Advocacy
The Gunnison Country is famous for vast acres of unspoiled public lands known for wildlife, wildflowers, mountain peaks, snowpack, and crystal-clear waters. Almost the entire local economy, culture, and quality of life is dependent on our public lands yet these places are threatened by mining and logging, too much recreational use, development, drought, wildfire, and climate change.
Conservation Advocacy in the Gunnison Country
HCCA was founded by the local community in 1977 to protect threatened landscapes, defend natural ecosystems, and promote sustainable enjoyment of our region’s diverse public lands, water, and wildlife. We invite you to join us in this mission!
HCCA advocates for conservation solutions to elected officials, government decision makers and staff, other interested organizations, and the local community using a spectrum of tools from direct relationships, to participation in community planning processes, writing formal letters, and by publishing essays in local newspapers. HCCA represents conservation when the community needs it most.
HCCA plays a key role in local and regional stakeholder groups, advocating for conservation within forest management, watershed planning, wildfire protection, tourism, and drought resilience efforts. We also lead collaborative efforts like the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative (GPLI), which has resulted in broad stakeholder consensus to recommend protections for thousands of acres of public lands—recommendations now advancing in Congress as part of the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act.
Through deep engagement, strategic partnerships, and an authentic voice—HCCA's Advocacy Program strives to ensure that public lands in the Gunnison Country are protected for generations, now and forever.
Recent Public Land News
Current Projects
Support the Roadless Rule
A proposed new road above Crested Butte underscores why the community opposes new road construction on public lands: it would fragment wildlife habitat, remove healthy forests, diminish public access, and scar cherished viewsheds. Roadless Areas—protecting more than 460,000 acres in the Gunnison Country—exist precisely to prevent such impacts while still allowing recreation on existing roads and trails.
All Hail the Mighty Gunnison River
HCCA’s campaign to raise awareness of the value of a healthy river. From the headwaters of the Taylor, Slate and East Rivers, to Coal Creek, Tomichi Creek, Cebolla Creek, as well as North Fork and Lake Fork of the Gunnison River—HCCA seeks to collaborate with water people across our watershed to protect fisheries, improve water quality, and ensure sustainable public access to waters throughout the Gunnison Country.
What is the Gunnison Country
The Gunnison Country stretches from the high alpine tundra of the Raggeds Wilderness and the Collegiate peaks, past the sheer cliffs of the Black Canyon, and across the North Fork of the Gunnison River’s rolling sagebrush seas and golden aspen groves, all the way to the rushing waters of the Lake Fork. This diverse and iconic landscape is more than a backdrop—it is the heart of HCCA’s mission and the place we serve and are committed to
Take Action!
Become a Voice for the Valley
Public lands need public advocates. When you join HCCA, you're adding your voice to a local movement rooted in care, science, and action.
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