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FORT COLLINS, Colo. (April 28, 2023) – The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland is committed to working towards implementation of the 2019 Recreational Sport Shooting Management Decision and Forest Plan Amendment, identifying unsuitable areas for shooting on National Forest System lands. These closures are contingent on shooting ranges being constructed in certain geographic areas to provide for safe shooting opportunities where dispersed opportunities are limited. Implementation of closures is also contingent on compliance with public notice and comment procedures required by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act.
“I am so thankful for the amazing Northern Front Range Recreational Sport Shooting Management Partnership work that was done to get us to a decision that balances safety and the need for recreational shooting opportunities,” Forest Supervisor Monte Williams said. “This is an important step as we move towards implementation of our safety closures while providing new, developed opportunities for recreational shooting enthusiasts.”
Currently, the Devil’s Nose Target Range on the Clear Creek Ranger District is under construction and the Clear Creek Shooting Sports Park is under development. Once these ranges open, closures could begin in their associated geographic areas, as outlined in the 2019 Decision. A range opening will also initiate closures in Grand County and northern Larimer County where many dispersed shooting opportunities still exist.
The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act was signed in between the Forest releasing its draft and final decisions. As such, the Forest is following the process outlined in the Act, including a 60-day comment period following a notice in the Federal Register.
The intent of these closures and Forest Plan Amendment is to protect public safety by improving management of recreational sport shooting. They are a result of more than five years of a unique federal, state, and county partnership aimed to carefully consider and balance all Forest user needs and access, while also prioritizing public safety.
When fully implemented, the 226,113 acres identified as unsuitable for shooting will be closed. The three geographic areas included in the current Dingell Act notice comprise 141,095 acres of that, including 94,900 acres when Devil’s Nose opens and 46,195 acres when the Clear Creek Shooting Sports Park opens. An additional Dingell Act notice will be provided at a future date to complete implementation.
The notice of opportunity for public comment on the proposed permanent forest closure orders and web form for submitting comments are available at the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland webpage at http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/recshootingmgt.
Please note that the Forest previously received and responded to comments about these shooting restrictions as part of the planning process for the Recreational Sport Shooting Management Project. For the current comment period, the Forest encourages commenters to avoid repeating information or issues raised previously. All previously raised information and issues were analyzed in the project’s environmental analysis. Details of the project, including the analysis and final decision are available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=46910.
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