres of land in Gunnison County. (2) On top of this, the National Park Service (NPS) also manages Curecanti National Recreation Area and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. (3)
The FS is part of the United States Department of Agriculture, and its mission is to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.” (4) The FS manages our national forests, including the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests. (5) To manage these forests, the FS creates forest plans. Currently, the FS is revising its forest plan for the GMUG National Forest. (6)
The BLM is part of the United States Department of the Interior, and its mission is to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.” (7) Much like the FS, the BLM manages its lands through resource management plans. Specifically, the BLM manages its land within Gunnison County through the Gunnison Resource Area Resource Management Plan. (8)
The NPS is part of the United States Department of the Interior, and its mission is to preserve “unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” (9) It works with partners to “extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation” throughout the country. (10) The NPS also uses management plans to manage its lands’ resources, visitors, development, and boundaries. (11)
Many of the actions that the FS, BLM, and NPS carry out to manage public land—including creating management plans—are subject to public comment and involvement. (12) For example, the FS held a public comment period for 90 days after it published the draft of the GMUG Revised Forest Plan. (13) Public comment is an extremely important way for our community to use its voice and ensure that federal land management agencies are making the best decisions for the community, the environment, and the organisms that rely on these lands. Management plans not only affect how the public can interact with and use public lands, but also affects the species that live in the area, the management of rivers flowing through the area, and more. If these areas are mismanaged, it can be detrimental to species, such as the Gunnison Sage-Grouse, that depend on these lands. Recently, HCCA has submitted public comments on the GMUG Forest Plan Revision and the Gunnison Sage-Grouse Resource Management Plan Amendment.
1 Gunnison County, “Area Information,” https://www.gunnisoncounty.org/618/Area-Information.
2 Id.
3 National Park Service, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, “Management,”
https://www.nps.gov/blca/learn/management/index.htm; National Park Service, Curecanti National Recreation Area, “Management,” https://www.nps.gov/cure/learn/management/index.htm.
4 Forest Service, “This is Who We Are,” page 3, https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/This-is-Who-We-Are.pdf; Forest Service, “Meet the Forest Service,” https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5346156.pdf.
5 See GMUG Forest Plan Revision, “Forest Planning 101,” https://www.gmugrevision.com/planning-101/.
6 Forest Service, GMUG National Forests, “Planning,” https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/gmug/landmanagement/planning; GMUG Forest Plan Revision, “Forest Planning 101,” https://www.gmugrevision.com/planning-101/.
7 Bureau of Land Management, “Our Mission,” https://www.blm.gov/about/our-mission.
8 Bureau of Land Management, “Gunnison Resource Area Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement,” https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/65992/510.
9 National Park Service, “About Us,” https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/index.htm.
10 Id.
11 National Park Service, “Management Plans,” https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ManagementPlans.cfm.
12 Forest Service, GMUG National Forests, “Get Involved—Forest Plan Revision,”
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gmug/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd500301; Bureau of Land Management, “Planning and NEPA in the BLM,” https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa; National Park Service, “Management Plans,” https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ManagementPlans.cfm.
13 Forest Service, GMUG National Forests, “Get Involved—Forest Plan Revision,” https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gmug/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd500301.
