Current Projects:
Wilderness
We have been working towards greater protections in the San Juan Mountains region for over a decade. We helped to create the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Bill, which has now been included in the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act. Most recently, the CORE Act received a ten-ten vote in the Senate Energy Committee, creating the opportunity for the bill to receive a senate hearing in the future. Additionally, President Biden designated the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, permanently protecting landscapes that are included in the CORE Act.
To express your support and tell lawmakers that you care about these incredible places please sign the petition below!
Photo by Ryan Bonneau
Forest Health
Healthy forests are a critical part of our landscapes and watersheds. Resilient, healthy forests include intact ecosystems, species diversity and the ability to rebound and regenerate in the face of fire, drought, extreme weather, and climate change. We hold one of two conservation seats on the Forest Service’s SBEADMR (Spruce Beetle Epidemic and Aspen Decline Management Response) Adaptive Management group, where we advise and provide science-based guidance for common-sense forest management that balances thinning with ecological concerns.
Land Management Planning
Telluride Mountain Club Trails Proposal
Sheep Mountain Alliance advocates for a balanced approach to public lands management and recreation, which includes expanding recreational opportunities across our landscape that are sustainable and environmentally aware.
We recently submitted our comments for the scoping period. Check them out here!
GMUG Forest Planning
We actively participate in the land management planning process for the Grand Mesa Uncompahgre Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest, Uncompahgre Field Office of the BLM. We also engage on issues on the San Juan National Forest and the Tres Rios BLM Field Office. We are in the middle of a multi-year revision process on the Grand Mesa Uncompahgre Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest, which has been operating under a severely outdated management plan from 1983 (the oldest Forest Plan in the country). Our ongoing role is to provide recommendations for a network of wildlands, involve key recreation and conservation stakeholders, and amplify the voices of tribal groups, businesses, citizens, and local governments to be heard by relevant decision-makers. Our close relationships with these different land management offices allow us to leverage the interests of our member base effectively.
We continue to submit technical comments on land management plans, advocate against unreasonable timber sales, and push for appropriate seasonal wildlife closures across all the public lands in our region.
SMA members on a forest health tour with the United States Forest Service
Photo by Ryan Bonneau
Want to learn more about Public Lands in the San Juan Mountains? Check out the webinar recording below!
SMA Staff stationed out on the trail to tell passerby about our local lands!