Planning

GMUG Revised Forest Plan Finalized

updated June 27, 2024

The USDA Forest Service has released the final revised land management plan and final Record of Decision that will guide the long-term management of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison national forests in southwestern Colorado.

“This forest plan shows that economic opportunities, world-class recreation and thriving ecosystems can flourish while maintaining healthy forests,” said Chad Stewart , GMUG Forest Supervisor. “The plan supports access to public lands to meet the needs of local communities and a growing number of annual visitors, while also preserving key wildlife migration corridors, habitat and watersheds.”

“I am especially grateful for the incredible work and input from our partners, organizations and relevant groups over the past seven years. County governments, the State of Colorado, Tribes, interested parties and engaged groups contributed to the crafting of this plan,” said Stewart. “Throughout the process, we received almost 20,000 public comments and I believe the final plan strikes a reasonable balance between many competing interests. I look forward to implementing the plan with continued input from the public.”

The revised plan allocates more than one-quarter of the GMUG — 823,000 acres – as Wildlife Management Areas, where trail expansion will be capped, while providing ample opportunities to improve existing trails and expand where appropriate. Other notable allocations in the revised plan include 68,000 acres of recommended wilderness, 771,000 acres as suitable for timber production, and the 8,000-acre Gunnison Research Special Interest Area.

The land management plan will become effective 30 days after the publication of the Notice of Plan Approval in the Federal Register on June 14, 2024.

Upcoming Virtual Webinar Overview of Final Plan

The National Forest Foundation will be hosting an overview presentation of the revised plan alongside the GMUG planning team on July 10, 2024 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM (MST). The virtual ZOOM webinar agenda and meeting link can be accessed HERE.

Coming soon:

- InteractiveWebMaps "Storymaps" (PDF maps are currently available HERE).

Documents

Click on the titles below to access the documents. All Final Plan and earlier process files (2017-2024) are available on the Pinyon Public Page.

Final Record of Decision

Final Revised Plan

Final Post-Objections Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS):

Final Plan Maps

Final Plan Data

Biological Assessment and Concurrence

Species of Conservation Concern

Federal Register

Objections Process

Other Supplemental Information

Contact the GMUG for more information:

Join our mailing list to receive future updates regarding the revised GMUG Forest Plan and its implementation.

Past Planning Documents and More Information:

See past milestones and previous versions of the plan from our 7 years of work and public participation – the Process and Products tab includes past publications, recorded webinars, and other helpful resources.