Located just a fifteen minute drive from downtown Durango, Colorado, the Hermosa Creek area is a sportsmen's paradise. It's home to a major native cutthroat trout reintroduction program by Colorado Parks and Wildlife - and contains some of the finest big game habitat in SW Colorado. At just under 108,000 acres, the basin is Colorado's largest unprotected roadless area. Hunters and anglers have a vested interest in Hermosa Creek. Sportsmen have unified their support for Hermosa Creek.
The 'Sportsmen for Hermosa' coalition supports protecting this fabulous public land for the next generation of hunters and anglers. https://www.facebook.com/SportsmenForHermosa
In April of 2013 the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act (S. 841/H.R. 1839) was introduced with bipartisan sponsorship in the US House of Representatives and Senate. Colorado's Senator Bennet and Representative Tipton have locked arms in support of the bill, putting aside party lines for the sake of a very special place. A campaign website which includes maps, process, values, supporters and photographs can be found at www.hermosacreek.org.
The proposal for the bill was crafted by a grassroots effort over the course of 22 months, with Trout Unlimited as a lead. The Rivers Protection Workgroup (http://ocs.fortlewis.edu/riverprotection/) was an open, collaborative, stakeholder-driven public process whereby all interested persons came together to discuss values, protections, tools and the future of Hermosa Creek. Consensus was reached on a protection proposal - everyone conceded something to produce a proposal everyone, and every user group, could support. Historic uses were honored, protection levels vary with location and the basin will remain a treasured recreational resource for all Americans.
25,061 acres Special Management Area
43,228 acres Roadless Area (open to mechanized access)
37,236 acres Wilderness
Support for the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection act is unanimous!!!!