Posted on: July 27th, 2015

Hi Gretchen,

The topic of recreational sport shooting in the mountains is now on the table with the county, the Forest Service, and mountain residents. This has long been a bone of contention for those living too near the designated shooting ranges and others who have expressed concern at random shooting around their properties or on local hiking trails for a number of years. Reports are that this issue has intensified since the Maxwell range in Lefthand was recently closed.

Garry Sanfacon, who is in charge of this from the county standpoint and is the coordinator for the partnership between the Forest Service and several counties,  stressed that this does not affect hunting. Those regulations are not on the table for discussion.

Garry said the USFS will be hosting public meetings themselves in the future on this topic.

We’ve heard that the public comment period closes August 10.

To comment on this issue, either go online and search for Northern Front Range Recreational Sport Shooting Management Partnership or go to the Gold Hill Store and pick up any of this information, which is on the scale near the movies:

(1) Recreational Sport Shooting put out by the Northern Front Range Recreational Sport Shooting Management Partnership pamphlet

(2) Boulder County Land Use Department Potential Shooting Range Locations overview map. One location includes the western part of  Gold Hill Road, lower Ward, and parts of Gold Hill  Road in a concentric circle with Ruby Gulch as its center.

(3) Recreational Sport Shooting Project Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, which has a description of the project with directions on how to comment on it and reach those in charge. Public comment is being actively solicited in this way and via public meetings.

Best,
Pam Sherman  pamsher123@nullgmail.com

Info from the Camera 7-11-15:

Recreational shooting in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests

The U.S. Forest Service  is seeking comments about a proposed framework for amending the overall management plan for the Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forests, as that plan pertains to recreational sport shooting on the forest lands.

Details  about the proposed recreational-shooting management direction, as well as a map of areas tentatively identified as suitable or unsuitable for sport shooting, are available online at http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=46910

Comments  must be submitted Aug. 10 by mailing them to Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Attn: RSS Proposal, 2150 Centre Ave. Building E, Fort Collins, CO 80526 or e-mailing them to: fs-comments-rm-araphaho-roosevelt@nullfs.fed.us