Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act of 2025

The Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act of 2025 designates multiple protected areas across Gunnison County, Colorado, including nine Special Management Areas, eight Wildlife Conservation Areas, four Protection Areas, two Recreation Management Areas, and expands wilderness designations through amendments to the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993. The bill establishes specific management rules for these areas, limiting off-highway vehicle and bicycle use to designated roads and trails, requiring winter travel management plans within three years, and restricting vegetation management projects to protect ecological integrity. It also includes provisions for transferring approximately 19,080 acres to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in trust, withdrawing certain lands from mineral development, and establishing seasonal closures to protect wildlife habitat in specific areas. The legislation directly affects federal land management practices, recreational use, and tribal land rights across approximately 350,000 acres in Gunnison County. These changes will reshape how federal lands are managed for conservation, recreation, and tribal uses in the region.